Sycamore/Sitka OM Pics
- Stephen Kinnaird
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Sycamore/Sitka OM Pics
G'day mates, here's a shot or two of one almost finished.
The back/sides/neck are American Sycamore.
Top is Sitka spruce.
Bindings and center lam in neck are Bubinga.
Fretboard, peghead and bridge are Texas ebony.
Thanks for looking!
Cheers, Steve
The back/sides/neck are American Sycamore.
Top is Sitka spruce.
Bindings and center lam in neck are Bubinga.
Fretboard, peghead and bridge are Texas ebony.
Thanks for looking!
Cheers, Steve
There are some great woods, down under!
- DarwinStrings
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- Stephen Kinnaird
- Blackwood
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Thanks, guys!
Michael, the scale length is the normal Martin long scale, 25.4". As for the plan, I measured & traced a pre-war Martin that came through our shop, then devised my own bracing pattern based on the Martin "X" brace system.
Kim, I'm sure the older you get, the more you'll look like a Kinnaird.
In fact, your avatar is a dead ringer for my brother.
Thanks again mates,
Steve
Michael, the scale length is the normal Martin long scale, 25.4". As for the plan, I measured & traced a pre-war Martin that came through our shop, then devised my own bracing pattern based on the Martin "X" brace system.
Kim, I'm sure the older you get, the more you'll look like a Kinnaird.
In fact, your avatar is a dead ringer for my brother.
Thanks again mates,
Steve
There are some great woods, down under!
- Stephen Kinnaird
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- Location: Texas, USA
Hi Allen, thanks for the comment.
Pithecellobium flexicaule is the scientific name for Texas ebony.
Also, P. ebano. So no, it isn't an ebony, but like you said an "overly hard wood". Supposed to be murder on chainsaws.
The small yard that carries this species gets only little pieces now and then. Otherwise, it's not readily seen commercially, even in Texas.
The board from which these pieces came was black as coal.
A little sawing/planing revealed it's red interior.
Cheers, Steve
Pithecellobium flexicaule is the scientific name for Texas ebony.
Also, P. ebano. So no, it isn't an ebony, but like you said an "overly hard wood". Supposed to be murder on chainsaws.
The small yard that carries this species gets only little pieces now and then. Otherwise, it's not readily seen commercially, even in Texas.
The board from which these pieces came was black as coal.
A little sawing/planing revealed it's red interior.
Cheers, Steve
There are some great woods, down under!
- sebastiaan56
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- Bob Connor
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- Stephen Kinnaird
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- Stephen Kinnaird
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Martin, there you go banning me again.
Bob, does he have that power?
Larry, glad to bring you out of hiding. Yes, the 3-piece back was by choice...in that I chose this board that was too narrow for a 2-piece.
It was just too pretty to pass by, so also by necessity the 3-piece back came to be.
Cheers, Steve
Bob, does he have that power?
Larry, glad to bring you out of hiding. Yes, the 3-piece back was by choice...in that I chose this board that was too narrow for a 2-piece.
It was just too pretty to pass by, so also by necessity the 3-piece back came to be.
Cheers, Steve
There are some great woods, down under!
- Taffy Evans
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- Stephen Kinnaird
- Blackwood
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- DarwinStrings
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I built a set of Sycamore doors and a "dinning drum" with Wenge inlay while working in a joinery shop in London Taffy. The wood was called sycamore but as Stephen suggests my foreman said it was Acer but it wasn't hard or soft maple and i can't remember the second part of its botanic name......20 years ago. It was plain and white as you described.
Is the sycamore you have Stephen, Plantanus?. London or European plane is pretty, much like your sycamore but darker more brownish from memory again it was 20 years ago I worked in joinery in the UK.
I have noticed Bob C has sycamore but it seems darker than yours Stephen, is it the same?. Is yours a particularly light piece?
Jim
Is the sycamore you have Stephen, Plantanus?. London or European plane is pretty, much like your sycamore but darker more brownish from memory again it was 20 years ago I worked in joinery in the UK.
I have noticed Bob C has sycamore but it seems darker than yours Stephen, is it the same?. Is yours a particularly light piece?
Jim
- Stephen Kinnaird
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Thanks Steve!! Guess the answer was in the post above my question I must learn to process what I read!! Are you coming to ASIA symposium this June?
Hi Kim....I've been pretty laid back adjusting to retirement..whatever that means.....and very little forum postings. I have not forgot the ziricote and the timbers are still waiting in the shop to be sawn into sets...will be in touch . Been struggling with a form of arthritis that weakens and pains tendons...very frustrating at best.
Hi Kim....I've been pretty laid back adjusting to retirement..whatever that means.....and very little forum postings. I have not forgot the ziricote and the timbers are still waiting in the shop to be sawn into sets...will be in touch . Been struggling with a form of arthritis that weakens and pains tendons...very frustrating at best.
Still searching for the mother of all figures.
- Stephen Kinnaird
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- Taffy Evans
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Steve and Jim.
You know for a guy that’s worked with timber all his life I have never paid a lot of attention to much of it, I think I've worked in a bubble. However I went on the Web to get some info on the Sycamore I mentioned I was using. And there’s a story attached so sorry about that.
I did my apprenticeship in a little known trade, here’s a card I’ve kept since those days. It was a job I really enjoyed and was proud to be in the trade. It had a union, the smallest in UK at the time 60 members.
[
The reason for the use of Sycamore was that my job entailed making jewelry cases for the rich and famous and for jewelers like Cartier, Liberties and among many others Faberge’. This was very interesting work and a lot of the jewelry and regalia was from royalty. My boss came out one day and showed me a letter from the Queen [secretary actually, but the queen sounds better] saying how pleased she was with a case I had made for an item of jewelry of hers. He kept the letter, but it gave me a buzz at the time, and still does.
You may have heard of the famous and expensive Faberge’ eggs, they sell for millions of dollars [I’m talking $2.4m to $8m]. Well Faberge’ was jeweler to the imperial court of Russia; he also made a whole range of other expensive gem encrusted items. I’m getting there…….Faberge’ items were often displayed and stored in cases made of Sycamore. They were not covered in velvet or leather as were others, but French polished.
I was allotted the task as being the only person [at that time] allowed to repair or reproduce replicas of the original cases; these were copied down to the last detail, even using silver hinges and catches. All the cases no matter what the size had the same features. One of which was a flute around the top edge of the case. This picture of an early guitar I built may have been influenced by this and shows what I mean. Also shown is a picture of the gouges I used to make the flute in the cases, the one in the guitar was routed.
img]phpBB2/userpix/101_IMGP4060_Small_1.jpg[/img]
When I think back to those days and picture the wood stash on the floor below, I’m blown away. Racks and racks of thinly sliced timber [other than the Sycamore] going though 1/8â€
You know for a guy that’s worked with timber all his life I have never paid a lot of attention to much of it, I think I've worked in a bubble. However I went on the Web to get some info on the Sycamore I mentioned I was using. And there’s a story attached so sorry about that.
I did my apprenticeship in a little known trade, here’s a card I’ve kept since those days. It was a job I really enjoyed and was proud to be in the trade. It had a union, the smallest in UK at the time 60 members.
[
The reason for the use of Sycamore was that my job entailed making jewelry cases for the rich and famous and for jewelers like Cartier, Liberties and among many others Faberge’. This was very interesting work and a lot of the jewelry and regalia was from royalty. My boss came out one day and showed me a letter from the Queen [secretary actually, but the queen sounds better] saying how pleased she was with a case I had made for an item of jewelry of hers. He kept the letter, but it gave me a buzz at the time, and still does.
You may have heard of the famous and expensive Faberge’ eggs, they sell for millions of dollars [I’m talking $2.4m to $8m]. Well Faberge’ was jeweler to the imperial court of Russia; he also made a whole range of other expensive gem encrusted items. I’m getting there…….Faberge’ items were often displayed and stored in cases made of Sycamore. They were not covered in velvet or leather as were others, but French polished.
I was allotted the task as being the only person [at that time] allowed to repair or reproduce replicas of the original cases; these were copied down to the last detail, even using silver hinges and catches. All the cases no matter what the size had the same features. One of which was a flute around the top edge of the case. This picture of an early guitar I built may have been influenced by this and shows what I mean. Also shown is a picture of the gouges I used to make the flute in the cases, the one in the guitar was routed.
img]phpBB2/userpix/101_IMGP4060_Small_1.jpg[/img]
When I think back to those days and picture the wood stash on the floor below, I’m blown away. Racks and racks of thinly sliced timber [other than the Sycamore] going though 1/8â€
Taff
- Stephen Kinnaird
- Blackwood
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Fascinating story, Taffy! I'd love to get a note from the Queen, especially one praising my work.
I can report back about the sound of Sycamore -- it does not disappoint.
This guitar is loud, clear and in the words of a visitor today, "colorful".
(To him, some guitars sound black 'n white, some are in color. Make what you can of his comment.) There is plenty of bass and lots of sustain, and this from a rather thin-bodied OM.
Ok, I'm one of those who believe that the sound is really in the top, but the sides/back do contribute, so-- don't be afraid to try Sycamore.
It ain't rosewood... maybe more like Koa than anything else to my ear.
Steve
I can report back about the sound of Sycamore -- it does not disappoint.
This guitar is loud, clear and in the words of a visitor today, "colorful".
(To him, some guitars sound black 'n white, some are in color. Make what you can of his comment.) There is plenty of bass and lots of sustain, and this from a rather thin-bodied OM.
Ok, I'm one of those who believe that the sound is really in the top, but the sides/back do contribute, so-- don't be afraid to try Sycamore.
It ain't rosewood... maybe more like Koa than anything else to my ear.
Steve
There are some great woods, down under!
- DarwinStrings
- Blackwood
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- Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 10:27 pm
- Location: Darwin
Now that knife does not look like what I was using as sycamore in the U.K ....common names can be so confusing.
Sounds like you had a great job there Taffy. My metal lathe is designed to run off that sort of single motor, many belt type workshops but it also had a modern addition to support its own motor (a H frame type setup).
Steve you have put P Occidentalis on my list of future builds thanks for posting.
Jim
Sounds like you had a great job there Taffy. My metal lathe is designed to run off that sort of single motor, many belt type workshops but it also had a modern addition to support its own motor (a H frame type setup).
Steve you have put P Occidentalis on my list of future builds thanks for posting.
Jim
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