Weissenborn-copy project: Sassafras versus bunya soundboard

[Gwenn]

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Originally Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 1:08 am

Dear all,

I know the subject of this post ressembles a bit my first post (sitka versus australian tonewoods), but since this post, I've read a lot and thought a lot and gotten more precise with my next project!

I've been paying very special attention to all Weissenborn-related posts since my second project is a Weissenborn-style guitar (MIMF plans) which I intend to build with choice Australian timber: as I said in my first post, having lived a year in Melbourne for my M.A. and part of my wife's family living in Sydney, I feel a spiritual connection with this land!

I have contacted Tim Spittle from Australian tonewood to know if he had black-hearted sassafras with Weissenborn dimensions, which he has. This is good news since it is my dream to build something out of this wood!

So here comes my question:

Should I go with sassafras soundboard or opt for bunya pine? Does anyone have a sound clip with a bunya-top Weiss? I know Alan (ozziebluesman) from Townsville QLD has built a sassie Weissenborn copy in 2007. Alan if you're still there, I know that at one point on your MySpace page, you had the same song played with your three different Weisses, but I can't seem to find it now, is there a specific song you play with "Sassie" there?



My second question:

What kind of other Australian timber would you suggest with BH Sassafras for bridge, fingerboard and head plate? Allan, the myrtle you used on "Sassie" looks gorgeous actually! What else? Curly Wando?



My last question:

How about headstock? I didn't ask Tim Spittle if he could provide headstock blanks in Sassafras to mach the sides, but I assume it would be weird to have a different wood than that of the sides? What do you think?

Apart from that, I've sent an email to French luthier Chritophe Grellier (I read some of have come across his tutorial on his website) because he has his workshop a 5 min drive away from my wife's parents! I'll take this opportunity to visit him to ask many questions!

I know there are some very knowledgeable and talented Weiss builders in this forum (Tony Francis, Christian Druery, Dave White to name but a few...). I wanted to tell you guys how impressed I am with your work!

Best Regards,


Gwenn

[Pete Howlett]

When I did guitars I built about 20 Weissenborns. I think they look best when the wood for the front backs and sides is the same. You could always use a ssassifras overlay on the headstock... Remember you are building an acoustic tube - make it light but sensibly braced. I used Larrivee style bracing on 2.5mm fronts with a 22' radius to the top. Punches it out alright. This guy is playing one of mine...

[Allen]

I prefer to have the top the same wood as the rest of the body on Wiessenborns as well.

You should have enough off cuts from the back / sides for your peg head overlay if Tim didn't through in a extra piece. for that.

The Weissenborn plans from the MMIF are pretty sketchy on the head block. When you get to that point be sure to ask if you haven't already figured it out.

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Gwenn,

Welcome to our forum.

I still have the mp3s recorded on the three weissenborn copies. If you would like to send me a private email to : ozziebluesman at yahoo dot com dot au

I will send you a copy of the files.

Sassafrass is a very soft wood compared to say blackwood. The tones are very different too. Traditionally a weissenborn uses the same material for top back and sides, however, you can use what ever you want. Blackwood makes a very fine weissenborn copy.

Bunya is similar to spruce so with a bunya top the weiss is going to sound sweeter than a hardwood top. A weissenborn copy built from blackwood will have a more traditional tone where sassafrass in my experience has a warm, loud tone. My cedar topped weissenborn copy is also a very big, warm sounding guitar.

Tony Francis and Dave White are very experienced builders and I am sure if you ask them weissenborn building related questions here on the forum they will help you.

Cheers

Alan

[jeffhigh]

You won't do better than buying from Tim Spittle, Good value and great service, he has gone beyond what he needed to do for many of us.
As a builder himself he has a better understanding of what is important in the wood he sells.
The Blackheart Sassafras I got from him was exceptional.

[Richard]

There were original Weissenborns with spruce tops. Of course with the way that spruce and lacquers age, most of these that remain today have naturally yellowed to the point that they blend in with the Koa and so aren't as conspicuous as a brand new spruce/koa combo.

Bunya isn't my favourite wood but I have built many Weissenborns with it and it makes a great sounding instrument. I can't say how exactly it'll sound in conjunction with sassafras, but you can probably expect it to provide an overall brighter sound than sassafras alone.

In the end, the answers to your questions by and large come down to personal aesthetic and tonal choices. Just stick with an appropriately hard and stable wood for the bridge -- I'm guessing Tim will have a number of native desert hardwoods that might work for you depending on the look you are going for.

You have a lot of options with the fretboard on Weissenborns because wear and tear (or even strength to an extent) aren't critical factors like on traditional guitars. Any stable hardwood should do the job; it's common to use the same wood as the top/back/sides as on original Weissenborns, but with a bunya or spruce top I'd say a darker contrasting wood might be idea for the fretboard, and in this case it's probably best to match it with the bridge.

At the moment I'm really liking the neat, modern look of spruce/blackwood with ebony fretboard/bridge on Weissenborns:

model1j-spruce_16.jpg (227.69 KiB) Viewed 7583 times

[Gwenn]

Thanks for all your answers!

So here is how things are going to look like after having given them a long thought:

BH Sassafras soundboard back and sides and headstock
Wandoo fretboard, bridge and head plate
All will be ordered from Australian tonewoods

As for binding, I still don't know... I don't wish to embark on rope binding at this point, so I'm still wondering what timber could go well with Sassafras and Wandoo.

Now I'm waiting for the MIMF Plans to arrive in the mail and I should be getting started by september!

Anyway, thanks for your help!

Gwenn

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