Tamarack for a mando top?

[Keith Newell]

Has anyone used Tamarack for a instrument top? It has some interesting properties when you compare weight/strength etc.
Check it out here http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/strength_table.htm
#Keith Newell

[sunburst]

Interesting table! Thanks for the link.
I haven't tried Tamarack, but I have a book from the US Forest service called Important Trees of Eastern Forests. It has this to say about Tamarack wood:
"The wood is hard, heavy, durable and strong, but difficult to work with tool, It is used for posts, poles, ties and construction lumber."

The 0.53 specific gravity does seem a little heavy to me for a top, especially when you compare it to Red Maple at 0.54, and tho the stiffness is a little higher than Red Spruce the stiffness to weight ratio isn't nearly as good as the spruces.

Tables contain average values, however, and I wouldn't be surprised if you could find good top material in Tamarack wood considering how much variation there is in wood. Why not try it if you have a good piece?

Interestingly, here's all the Forest Service book has to say about Red Spruce wood:
"The wood is used for lumber and pulpwood".

Do ya recon the Forest Service doesn't consider luthiers to be an important market?

[Spruce]

I've milled a few Western Tamaracks for tonewood 10 years ago or so (one by accident--I thought it was Engelmann until I cut into it), and it turned out to be some interesting wood.

It is heavy, but is really sturdy material and had a great tap-tone. #The trees commonly split striaght, so run-out was minimal...

Martin made a batch of a 100 guitars or so using Western Larch (Tamarack), and the ones I played sounded fine.

The other "undiscovered" woods on that list that I would look at for mando tops would be California Red Fir, Noble Fir, Port Orford Cedar, and true White Fir.

Interesting chart...
Thanks for posting that...