Tassie Blackwood/Acacia for fretboard and bridge?

Rod True · Post by **Rod True** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 6:43 am

Any one of you folks ever use Tassie Blackwood/Acacia for a fretboard and or bridge?

I'm thinking of doing this. Any pros/cons?

Thanks

woodrat · Post by **woodrat** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:59 am

Hello Rod, On my last guitar I used plain but very dense and resonant Queensland blackwood for the fingerboard and bridge. Blackwood grows from down in Tassie right up into Queensland and it really changes in its colour and density depending on where its grown. Where I live I have got several trees that grew within about 5 miles of each other and even they are so different. On this particular guitar (shown) the backs were blackwood from a tree felled locally and the fingerboard and bridge is from the hard golden QLD blackwood. I have found it made an excellent bridge and fingerboard material if it is a denser resonant example of this acacia.

Regards

John

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:49 am

I'll agree there.

The Quennsland Blackwood is generally ideal for a fingerboard but I reckon the Tassie/Victorian varieties are a little soft.

Having said that my partner in crime, Dave, used a Tassie Blackwood fingerboard on his last guitar. Mind you he will be using it very casually at home and it's not an instrument that will be gigged on a weekly basis.

Depends how much use it'll get Rod.

Rod True · Post by **Rod True** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:25 am

This is a gift guitar for my F.I.L. who doesn't play very often. It will most likly never be gigged on ever and I suspect it won't get much more than 4-8 hours per month of use.

The blackwood I have is Tassie I'm pretty sure. I got it from Tim about 1.5 years ago. It feels about the same density as most of the EIR I have, maybe a bit softer. I think I'll go for it.

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:49 pm

Hi Rod,
the CSIRO has just released some research on the various Australian woods and they have found that if you live in the northern hemisphere you have a high probability of developing acute toxicity from even a short exposure to blackwood. Honest.
Best keep away from Blackwood and warn all your American friends.

Cheers
Dom

Rod True · Post by **Rod True** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:29 am

Phew! I'm glad I'm Canadian than, Dom LOL!

Yes, I live in the Northern Hemisphere, but it's a little known fact that we Canadians have a rather large force field that protects us from most American influences

So... based on your recomendation Dom, I'll go ahead and use the blackwood for the guitar

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:41 am

But your going to develop an irresistible urge to consume large amounts of VB and go out late at night looking for a soggy meat pie. Not something your going to find easily anywhere in Vancouver. Better just set that wood aside. Alright to look at now and then just to remind yourself about how close a call you really had.

Fairly incosiderate of Tim sending that to you. He really should know better.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:26 am

Damn... I just received 5 beautiful sets of Blackwood from Bob Connor and now you tell me that if I live in the northern hemorrhoid I may develop a sensitivity.....

Rod True · Post by **Rod True** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:45 am

You know though Hesh, northern hemorrhoid sensitivity is much better than southern hemorrhoid sensitivity :fff

James Mc · Post by **James Mc** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:30 pm

I think you guys should all get together and make a Monty Python style movie about guitar building.

James

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:38 pm

My deepest apologies Rod, a Canadian being called American is probably as bad as an Australian being called a Kiwi and possibly visa versa. Was a hanging offense in both countries until not that long ago.

But nationalities aside, in the end its up to both you and Hesh, go for it if you are daredevil risk taking kind of guys with a death wish.

Be warned though, symptoms are far more likely to occur in the southern haemorrhoid region which as you point out, is far worse than the northern variety, for what should be obvious reasons to us blokes.

This is even before the full impact of excessive amounts of VB and meat pies kick in by which time your wardrobe will consist of one pair of stubbies, a blue wife beater singlet and double plugger thongs.

So whatever you decide to do, please be careful.
Dom

joel · Post by **joel** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:23 pm

I find myself deeply disturbed by an alarming omission in this discussion. Not one mention has been made of mashed peas!

How on earth do you expect to be taken seriously strutting around in a blue 'wife beater', stubbies and double-pluggas sucking down a VB without a pie floater? I mean seriously Dominic and Allen, we should be educating our northern hemorroidian cousins the full extent of dealing with blackwood.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:43 pm

MMMMMMM.....pie floater. And after sucking back a couple after work, that's sounding about right for tea.

Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Tassie Blackwood/Acacia for fretboard and bridge?

Tassie Blackwood/Acacia for fretboard and bridge?

Who is online