Carving practice using poplar

[JeffS]

After lurking here a while and seeing so many great looking mandolins I've decided on giving it a go myself. I figured I'd try to hone some skills on some scrap wood, I have a fair amount of poplar left over from past projects. Anyway, I was curious if anyone has used poplar as a top for a mandolin. I know it is sometimes used for the backs of violins, cellos, and bodies for solid bodies (strats & teles).

[Magnus Geijer]

I suspect poplar will be better suited for a back or sides than a top. I have used it for sides myself, and have been happy with the results. If you want to have something to just practice on for top carving, I'd suggest using pine, as its properties are a lot closer to the spruce or cedar you will most probably be using when you make your actual mandolin.

Just MHO and all that.

/Magnus

[sunburst]

I find poplar to be rather difficult to carve, especially the white sapwood portion. The green heartwood part isn't so bad.
Why not use spruce? You can likely get it at home depot in the form of construction lumber, maybe not in instrument quality but for practice carving it should feel similar.

As for how poplar would work for a top, it is considerably heavier than spruce, but has a similar stiffness. I don't hear what sounds like a very good tap tone in it....?

[french guy]

Lime is also a wood very pleasant to work

[Greenmando]

Cedar and redwood are great for tops as well, even doug fir. The poplar would be a great wood for sides and backs.