Kerfing, Headblock, Tailblock Wood?

[mandough]

What would be some adequete wood choices besides Mahogany for a mandolin's Headblock, kerfing and tailblock? #I've got maple, rosewood, and some walnut and spruce.
Why is Mahogany the preferred wood over other hardwoods?

[austin]

I have used spruce for mandolin blocks mostly because I have it on hand, but I use willow blocks for violins. I suppose you could use willow for mandos, but I never have. Willow is nice and light. You can use willow for your linings too, but I usually use thin, unkerfed basswood strips that I bend with heat when I do the sides.

Just be sure your grain is angled correctly or you could have splitting problems if you use a dovetail joint for your neck.(particularly with the spruce)

-austin

[Dave Cohen]

Spanish cedar ("cedro") is another good choice.

[sunburst]

Spruce
Basswood
Butternut
Willow
Spanish Cedar
Many of the tropical Mohogany "look alikes"
Paulonia

all are woods that I've used or thought about using for internal parts.
I think the important considerations are: lightness, stability, workability, "glueability", and resistance to splitting.

Some woods that I've used that I don't recommend are poplar and cherry. (too hard to work and to heavy)

[Chris Baird]

I use red spruce for my linings. I've considered using it for my blocks. Has anyone used spruce and can give a report?

[Rob Grant]

One thing I do with my head and tail blocks is to cut them out of laminated pieces that I glue up myself out of our local "maple" (Flindersia). By changing the orientation of the grain with each layer I end up with a block that is light and split resistant. Usually the blocks will be about four layers with a mandolin.

[Luthier Vandross]

Cedro, all day, only on very small guitars I use willow.

Oh, that't lining... mahogany blocks, tradition, and the neck joint... uhh.

I don't think I'd like spruce, seems the neck set would creep from compression... but that's all anecdotal for me.

M

[mandough]

I've got alot of maple. Is maple good for the kerfing and blocks? Is sound quality an issue with these pieces?

[Rob Grant]

I would think that maple (Acer) would be a bit heavy for head and tail blocks. When I say I use "maple" I'm actually referring to a member of the genus Flindersia which is a southern hemisphere rainforest tree. North American maple (Acer) tends to be harder and heavier. I suppose you can use anything for blocks, but I'm always trying to reduce the weight of the instruments I build and the blocks are a good place to start.

[HoGo]

I wouldn't use spruce for neck block. It would be strong enough but you should think about possible neck removal in the future. The spruce swells very much when you try to steam the joint. As a result the neck will be locked in the swelled joint and the block will push sides out. I have a guitar with spruce blocks for a repair right now and thats what happened....
Personally I use walnut for blocks (very stable) and basswood or willow for kerfings. Anything stable and strong enough will work fine for blocks. Maple is a bit harder to sand inside the scrolls but I've seen a lot of mandolins with htis wood

[Spruce]

Using certain woods for blocks and linings based on the way they smell can be an interesting way to go...

Port Orford Cedar can give an instrument a nice aroma for years, and is a fine lining and block wood....
I might not use it for a neckblock in a mando, but that info is anecdotal for me as well....

[Luthier Vandross]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Let's all get a gallon of anecdotal, and have a good old time pickin'!

The reason they used spanish cedar since time in memoriam is the smell, I think.

(and martin sold it out the back door.. ;))

M

[JiminRussia]

I'm not a Luthier, but I do make some furniture now and again. I have found Sycamore to be very stable and I have bent it pretty successfully without too much trouble. Of course I don't make the radical bends that a mandolin require, but it bends pretty easily for a bowfront desk. Have any of you tried it. It is really pretty wood too especially when quarter sawn.

[WoodyMcKenzie]

Sycamore (quarter sawn) makes beautiful binding and bends nicely.

Woody

[Magnus Geijer]

Just wondering here... Wouldn't a denser wood (like maple) add sustain?

/Magnus