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livetoride21 · March 7th, 2011, 01:02 PM

hey, I picked up some really nice birch 1" x 5" today and was wondering if anyone here has built a neck out of birch? I know that gibson made their zuit suit riot sg or whatever its called out of birch laminate. but was I havent seen any necks out of straight up birch? I'm going to try it either way, but was just hopeing someone here had some experience with it as far as stability and tone versus maple?

thanks,
Kevin

Colt W. Knight · March 7th, 2011, 01:09 PM

Flat sawn or quarter sawn?

axedaddy · March 7th, 2011, 02:15 PM

I have never made a neck with birch. I have a stash of flamed red birch and I have a carved top tele in the works using it for the top. It seems very much like maple in working with it for the top. Tap test reveal a similar tone. Mine is very figured, so it tears out easily, I have to thickness sand it instead of using a planer. I wish I had more info.

OpenG Capo4 · March 7th, 2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colt W. Knight

Flat sawn or quarter sawn?

Both:

livetoride21 · March 7th, 2011, 02:42 PM

thanks for the info guys, I'll just haveto try it and see what happens. and its plain sawn by the way. depending on how it goes, I might do some mohogany or red oak centers with birch outers in a laminate in the future.

Jahmbie · March 7th, 2011, 02:47 PM

What kind of Birch?
Sweet/Black Birch or Yellow Birch, probably.
Paper/White Birch, probably not.
Good luck.

Colt W. Knight · March 7th, 2011, 03:52 PM

Red Birch is is closer to oak in toughness and stabillity, but white birch is not all that stable flat sawn.

livetoride21 · March 7th, 2011, 05:07 PM

hmm, well I think it's white birch, but it might be red. because it's the exact same tone as as my red alder body blank. I'm thinking of using a 3/8" square steel tube instead of a truss rod, a la martin. either way, it'll be an experiment. it flexes very similar to maple in an 8foot length, seems about as dense, and the grain's very similar.

Nick JD · March 7th, 2011, 05:48 PM

If you are unsure of the neck wood then a trussrod can save it if it gets temperamental. A non-adjusting one and it's in the bin.

livetoride21 · March 7th, 2011, 06:19 PM

ye true. well i have a single action lying around, i was just thinking of trying something new. but you're right, it could prevent a possible serious screw up

March 7th, 2011, 01:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
livetoride21 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 13	Birch neck? hey, I picked up some really nice birch 1" x 5" today and was wondering if anyone here has built a neck out of birch? I know that gibson made their zuit suit riot sg or whatever its called out of birch laminate. but was I havent seen any necks out of straight up birch? I'm going to try it either way, but was just hopeing someone here had some experience with it as far as stability and tone versus maple? thanks, Kevin

March 7th, 2011, 01:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Age: 29 Posts: 18,923	Flat sawn or quarter sawn? __________________ the now mandatory =====>

March 7th, 2011, 02:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jahmbie Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Berea, KY Posts: 1,908 17 Photos	What kind of Birch? Sweet/Black Birch or Yellow Birch, probably. Paper/White Birch, probably not. Good luck. __________________ "Tous les jours à tous points de vue je vais de mieux en mieux."

March 7th, 2011, 03:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
Colt W. Knight Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Age: 29 Posts: 18,923	Red Birch is is closer to oak in toughness and stabillity, but white birch is not all that stable flat sawn. __________________ the now mandatory =====>

March 7th, 2011, 05:48 PM	#9 (permalink)
Nick JD Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: May 2007 Location: Queensland, Australia Age: 40 Posts: 13,392	If you are unsure of the neck wood then a trussrod can save it if it gets temperamental. A non-adjusting one and it's in the bin. __________________ You need to roll the dice to be in the game.

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March 7th, 2011, 02:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
axedaddy Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Winter Haven, FL Posts: 863	I have never made a neck with birch. I have a stash of flamed red birch and I have a carved top tele in the works using it for the top. It seems very much like maple in working with it for the top. Tap test reveal a similar tone. Mine is very figured, so it tears out easily, I have to thickness sand it instead of using a planer. I wish I had more info.

March 7th, 2011, 02:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
livetoride21 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 13	thanks for the info guys, I'll just haveto try it and see what happens. and its plain sawn by the way. depending on how it goes, I might do some mohogany or red oak centers with birch outers in a laminate in the future.

March 7th, 2011, 05:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
livetoride21 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 13	hmm, well I think it's white birch, but it might be red. because it's the exact same tone as as my red alder body blank. I'm thinking of using a 3/8" square steel tube instead of a truss rod, a la martin. either way, it'll be an experiment. it flexes very similar to maple in an 8foot length, seems about as dense, and the grain's very similar.

March 7th, 2011, 06:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
livetoride21 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 13	ye true. well i have a single action lying around, i was just thinking of trying something new. but you're right, it could prevent a possible serious screw up

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