Red spruce

[barry k]

Me and the wife were walking through the forest in Triberg Germany today, we found a fallen (human cut) Red spruce tree just laying there. The base is so big, if Me and her joined hands couldn't encircle the base of the tree, and about 50 foot long .Now to find the owner , then get it home is the million dollar question

[Spruce]

So-ooo, this is a non-indigenous Picea rubens?
Very interesting...
How did you ID it?

[fscotte]

Yes.

I dunno what the question is or if there is a question, but when I saw "red spruce" my instinctual response just said yes.

So, what is the question?

[barry k]

The local German folks described it as
"Rote Fichte" which according to my wife is Red Spruce? It was NOT described as "Kiefer". But I can't get it anyway...No way....and the question was.....Does this in any way effect the price of coffee in Columbia?

[Hendrik Ahrend]

I hate to say it, Barry, in Germany Rotfichte (=Rote Fichte) is hardly picea rubens. Rotfichte is a common German name for picea abies, that is common spruce.

[billhay4]

Ah, so much can get lost in translation.
Bill

[barry k]

Ok.....thanks. Good to know

[Marty Jacobson]

The plot thickens: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerikanische_Rot-Fichte

[CarlM]

Marty, the word Amerikanishe changes things. This article says exactly what Henry is saying.

http://https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeine_Fichte

[Marty Jacobson]

Sorry, wasn't trying to troll, just interested. It's like with American sycamore vs. English sycamore, etc. From our perspective over here, Red Spruce is Red Spruce. I guess it highlights the importance not to rely on common names.

[sunburst]

...I guess it highlights the importance not to rely on common names.

Yep. Picea rubens is Picea rubens wherever you are, and Picea abies is Picea abies wherever you are.

[Jeff Mando]

I guess it highlights the importance not to rely on common names.

Years ago, I was in Holland and the host had a deli tray set up for the band backstage and I grabbed a roll and a slice of cheese with holes in it and said, "oh good, Swiss cheese!" Our host got a very stern look on his face and replied, "certainly, not -- THIS is Dutch cheese!"...............and he should know.....

[colorado_al]

Years ago, I was in Holland and the host had a deli tray set up for the band backstage and I grabbed a roll and a slice of cheese with holes in it and said, "oh good, Swiss cheese!" Our host got a very stern look on his face and replied, "certainly, not -- THIS is Dutch cheese!"...............and he should know.....

Ha! I had the other side of that conversation!
I was traveling with a group in Europe and we had a 3 day break in Switzerland. At lunch one of the days our guitar player asked for a cheese sandwich. The server asked what kind of cheese, and he replied "Swiss cheese please" and the server said, "Monsieur, all of our cheese is Swiss!"

[barry k]

There are bunches of saw mills around this area of Germany, they have "this" type spruce sawn and stacked. It doesn't resemble pine , it "looks " like the stuff we use in the states for guitar and mandolin tops? Straight , close grain no run out? The species you people are describing, is it a true spruce or a pine (kiefer)? There's tons of it here....and it's clear stuff...no knots or sap!

[Hendrik Ahrend]

There are bunches of saw mills around this area of Germany, they have "this" type spruce sawn and stacked. It doesn't resemble pine , it "looks " like the stuff we use in the states for guitar and mandolin tops? Straight , close grain no run out? The species you people are describing, is it a true spruce or a pine (kiefer)? There's tons of it here....and it's clear stuff...no knots or sap!

The main tree centuries ago in the Black Forrest used to be "Tanne" (fir), today it's mostly spruce ("Fichte", picea abies), hardly ever pine ("Kiefer").

[Bill Cameron]

Me and the wife were walking through the forest in Triberg Germany today, we found a fallen (human cut) Red spruce tree just laying there. The base is so big, if Me and her joined hands couldn't encircle the base of the tree, and about 50 foot long .Now to find the owner , then get it home is the million dollar question

Lets assume this is indeed picea abies, Norway spruce...have a look at the growth rings. if the grain is nice and tight, ie it looks like good tonewood, why dont you look for the owner and ask to buy a couple of pieces near the base....enough to make some sets of tops guitar and mando size, get a bandsaw mill operator to quartersaw it, or if you cant, just rough out the fletches with a chainsaw, let them dry awhile (few years ideally) and see what a luthier can do. Interesting project to get a few unique instruments going!