Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Krzysztof Piotrowicz No. 11 Classical Guitar.

Ive been getting great results from the Araucaria timbers (Bunya Pine is the most famous) and recommend these woods as a Spruce alternative, and a better instrument timber for classical guitars than the tasmanian soft conifers (Huon pine and King Billy pine). Though as with any wood, pick a light and stiff cut with excellent tap tone.
Specs:
Soundboard: Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
Back and sides: Ringed Gidgee (Acacia Cambagei)
Neck: Spanish cedar with Spanish heel connection
Fretboard: Indian Ebony
Bridge: Indian Rosewood
Bracing: soundboard 7 fan, no lower bout V braces or bridge plate. Back 4 horizontal (usually I use 3, but need to tune Gidgee to work)
Tuners: Der Jung 18:1 with Acacia buttons
Binding: Ebony, probably won't use again
Rosette: pre purchased online
Finish: Tru-oil, low sheen

The wood combination has resulted in a guitar with deep basses, and thick woody trebles with great sustain and vibrato, but at the same time has clarity and brightness. Need to make recordings of this.

www.youtube.com/kpcart

Nice guitar Krzysztof. I'm looking forward to a sound snippet

It may be just the light in that photo, but the soundboard looks a little mottled and there seems to be some colour difference between leaves. Is that a feature of Norfolk pine? or is it just the photography?

I don't think these things are bad per see, just a bit different from the monotone you see on most sound boards.

Yeh I haven't seen any as even colour as spruce for instance, but I don't care, I judge the timber on its tap tone and feel (stiffness, weight). These trees grow more ornamental and in different weather conditions and not in forests like alpine conifers so I doubt there would be much spruce looking, but I'm also sure there is some out there. I like this set of Norfolk, because it looks like vintage old wood, has nice tight grain towards middle of board with nice cross-grain, nice figure and colour and grain variety.
Also this nice figure I don't know what it's called, comes in at angle:

The Gidgee from curly timbers was sold as parlor size, so sides were a bit short, hence big endgraft with vic blackwood.

Yep, I agree.
I like that it has it's own character and I don't see the colour variance as a bad thing.
It's attractive and distinct.

Very interesting to see Norfolk Island pine used in instrument building. I have been considering various options in local timbers and hadn’t considered this one. Thanks for sharing your experience with it.

after playing the guitar in for a few weeks, sound samples of 3 varying pieces:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hxtpomg74jdvz ... 1.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gwhq69u2z5i34 ... 1.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qp9a4gve1zcu4 ... 5.mp4?dl=0

I really like Aurocaria species of tree for soundboard, as Bunya and Norfolk pine have worked for me.

Wow what a great tone Krzysztof. Looks the goods also. Thanks for sharing.
Andrew

Guitar sounds good but you sound great. Nice pieces, worth saying what they were as I thought I recognised the first one, but not sure of the titles.

Nice colour variation between bridge and neck positions and well done on building guitars and keeping your nails in good shape. I struggle with that.

seeaxe wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 29, 2020 2:05 pm

Guitar sounds good but you sound great. Nice pieces, worth saying what they were as I thought I recognised the first one, but not sure of the titles.

Nice colour variation between bridge and neck positions and well done on building guitars and keeping your nails in good shape. I struggle with that.

thanks, we all run our own race in playing, as we do with building. I have heaps more to improve in both. fan bracing is the key in colour variation in classical guitar world, other designs have a more homogenous sound.
the pieces are:
1: Panaderos Flamencos, just a sample, not whole piece.
2: Canco de lladre, Spanish folk song arr. Llobet.
3: Princess Mononoke theme (Japanese Anime movie)