Jarrah for a neck blank?

[slowlearner]

I played a great Jazz bass the other day that had a rosewood neck. Fantastic bass... which got me thinking. I don't want to try and import a piece of rosewood large enough, let alone have the cash for it. However, what about using something local that is similar, say Jarrah? What are people's thoughts? I've used it for fingerboards before, but it does tend to have a very wavy grain. Would it be suitable for a neck?

[TimS]

Not all Jarrah has figure/wavy grain. So if you find a piece give it a try. You may even want to consider using the Jarrah in a laminated form to eliminate any untoward transverse or torsional twisting.

regards

Tim

[rocket]

IMG_2231.JPG (213.62 KiB) Viewed 17614 times

I haven't used Jarrah alone as a neck timber but i have integrated it as a lamination in some of my necks, one I've done recently is Qld maple and Jarrah with Jarrah headstock veneers.
Cheers,,
Rod.

[nnickusa]

eBay item number 380416547977

Have noticed this guy always has them listed. I bought some of his Macassar Mahogany, as did Bruce. I think Bruce also used his EIR B/S and was complimentary of that rosewood.....

[slowlearner]

Thanks, it does look good, but I don't build with imported timbers on principle.

[sprocket]

IMG_2231.JPG

I haven't used Jarrah alone as a neck timber but i have integrated it as a lamination in some of my necks, one I've done recently is Qld maple and Jarrah with Jarrah headstock veneers.
Cheers,,
Rod.

Real nice neck mate !

[nnickusa]

Ah, sorry Pete, must have misunderstood, thought you were looking for some cheaper. Sadly, I can't offer advice on the neck, but the Jarrah fingerboard I did came out nice. The binding, well, that was tougher....very brittle, I found...

[slowlearner]

Yeah, no dramas. I'd love to use rosewood, but in all good conscience with the state of forests in developing countries I just can't do it. Our grandkids will be lucky if there's any forest left the rate we're going. I genuinely believe in years to come, most guitars will be made from plantation pine. A horrifying thought, but there it is...

Re Jarrah fingerboards, Jarrah makes a great fingerboard doesn't it!

[jeffhigh]

Indian rosewood is plantation grown now
Jarrah?

[slowlearner]

That's good to hear.

[DarwinStrings]

I had heard it rumoured that some Jarrah had been coming out of plantation but any evidence of that is not on the net except one source says "limited supply" when talking of plantation Jarrah, seems most still comes from old growth and what they refer to as "sustainably managed forest".

I wonder if we will see much plantation pine in Australia in the future as I have read that they are having big trouble with the way the pine, after harvest, is leaving the soil in such a bad state that they can't even grow pine in it again. Might be time for more legume (Acacia) plantations like the one they started up here on Melville Island (cleared it, planted it then went belly up though). I think it is A.mangium or some hybrid of mangium.

Jim

[kiwigeo]

Yeah, no dramas. I'd love to use rosewood, but in all good conscience with the state of forests in developing countries I just can't do it.

If you don't use it to handcraft an instrument that will last several lifetimes then the wood will end up either as woodchips or as cheap arse patio furniture that will get trashed after a couple of years.

When I buy tonewood I see it as a "rescue" operation

[slowlearner]

If you don't use it to handcraft an instrument that will last several lifetimes then the wood will end up either as woodchips or as cheap arse patio furniture that will get trashed after a couple of years.

When I buy tonewood I see it as a "rescue" operation

I wish I was that confident in my building abilities...

But, yeah, you make a pretty good argument there.

[Nick]

And Martin has "Rescued" heaps of the world's forests .The fact that they are neatly cut into guitar sized bits are only for ease of storage.

[needsmorecowbel]

That would make an alright TV show: "Wood Rescue" Hosted by Martin

Slot the show in just after Antiques Roadshow hosted by John Buckham