Different timbers for solid bodies

Will S-T

Will S-T

New member
Anybody have any experiences with solid bodies made out of
American Oak, Aussie Blackwood or Jarrah?

Have access to some nice 6" by 2" planks that I could laminate
into 2 or 3 piece bodies. Timber has been in dry storage for over 20 years
and all are quarter sawn with really night tight grain.

Thanks in advance:friday:
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

Neck through guitars with maple necks/middle of body and mahogany sides is pretty common.

Brian May's Red Special is a semi-hollow Red Oak body and mahogany top/back/sides.

People on here (it has happened to me, but it would happen pretty much anywhere on the internet) will say "no" to using oak or other un-traditional woods, but just ignore them. I have personally used oak, and it is honestly one of the best sounding woods for a guitar body IMHO. LOADS of sustain, nice midrange, smooth lows, and slightly rolled off highs. Kind of like a mixture of mahogany and swamp ash. Very creamy and works great with both humbuckers and single coils.

Aussie Blackwood and Jarrah I have no experience with, but I'd try it without even thinking. Try new things with your own hands and never let others halt your innovations.


Infact, with a google search I just got the idea for a 100% oak (body/neck/fretboard) Les Paul (chambered obviously. 20 lb guitars don't seem very practical), and it would be beautiful.

My oak guitar:

0726121758.jpg


Teddieguitar1.jpg
 
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Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

Will S-T said:
Anybody have any experiences with solid bodies made out of
American Oak, Aussie Blackwood or Jarrah?
Click to expand...

It'd be interesting to use each of them. Blackwood is Acacia melanoxylon from the east coast, and jarrah is Eucalyptus marginata from around Perth. Jarrah can be pretty hard when aged, so I'd try the other ones first.
 
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Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

Will S-T said:
Anybody have any experiences with solid bodies made out of
American Oak, Aussie Blackwood or Jarrah?

Have access to some nice 6" by 2" planks that I could laminate
into 2 or 3 piece bodies. Timber has been in dry storage for over 20 years
and all are quarter sawn with really night tight grain.

Thanks in advance:friday:
Click to expand...

One reason Australian guitars are cool is the use of native woods.

Have you checked Pete C.'s thread in the luthier series (in the Vault)? I think he talks about blackwood somewhere in there. He uses jarrah primarily in neck laminates, and other builders seem to as well, or a decorative element against lighter wood.

There aren't solid bodies, but what the hell.

Octigan archtop with blackwood back/sides, stika spruce top.
octiganguitarswarmredback.jpg


octiganguitarswarmredfront.jpg


Insane blackwood guitar with a birdseye maple neck; http://bluestoneguitars.com.au/html/Tobys_OPAL_bent_hollow_gallery.html.
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

If lucite and aluminum make viable bodies I cant see how any wood wouldnt be able to be used. Sure some arent pretty some are heavy some might not be what your after tonally but I think they are all viable
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

Myaccount876 said:
Brian May's Red Special is a semi-hollow Red Oak body and mahogany top/back/sides.
Click to expand...

yeah, the Red Special is always a reference point when it comes to crush any doubts about foreign woods used in guitars ;)
I believe, like you said, that the centerpiece is oak anyway, whereas the sides are blockboard??! the only instance where
mahogany is used is the neck where Brian said it had knots and wormholes and what not. of course, there were mahogany
veneer to cover the top/back too, although I'm not completely sure on how it affects the tone?
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

^^ I don't think blockboard per se does anything for the tone - there's not much of it. It consists of a thin frame comprising the architecture of the guitar. Yes, this is the actual guitar. You can see how the blockboard is screwed together.
xrayofRS.jpg


I think most of the tone is in the neck (it's massive!) and the way its mated to the body - tenon stops short of bridge pu. The body was made deliberately light/hollow so the guitar would feedback at volume. Veneer does nothing, too thin. Loads of other things affect the tone, like the aluminium bridge/steel roller combination, weight of the trem tailpiece, 24" scale, customized pups.
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

Blackwood is used to make kitchen benchtops.It's usefull there because of its density and Hardness. I think it might make a very heavy solid body.
 
Re: Different timbers for solid bodies

GoldenVulture said:
Blackwood is used to make kitchen benchtops.It's usefull there because of its density and Hardness. I think it might make a very heavy solid body.
Click to expand...

It's a very close cousin to Koa. The boards I'm looking at are 6" by 2" and over 10' long.
I'm definitely going to get the Blackwood and do 3 piece bodies and might sell some blanks.
I'll post some pics when I pick them up.
 
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