Desert, Gold fields and other timber

[AidanHarris]

Hey all,

Been a while since Ive posted. Been lucky enough to have run a muk around the world for the last two years trying to avoid being a grown up! Alas the travels end and the real world kicks in. So to escape it once again Im in the planning stage of making another guitar.

I really want to focus on using Aussie timbers as much as possible. I mean we have some amazing ones (all be it, hard to get some times) out there. Has anyone out there used or know of any guitars that have been made using desert timber or goldfeilds woods for backs and sides. Getting them in wide enough clean stock can be an issue, but would things like salmon gum, wandoo and goldfields blackbutt make for a decent sounding guitar?

and while on the topic of Aussie woods. what is out there for tops apart from Bunya and huon?

Cheers guy!

Aidan

[curly]

Best fella I've met with a knowledge of W.A. arid zone timbers as tonewoods is a cello and double bass maker by the name of Renee Raulson . I reckon you would find him on the web . He works out of Preston Victoria .
Tim Spittle of Aus tonewoods is good on local W.A. stuff . Another supplier over there is Djarilmari , I've seen some lovely stuff supplied by them .
We have supplied and built with many different arid zone timbers in the east . For density , stability and colour we have some really top timbers here .
Pete

[martintaylor]

Hi Aidan,

Other Oz tops could be King Billy Pine (hard to get but worth it), Australian Red Cedar (Toona Australis), and depending on the size and style of the guitar, you can always use Blackwood as a top on smaller bodies like ukes etc. There's even Celery Top Pine at a stretch.

[maurie]

Hi Aidan

Pete Young here in Albany built a really nice sounding guitar using figured wandoo for back and sides (from Tim Spittle).
Well known South West builder Scott Wise has also used it for guitars.
Local builder Alan Warburton also recently built a tenor uke using goldfields blackbut with success.
The only drawback I see is the weight factor, although Pete's guitar was well balanced and nice to play.

Cheers Maurice

[Peter Young]

Hello Aiden

Couple of pictures of the guitars Maurice mentioned

All 3/4 dreadnaught size. All heavy timber but strong and (so far) stable. All the Albany players can make them sound good.

Blue white & sugar.jpg (106.04 KiB) Viewed 16137 times

Tops are L-R cedar, lutz, cedar

Blue wando & sugar.jpg (103.87 KiB) Viewed 16137 times

Bridge and f/board wando (white gum) with York burl scratch plate

Wando.jpg (93.35 KiB) Viewed 16137 times

Aside from the blue gum .... all timbers from the inimitable Tim

Regards Peter

[demonx]

Only one on the list I've used are Wandoo and Huon. I used the Huon for a neck and never sold the guitar as I decided it was too soft.

Wandoo I've only used for fingerboards, in fact I fretted another Wandoo board this morning. I really like the stuff. Hard as a rock, sort of like an in between Rosewood and Ebony to fret.

[TimS]

Hi Aidan,

If you ever want to look at some of the WA species used in lutherie I am happy to show you what I have come across. (MOB 0403234800)
regards

Tim Spittle

[AidanHarris]

Cheers guys,

Ive stayed away from Wandoo in the past for furniture making cos it is too bloody hard but for guitars maybe worth a second look! Weight factor is somthing to worry about or at least take into consideration.

Ill show you all what I come up with when I finally get my ass into gear. And Tim I will give you a call soon and would love to have a chat about woods and see how much of your knowledge I can steal!


Aidan

[sebastiaan56]

There is also Monterey Cypress grown locally,

[Peter Young]

Well ..... Aiden

An invitation to the "Aladdin cave" of timber from the inimitable one himself! That will be an experience .....

He will still have some of the wando that I used. Sure, it is hard and heavy. However, I like it 'cause you can lay into it a bit without the worry ... a bit like carving rock maple necks. Smallmans bodies are heavy ...

Secret is sharp tools, as always, and a good scraper. Wando takes a finish very well.

Alan Warburton (the guy that got us all strated here in Albany) called in on Saturday and said that the guitar he made from what he thinks is goldfields blackbut is now his favourite soundwise.

The range of Oz timbers Tim has for finger boards, bridges, head plates etc is amazing.

Regards Peter