Tasmanian Blackwood

needsmorecowbel · Post by **needsmorecowbel** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:51 pm

Is Tasmanian Black-wood a good tone wood with which to build a guitar body? Is it likely to be too dense/ heavy?

Cam · Post by **Cam** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:57 pm

Tasmanian is very good for a guitar body. Warmoth have a tonewoods page on their site, look under koa seeing as though tasmanian blackwood and koa are very much the same.

needsmorecowbel · Post by **needsmorecowbel** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 9:58 pm

Cheers.

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:00 pm

I built a Tele Thinline out of Blackwood a few years back.

Great electric guitar wood.

J.F. Custom · Post by **J.F. Custom** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:06 pm

Hi - still not sure of your name...

Firstly, I'll assume you mean electric solid body from your other recent posts, not an acoustic instrument of any type.

Blackwood is found from Tasmania to Queensland and is highly variable from a shrub to a tree. It's density also changes and can be anything from 500kg/m3 to 900kg/m3. Therefore your comments as to it's "too dense/heavy" nature depends on the piece at hand.

In short - it is a beautiful timber and is certainly applicable to use in solid bodies.

Jeremy.

*EDIT* Have just seen the other replies... sigh... slow typing and pre-occupation...

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:09 pm

Excellent allround tone wood for Acoustic & Electric guitars.
Some say better than Koa.
Cheers
Bob Tasmania

J.F. Custom · Post by **J.F. Custom** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:15 pm

That's a convenient last name Bob

What a coincidence...

Jeremy.

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:21 pm

Thanks Jeremy,
Its a good name for where I live.
But I can not tell you what I do for a living, not allowed.

Cheers Bob Tasmania

J.F. Custom wrote:That's a convenient last name Bob

What a coincidence...

Jeremy.

Rick Turner · Post by **Rick Turner** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:26 pm

We have Tasmanian blackwood growing here in California; it was brought over as an ornamental tree in the 1880s and has spread from SoCal on up the coast. The California grown Tassie blackwood tends not to have quite the figure you get in Australia, but it's texture and density is about half way between typical koa and decent Indian rosewood. It and your Aussie-grown timber make excellent backs and sides for steel string acoustics, would probably be fine for classicals, and are entirely appropriate for Weissenborn type guitars and ukes where you'd make them with blackwood tops as well.

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:33 pm

G'Day Rick,
Would you agree with Allen comments in the other thread Sound board
That if using blackwood as a soundboard use plain blackwood as the soundboard rather than figured.
Tasmania Bob

Rick Turner wrote:We have Tasmanian blackwood growing here in California; it was brought over as an ornamental tree in the 1880s and has spread from SoCal on up the coast. The California grown Tassie blackwood tends not to have quite the figure you get in Australia, but it's texture and density is about half way between typical koa and decent Indian rosewood. It and your Aussie-grown timber make excellent backs and sides for steel string acoustics, would probably be fine for classicals, and are entirely appropriate for Weissenborn type guitars and ukes where you'd make them with blackwood tops as well.

John Maddison · Post by **John Maddison** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:38 am

Tassie Blackwood is a great timber to work with and produces a fantastic finish, some might argue better than A. koa, however it has the potential to be a serious health risk ... that article gets a bit scientific in the wording but the pics tell the story. Cover up!

Rick Turner · Post by **Rick Turner** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:27 am

Bob, yes, I'd say that given the critical nature of guitar soundboards, that being tone comes first over beauty, and that having to make up for inherent weakness of flamed figure with heavier bracing would mean that the plainer stuff can be worked to sound better. You can take it thinner and brace it lighter for a given strength and stiffness.

And yes, the health issues are serious. I wonder if blackwood is any worse than koa or other wattles/acacias.

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:14 am

When I was growing up in Tassie all of the schools used blackwood in woodwork classes.

They stopped this a few years ago.

Ian Robinson, who is a sawmiller on the NW Coast of Tassie, was telling me that the Blackwood dust is very difficult to get out of your lungs once it's in there. I don't recall the exact details but he mentioned the dust particles having tiny hooks in it which tended to lodge the particles firmly in the lung.

Whichever way it is I'm very careful around Blackwood as I handle a fair bit of it. I wary of most stuff actually but things like Coco and Blackwood I'm more careful around.

Both Dave and I have reactions to Cheesewood. (burning sensation in the nose when thicknessing it)I spoke to Tim Spittle and it doesn't bother him at all.

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:51 am

When I first left School at the age of 15, I worked over a mile underground in a coal mine for only a year and for years latter I coughed up coal dust.
I know lots of people who have allergys to certain species and yet others dont.
I would say wear a mask at all times and if you get a bad reaction stay away from that timber.
Regards,
Bob Tasmania

ash · Post by **ash** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:28 am

Oh Joy,

Picked up a great stash of Blackwood recently and now I'm itchy and puffy just like the time I found a great stash of Silky Oak. That stuff knocked me out of action for a week and four years later I can still sometimes feel the itch.

Or it could be the mango I ate yesterday... here's hoping it's the mango. They're not that nice anyway.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:08 pm

Blackwood is a know allergen. I love the wood, but it does affect my skin when I work with it. Makes me feel like it's crawling with bugs or such. It only seems to bother me when I'm sanding it, so I take care and wash up immediately afterwards.

peter.coombe · Post by **peter.coombe** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:01 pm

I have used a fair bit of Blackwood, it goes extremely well with King Billy Pine in mandolins. There is a lot of variation in density and hardness. Some of the most beautiful pieces can be really hard and a beast to carve. Never had any problems with Blackwood, but got rid of all my Silky Oak because of a reaction to it and can't stand WR Cedar either.

needsmorecowbel · Post by **needsmorecowbel** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:27 pm

this was from ages ago...maybe something recovered from the crash/ attack...

Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum