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#1
07-22-2017, 07:38 PM
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Eastern Hemlock as top wood
Hello, New to this forum and have really enjoyed looking around here. TONS of great info! I've built a couple of electrics ( an SG and Strat copy) and really enjoyed it. Getting ready to start my first acoustic Guitar build.
Have some beautiful quarter sawn cherry for the back and sides as well as the neck. Also have some perfectly quartered Eastern Hemlock with surprisingly tight growth rings from a tree that fell behind my house. Best of all its free. Was wondering if anyone has used this as a top wood. Wanted to use this on my first build to save money in case of any mishaps and to get some experience under my belt. Thanks in advance for your responses. 
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#2
07-23-2017, 05:25 AM
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I just used a reclaimed board of Hemlock for a tele body, very nice tight grain. Mine seems a tad heavier than spruce, should be fine.
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Andersonville Tennessee Clinch River Instruments, White Oak O, 13 fret Nick Lucas, 1937 spec D-18 Martin 000-28 EC Gibson Les Paul Gibson 335 Dot Bunch of Strats Fender B-Bender Tele
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#3
07-23-2017, 06:02 AM
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It certainly has been done before. I would say go for it! I would do it. In fact if ya have any left over let me know
 It's very very sad to see these beautiful trees dying. There was an old growth stand here in Virginia that back in my college days we would go camping and hiking through. Truly impressively huge trees for this part of the country. They are all dead now from the wooly adelgid infestation and that was just 20 years ago. Ash is another victim of Asian invasion. There will be no more Ash trees in Virginia in another decade thanks to the Emerald ash borer. Ok thread rant over / I think making a hemlock guitar would be great.
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#4
07-23-2017, 07:09 AM
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Thanks for the responses. I believe I'll do it. I have several big hemlocks left standing on my property that at this time seem to be doing fine. BUT there are a lot that are not. There was one that was probably 4 feet through on my Great Uncles place, way back on the mountain that I pass on my way to a deer stand that has died. Truly a shame, I always stopped and looked at it and was amazed by what a HUGE and beautiful tree it was when it was alive even as a young boy.
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#5
07-23-2017, 02:15 PM
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Based on info at the Wood Database website, the physical properties of eastern hemlock are fairly similar to those of Adirondack and sitka spruce. On average it's not quite as stiff, but it has a bit better dimensional stability. You might want to take a look at the description of it workability characteristics just to be aware.
http://www.wood-database.com/eastern-hemlock/
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#6
07-23-2017, 02:52 PM
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Thanks for the link. Some good info there. I believe I'll give it a try soon as I can get around to it and will let you all know how it goes as far as workability. I'll will post a picture of how it works out.
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#7
07-23-2017, 03:29 PM
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It should work just fine. Ted Davis cut some Eastern hemlock back in 1981, and the mandolin tops I have left have a nice ring when tapped.
I also lament the death of thousands of old growth hemlock trees in my nearby mountains...the Smokies. When I go hiking, I like to count growth rings of those giants that are routinely cut to clear the trails. Some of them were approaching 350 years.
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#8
07-23-2017, 07:15 PM
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John,
Thanks for the reply. Me and my Family just got back from the Smokies the middle of the week where we hiked several trails and to Clingmans dome also. (I live in the most upper east part of TN and still go to the Smokies for Vacartion. Love it in that park) Its sickening to see all the dead trees that are there though.
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