A New One - Movingui and Alaskan Cedar

[theEdwinson]

Great to see all these well-informed comments about Movingui. I recently picked up two flitch-matched, quarter sawn, highly flamed planks of it at the local Rockler Woodworkers' Store, for $12/ bf. Some of it has some curly spalting in the sapwood, which lends a little design advantage as well.

I've got enough to make six guitars. I recently started a "stealth" Falcon build with it--one of my Healdsburg guitars, and I am very excited about this wood. Very much a deep sustaining rosewood vibe, at about the weight/ density of good Koa.

This is gorgeous wood, with some of the most dramatic chatoyance in the figure--it shimmers like a mirage on the desert horizon. It's quite porous, like Koa, and will take a good bit of pore filling, which I do with several applications of shellac/ sanding during the construction phases.

I found the sides to be somewhat difficult to bend, with the ripply flame figure. The first side got some small fractures in the waist and along the edges of the lower bout; nothing serious, fixed up right away with careful clamping and superglue. With the second side, I used less moisture--just a spritz of water on each side to dampen it. I let the heating blanket get pretty hot before I cranked down on it. This one came out nearly flawless.

I'm usually not a big fan of blonde woods, but this Movingui is so beautiful, and has such a high-Q ring to it, I think it'll make a stunning guitar. I'm thinking of doing a shaded lacquer finish on it--not a full-on burst, just a little tobacco brown edge shading treatment.

I hope to see at least a few more Movingui guitars at Healdsburg. As with this forum, it's great to compare notes with other builders on "alternative" woods like this. Great thread! -edwinson

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by CSOL

i wish we had some way to share different wood smells... it's one of my favourite parts about working with wood. sometimes the smell of a piece of wood helps me decide whether or not i want to use it

i'm working with some cooked birch right now that smells exactly like bbq sauce!

Yeah, the smell component is amazing sometimes. Some rosewood really does smell like roses. I was thicknessing some Dalbergia baronii the other day that was intoxicatingly floral. Aaron was carving some Camphor burl for a Les Paul top some time ago, and the smell was so rich and minty that it was making me high.
Once, I was working with some White Limba that was reminiscent of my cat's litter box.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar (the top in the featured build here) has a pungent, sort of peppery aroma. An acquired taste.
Red Cedar smells like chocolate and saddle leather.
Movingui smells like porcelain clay.
I made a guitar with Mexican Katalox once, and that wood smells like a fine California Pinot Noir.
We frequently get comments from visitors about how our shop smells like some kind of exotic apothecary.

[Neil Gardiner]

Hey Edwinson

Glad you have discovered Movingui too. Also called African Satinwood. It truly is a great tonewood I think. Sounds great, looks great.

After I got the set for this build, I was so impressed I picked up another set right away. I has the same great tap to it.

Neil

[rerwin]

Purchased this guitar from Neil and he is shipping it today. I am very excited and will keep you all posted on it.