Experimental woods

[resonant68]

I haven't tried to research this yet but was curious if anyone knows what type of wood "Pecan" is?
Is is usable in instruments?
Has anyone tried it?
The reason I ask is because I live in a small town that is basically a pecan orchard.And sometimes the trees get blown down in storms.Could this wood be used for anything?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif???
WE also have a lot of hickory.....and something the locals call "silver leaf maple".
What can be used and what can not?
Where should I look to find out about wood types and usage?

[Eugene]

As a holder of degrees in natural resources, when I have questions on the use of timbers, I consult:

Harlow, Harrar, Hardin & White. 1995. Textbook of Dendrology, 8th ed. Mcgraw-Hill Co.

Pecan is just that, Carya illinoensis. Technically, pecan is a type of hickory (the tastiest type). The timber is hard and used in flooring. I don't know of anybody using hickories as tonewood. I would be afraid their response would be too oak-like and would require a good deal of effort to make sound anything better than "thuddish." I'm sure "silver leaf maple" is what I simply would call silver maple, Acer saccharinum. It is sometimes marketed as "soft maple," but soft is relative; it should make a fine, bright-voiced tonewood. Be warned, I like musical instruments, but don't build a thing. You should probably wait for a bit of advice from a real luthier.

[Bill Snyder]

I have been curious about this too. Walnuts are in the same family as pecans and walnut is used by some (such as Michael Lewis) for back and sides of guitars and others for mandolins. Having said this I know that does not automatically mean the pecan is also suited for instrument making.

[Michael Lewis]

Hi folks. Broad leaf trees are called "hardwood" and conifers (cone bearing with needles) are called soft woods. Some soft woods are harder than some "hardwoods". That being said, pecan is softer than most walnut, but probably can be used successfully for making instruments. The silver maple should be good if properly seasoned. Hickory has huge pores that would need filling, and isn't as stable as some other better suited woods.

Don't cheat yourself out of a good instrument just to use substandard wood. The most expensive element in your instrument is your time. Use good materials to avoid wasting your time.

[Eugene]

Although hickories are in the same family as walnuts, their timber is a bit more flexible and oak-like. #That's why hickories are used to make oak-style flooring and drum sticks. #There is often a reason the woods traditionally used in musical instruments have evolved into tradition over the last several hundred years.

[oldwave maker]

Res- some lower priced classical guitars from those nutty luthiers in paracho mexico are made from pecan, over time it has gained a reputation as a lesser value tonewood, looks kinda dull to me even tho I have the mother of all trunks on a tree on the farm here and my woodpile is half pecan. I'm with Michael on this- its hard to tonally screw up really good tonewood, this probably isnt one. One thing I'se found in eastern maples is that the soft stuff from the northern end of the range is as hard or harder than the hard stuff from the southern latitudes, but what do I know, I'm just a chronic woodbuyer, not a seller! Spruce may have the definitive word here......

[Ron C]

I too have to agree with Michael, use the best wood or near best you can find for a good quality instrument and you will be very happy with most of the outcomes. I've tried Pecan once, it was ok but lacked in the tonal preference I was looking for at the time, and back in those day's. Good luck on your venture's.. Ron C

[Michael Lewis]

Hey Ron, good to see you here. What other woods have you tried?

[Ron C]

Hi Michael, everybody. I've tried these hardwoods with some mandolins sounding real good, Walnut (great with Redwood), Poplar, Ash and Sycamore with Sycamore being very unstable for neck mateial. Water or lacquer makes the necks twist like you can't believe, the peghead curled up on me once almost a half an inch. Not to bad for the back and sides though, but it's not worth the trouble. The harder woods like the Walnut, Pecan, Maple, Elm or Koa seem best and my experience with these hardwoods all seem to have good projection type sound for various tone wood combination's. One should do their own experiencing with any hardwood-tonewood combo's, it really is kind of fun and you'll be surprised how good some of them come out. Hope this help's somebody. Ron http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif