Redwood confusion

TeleGeir · April 15th, 2003, 03:02 PM

Ok, I am :?

Reading about tonewoods, here is what USACG says about redwood:
"A phenomenal sounding wood for a real warm Jazzy sounding hollow body." :)

And Warmoth:
"It is not suitable for hollow bodies." :(

So I think I know what the issue is (it's soft and breaks easy, which USACG admits), but still...

Anyone done a redwood Thinline? Anyone have a sunburst finished redwood top Tele?

Geir :)

Dacious · April 15th, 2003, 09:52 PM

IMO redwood is a dense hard wood like maple. That means (like Australian Jarrah and English Oak) it's likely to be sonically dead.

Fuzzy's oak Tabletopcaster might sound OK, but I would think you'd lose some hollowbody nuances. Then again, it might act like an echo chamber.

TeleGeir · April 16th, 2003, 02:13 AM

Good point. So it may be better suited as a top on a good tonewood then. I think I'll have to talk to the guys at USACG and Warmoth.

Geir :)

TeleGeir · April 16th, 2003, 02:42 AM

Australian TDPRI'ers correct me here if I am way off, but:

A few years back I spent 3 weeks up in Yarra Valley, and on a market day they auctioned some of the most fantastic wood I have ever seen. So heavy they would use cranes to lift them off the truck. The way I was told the story was it is illegal to chop down any of these anymore, but there are quite a few to be found in lakes and rivers where the goldminers ditched them when making roads in the old days. So they had been lying there in water for a 100 years or more(?), but still looked absolutely fresh. I really wanted to buy a particularly nice one as a table top, but shipping it to Norway would have cost a bit...

It would have made a fantastic looking guitar top, but probably would have doubled the weight of the guitar...

Geir :)

Bete Noir · April 16th, 2003, 10:30 AM

I recall seeing a short clip on T.V. about an inovative guy in Michigan (I think) that was salvaging 100 year old maple logs from the bottom of one of the great lakes.

He was milling them into flooring and cabinet wood.:(
There were some spectacular pieces!
VERY expensive.

Dacious · April 16th, 2003, 05:54 PM

I think you are speaking of Huon pine. It was cut down and floated down rivers and many logs sank. The early settlers and convicts cut it down and used it for fence plaings, fires, animal stalls.

It has an appealing honey finegrain color but with lovely grain lines. It grows in long straight trunks and produces good, stable timber which has been used in acoustics. It should be a wonder wood, as:

It works like softwood and is easy on tools
It's virtually impervious to waterlogging and rot
It wears and bears weight like a hardwood
It has a natural oil which lets it take a finish but makes it virtually immune to marine borers and other parasites.

But:
It is one of the oldest plants on the planet and survives only in Tasmania, the Island State half way to the Antartic off the Southeast tip of Aus. It only survives due to the separation on Tassie and the mainland.

It grows by sending out runners and one tree takes 2000 years to reach full size. One stand of trees which was checked was found to be all genetically the same - it had all started from the same tree, and that tree was 10,000 years old.

There is one timberyard in Tas which has a limited licence to log. Freefalls and refloated logs which they still find are also used.

I've stood next to examples 160 years old which came up to my shoulder.

Another very fine guitar timber - and I'm sorry, California, but if they hadn't cut them all down 100 years ago they'd be TWICE the height of Sequioas (and will be again) is the Mountain Ash, native to South-East Australia. Not an ash at all, very pale wood but terrific figure. Maton and other makers like Cole-Clark are using these local woods like Blackwood and Acacia to great effect.

Ben Harper who's over in Oz right now is an endorsee and they're about to release a line of slide instruments with his moniker.

April 15th, 2003, 03:02 PM	#1 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Redwood confusion Ok, I am :? Reading about tonewoods, here is what USACG says about redwood: "A phenomenal sounding wood for a real warm Jazzy sounding hollow body." :) And Warmoth: "It is not suitable for hollow bodies." :( So I think I know what the issue is (it's soft and breaks easy, which USACG admits), but still... Anyone done a redwood Thinline? Anyone have a sunburst finished redwood top Tele? Geir :)

April 15th, 2003, 09:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,602 35 Photos	IMO redwood is a dense hard wood like maple. That means (like Australian Jarrah and English Oak) it's likely to be sonically dead. Fuzzy's oak Tabletopcaster might sound OK, but I would think you'd lose some hollowbody nuances. Then again, it might act like an echo chamber. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!

April 16th, 2003, 02:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Thanks Dacious Good point. So it may be better suited as a top on a good tonewood then. I think I'll have to talk to the guys at USACG and Warmoth. Geir :)

April 16th, 2003, 02:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
TeleGeir Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 1,998	Speaking of Australian wood... Australian TDPRI'ers correct me here if I am way off, but: A few years back I spent 3 weeks up in Yarra Valley, and on a market day they auctioned some of the most fantastic wood I have ever seen. So heavy they would use cranes to lift them off the truck. The way I was told the story was it is illegal to chop down any of these anymore, but there are quite a few to be found in lakes and rivers where the goldminers ditched them when making roads in the old days. So they had been lying there in water for a 100 years or more(?), but still looked absolutely fresh. I really wanted to buy a particularly nice one as a table top, but shipping it to Norway would have cost a bit... It would have made a fantastic looking guitar top, but probably would have doubled the weight of the guitar... Geir :)

April 16th, 2003, 10:30 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bete Noir TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 39	Bog Logs I recall seeing a short clip on T.V. about an inovative guy in Michigan (I think) that was salvaging 100 year old maple logs from the bottom of one of the great lakes. He was milling them into flooring and cabinet wood.:( There were some spectacular pieces! VERY expensive.

April 16th, 2003, 05:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,602 35 Photos	I think you are speaking of Huon pine. It was cut down and floated down rivers and many logs sank. The early settlers and convicts cut it down and used it for fence plaings, fires, animal stalls. It has an appealing honey finegrain color but with lovely grain lines. It grows in long straight trunks and produces good, stable timber which has been used in acoustics. It should be a wonder wood, as: It works like softwood and is easy on tools It's virtually impervious to waterlogging and rot It wears and bears weight like a hardwood It has a natural oil which lets it take a finish but makes it virtually immune to marine borers and other parasites. But: It is one of the oldest plants on the planet and survives only in Tasmania, the Island State half way to the Antartic off the Southeast tip of Aus. It only survives due to the separation on Tassie and the mainland. It grows by sending out runners and one tree takes 2000 years to reach full size. One stand of trees which was checked was found to be all genetically the same - it had all started from the same tree, and that tree was 10,000 years old. There is one timberyard in Tas which has a limited licence to log. Freefalls and refloated logs which they still find are also used. I've stood next to examples 160 years old which came up to my shoulder. Another very fine guitar timber - and I'm sorry, California, but if they hadn't cut them all down 100 years ago they'd be TWICE the height of Sequioas (and will be again) is the Mountain Ash, native to South-East Australia. Not an ash at all, very pale wood but terrific figure. Maton and other makers like Cole-Clark are using these local woods like Blackwood and Acacia to great effect. Ben Harper who's over in Oz right now is an endorsee and they're about to release a line of slide instruments with his moniker. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!