Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: help picking woods for a build...

  1. #1

    Default help picking woods for a build...

    I live in the pacific northwest and thought it would be fun to build a mandolin made entirely of local woods. I'm hoping some of the experienced builders can chime in.

    For the back and sides - options:
    1 - madrone - cracks while drying but stable once cured
    2 - bay laurel - somewhat hard to work
    3 - claro walnut - somewhat soft compared to hard maple

    Top - options:
    1 - port orford cedar
    2 - western red cedar

    fingerboard - options:
    1- ????

    Fingerboard is a tough one. I don't think there is a local wood hard enough to make a good fingerboard. I was considering one of the harder american woods (osage orange, persimmon or hickory).

    Any opinions are welcome.

  2. #2

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    What about your neck? Could potentially forego a separate fingerboard depending on what you choose.

  3. #3
    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lakebay, Wa
    Posts
    4,162

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Oregon myrtle is a lovely and very resonant tonewood. Easy to work. You can find pieces with fantastic figure and color.
    Port orford would not be on my list. What's wrong with Sitka?
    Madrone would make a good fretboard. It is very hard and will be hard to work for a body, but might produce a nice tone.
    Claro is not softer than bigleaf maple at all in my experience. It is a lovely wood.
    Bill
    IM(NS)HO

  4. The following members say thank you to billhay4 for this post:


  5. #4

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    I have a Breedlove guitar with an Oregon Myrtle back and sides. It is highly figured and a beautiful instrument with a Pacific Northwest theme in the inlays and woods.

  6. The following members say thank you to CarlM for this post:


  7. #5
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Saint Augustine Beach FL
    Posts
    6,634

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    I am unfamiliar with most of the woods you mention but I have some Claro Walnut for a guitar. The only thing you might consider if you use the Claro are the open pores that will need to be filled and leveled. Not a big deal but an extra step.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  8. The following members say thank you to Charles E. for this post:


  9. #6

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    I get my curly maple from up there. Local??

  10. #7

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Is this your first scratch build? If so, the options you should be considering are maple and spruce. All the specs are based on those woods, and if you try following the specs, especially something with a cedar or redwood or similar softer wood, you will likely do what I did. Which is to build two beautiful, expensive, fancy instruments which were completely non-functional.

  11. The following members say thank you to Marty Jacobson for this post:


  12. #8
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Here is a current discussion about alternative fretboard woods to ebony starting with mesquite.
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  13. #9

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Quote Originally Posted by billhay4 View Post
    Oregon myrtle is a lovely and very resonant tonewood. Easy to work. You can find pieces with fantastic figure and color.
    Port orford would not be on my list. What's wrong with Sitka?
    Madrone would make a good fretboard. It is very hard and will be hard to work for a body, but might produce a nice tone.
    Claro is not softer than bigleaf maple at all in my experience. It is a lovely wood.
    Bill
    I'm not sure how I forgot about sitka spruce. I believe "California Bay Laurel" is "Oregon Myrtle" and it is nice to know that it is a fine tone wood. I was planning to avoid bigleaf maple. My understanding is that it is the only maple in the area and it's soft. I've loved building with furniture with Claro but have never tried an instrument.

  14. #10
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    So Oregon
    Posts
    1,010

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Oregon Myrtle is California Bay Laurel, not the other way around.. uninspiring in my opinion even as firewood
    Port Orford Cedar is a Cypress, makes wonderful flamenco guitars and excellent classical guitar tops.

    Madrone. I have about 300 on my property, as revered as it is for firewood, leaves a lot of ash and not as warm as oak and ash and even fir. Twists and splits.. count on it. Tone wood if you dare.

    Claro is a hybrid of English and black walnut. Still open pored and soft.

    Western big leaf maple can be very hard . I have several hundred board feet in my drying rack.. now at about 12=15 years old. enough to make about 100 mandolins . I have made several cavaquinhos with it.

    Western red cedar, I have enough for 50 classical guitar tops or umpteen mandolins.
    Mandolin tone wood ?, forget it. Classical or steel string guitar , if you want something that will ding and split, go for it. Flabby in my opinion. Best used for open flame broiling salmon and steelhead.
    Aside from that, it caused my throat cancer in 2010-2011.

  15. The following members say thank you to Jeff Hildreth for this post:


  16. #11
    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lakebay, Wa
    Posts
    4,162

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    I have trouble seeing how you could be uninspired by something like this:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSC_0007.JPG 
Views:	107 
Size:	20.4 KB 
ID:	164557
    Bill
    IM(NS)HO

  17. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    So Oregon
    Posts
    1,010

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    And that is an example of my opinion of California Bay Laurel.

    To each his own.

  18. #13

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Quote Originally Posted by billhay4 View Post
    I have trouble seeing how you could be uninspired by something like this:
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSC_0007.JPG 
Views:	107 
Size:	20.4 KB 
ID:	164557
    Bill
    Any chance you have an audio clip of that instrument? It is lovely.

  19. #14
    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Lakebay, Wa
    Posts
    4,162

    Default Re: help picking woods for a build...

    Thanks, it's a mandola and I don't have a clip of it as I'm not really a mandola player. You might contact Bruce Harvie. He played it some years ago and made it sound really good.
    I live near Tacoma and if you get down this way, I'd be glad to let you play it.
    Bill
    IM(NS)HO

  20. The following members say thank you to billhay4 for this post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •