The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Build and Repair

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-18-2010, 12:25 PM
jrm jrm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 40
Default Anyone ever use pine in a build?

Hi all,

I've been scouring these DIY pages just loving what you all have been doing. I've been dreaming about building my own, but alas, it is something that will have to happen some time down the line. I live in a tiny apartment and have no access to a shop... boo...

A while ago I thought I would have the ability and space to make at least an electric guitar. I really wanted to use local wood in it as a "tribute" to where I live. I live up in the rockies and there is a lot of dead pine out here... what we call "beetle kill". I love the look of beetle kill wood. It takes on some beautiful colors. The stage at our church is constructed out of it and I just love the look of it. A lot of folks out here use it for furniture too.... So, I contacted a local mill and they put a slab together for me out of which I had planned to build a tele (still plan on it... just waiting). In reality, this slab is pretty much from my town, my neck of the woods. Here's a shot of it just waiting to be turned into something (I like the gashes/splits and beat up look on this piece for a solidbody tele actually).






I hear pine works really well on solid body guitars like teles. Has anyone ever used pine in an acoustic build? I think it could be neat to have both an electric and an acoustic that talk about where I have lived. I figure I coudl call up the mill again and go down and pick out some wood if it woudl be worth while...
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 08-18-2010, 02:04 PM
sachi sachi is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: North Seattle
Posts: 3,189
Default

Taylor's Pallet Guitar used pine.

http://www.laguitarsales.com/pages/3...hop_Pallet.htm
__________________
Sachi

Kolaya Carmen, Trek parlor (by Harv L), Martin 000-28EC, Taylor GC-5 and 355.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-19-2010, 09:50 AM
jrm jrm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 40
Default

cool. Thanks for passing that along. I wonder if pine has been used as a top-wood....
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-20-2010, 12:20 PM
BlackHeart BlackHeart is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 636
Default

Yes, if its q/s and light enough. Pine is kinda sappy, but it might end up like cedar thickness. I think a pine geetar would be very cool. But go for a cheap Carpathian top for the first run.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-20-2010, 12:30 PM
stuco stuco is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 373
Default

I don't know if I'd use pine for the top, I'm not sure that it's strong enough for a top.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-21-2010, 02:19 AM
martinedwards martinedwards is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Jordanstown, Northern Ireland
Posts: 1,471
Default

there's the Ikea butchers block guitar.....

but it's birch.....



THIS is the one I was looking for.....

Ikea table top. apparently you can get three bodies from a $15 table......

__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Turner
Pay attention to what Martin said
I LOVE that guy!!!!!!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-23-2010, 10:41 AM
jrm jrm is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 40
Default

very cool. I remember seeing those (or very similar) over at TDPRI. This why I went hunting for a slab for a tele project.

Im quite curious about using pine in an acoustic build though... hmmm....
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-16-2010, 09:09 AM
catfoosh catfoosh is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1
Default

Pine makes great sounding tele's

Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-16-2010, 02:19 PM
wcap wcap is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,414
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sachi View Post
So, are those sliced off nails embedded in the oak???
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-16-2010, 03:30 PM
Taylorplayer Taylorplayer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: A Truly Great Lakes State
Posts: 11,642
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by catfoosh View Post
Pine makes great sounding tele's

Pertty darn nice lookin' also ~
__________________
Will
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-16-2010, 06:05 PM
naccoachbob naccoachbob is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nacogdoches, Tx
Posts: 666
Default

Getting pine with no knots might be a problem. Guess things could be done to seal up the knots so they don't pop out, or laminate them with more than 2 pieces for a back or top. They harvest millions of tons of pines here in East Texas, and nowadays it's hard to find any with tight grain and of a large enough size to be useful for guitars.
Stephen Kinnaird kinda joked about building one in another thread several months ago on here. If he goes anywhere with it, I might ask him to sell me some of the wood so I can try my hand at it.
Like the OP says, it's part of "where you come from" that makes it special.
Intriguing idea.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-16-2010, 06:56 PM
Neal Neal is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by catfoosh View Post
Pine makes great sounding LP's with Fender bridges..

Corrected it fer ya.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-16-2010, 08:48 PM
Kitchen Guitars's Avatar
Kitchen Guitars Kitchen Guitars is offline
Formerly Yamaha Junkie
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: South West Pennsylvania
Posts: 7,930
Default

That stuff will look awesome as a Tele! Looks like the scotch barrel guitars. Zpoxy with copier toner or all black will fill in the knotholes and make them bond strong.
Seek out the Fretboard Journal with WILCO on the cover. There are some cool Tele bodies in there.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-16-2010, 09:46 PM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

All depends on the pine. Here in the South, our yellow pine is so hard and heavy that it wouldn't work well for a top. Well, an acoustic top that is.
Whereas the western and northern species might work--I think Bob Benedetto used some in an experiment--but you'd have to choose carefully.
I've been hoping to make a small parlor guitar using southern yellow pine for the back and sides, where it should perform admirably.

As for electrics, why not? Anything will work.

Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-17-2010, 08:48 AM
bobframe bobframe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Location, Location
Posts: 140
Default Benedetto Using "Inferior" Tonewoods

Bob Benedetto wrote a fascinating book titled "Making an Archtop Guitar" in which he describes the processes he uses in building his world class archtops. He describes building an archtop using "inferior" tonewoods...in fact, the top is made of construction grade 2" x 10"'s. He says the guitar plays and sounds as good as those made with his best woods.

His point, as made earlier, is that a guitar's design and construction methods matter more in delivering great sound than does beautiful wood selection.

__________________
Taylor 854CE
Goodall-KCJ
Goodall-MP-14
J.Robertson-SJ20-SE
70's Gibson ES-175 SB
90's Gibson ES-295
Grestch 6196T Country Club
Gretsch 6120 SSL
D'Angelico NYL-2 (Reissue)
Don Grosh Retro Classic Sunburst
G&L ASAT Classic
G&L S-500

Last edited by bobframe; 11-17-2010 at 09:33 AM.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Build and Repair

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=