Luthier who likes working with Wenge?

[mercy]

lamed sides with Wenge on the outside is best. No, a cello with Wenge wouldnt sound good.

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

I am looking for luthiers who have experience working with wenge, who are willing to put up with its tendency to splinter. Anyone out there have any leads?

Out of curiosity, what is it about wenge in particular that has you starting with it, and not with the luthier? For example, I’m interested in having a guitar made with zebrawood for the back and sides because I love the grain pattern. I understand that some people are highly allergic to zebrawood sawdust. Are there any luthiers who build with zebrawood and who aren’t going to go into anaphylactic shock making a guitar for me?. Lots of exotic tonewoods are brittle and prone to splintering, including Brazilian rosewood.

[Aviacs]

lamed sides with Wenge on the outside is best.

Are laminated sides 3 ply or 2 ply?

No, a cello with Wenge wouldnt sound good.

Since i am ignorant & interested in discovery, this is pure curiosity, not argument: What would be the likely "bad" effects?

As may be gathered from other posts, i'm sorting lumber saved in my loft and trying to determine what would be good for what - and what simply gets milled into flooring. When i was a kid i thought i might make violins, but there were always faster instruments to make, so to speak. In my dotage, it intrigues me to consider possibly making a transgressional cello, but it would have to sound good, or at least not be sabotaged by poor choice of materials to start. Sounds like i can move past wenge AFA saving it, but still interested in hearing details.

Thank you!

smt

[mercy]

Use it for guitars or sell it here. It has become faddish so Im sure it would sell fast.

[Aviacs]

you:

No, a cello with Wenge wouldnt sound good.

me:

....this is pure curiosity, not argument: What would be the likely "bad" effects?

you:

Use it for guitars or sell it here. It has become faddish...

IOW, the firmness of your opinion outruns the depth of your database?

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by Salz Guitars

I don't want to come ut as tooting my own horn here, but I actually enjoy working with wenge. Love the wood grain, love its properties and don't mind the challenge of splintering. I've based three builds in a row on wenge wood scheme and was actually thinking about building my next spec guitar almost completely out of it.

Thanks! I'll take a look at your link!

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

I've built several guitars with Wenge and will continue to use it as I love its sonic properties.

I have a classical guitar with Wenge and Cedar, and man oh man, does it have a gorgeous sound. Was thinking of commissioning a 12-fret slightly short scale steel string with wenge and cedar

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by Aviacs

Still trying to educate myself about lumber for stringed instruments.

Assuming a vertical grain Wenge back, would it be common to use solid Wenge sides, or would they "typically?" be laminated? if so or either way, would sides be VG or could they be some other cut, even down to rift/45 deg?

How thick is a Dread back likely to be?

Is it unreasonable to wonder if a cello would sound good with a Wenge back?

Thank you.
smt

I have a classical with solid wenge back and sides, cedar top. It has a gorgeous sound, which is why I was thinking about a steel string made with Wenge. But I think the builder needs to like working with it because I've heard it can be a pain in the you know what.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by sinistral

Out of curiosity, what is it about wenge in particular that has you starting with it, and not with the luthier? For example, I’m interested in having a guitar made with zebrawood for the back and sides because I love the grain pattern. I understand that some people are highly allergic to zebrawood sawdust. Are there any luthiers who build with zebrawood and who aren’t going to go into anaphylactic shock making a guitar for me?. Lots of exotic tonewoods are brittle and prone to splintering, including Brazilian rosewood.

Because wenge is a pain, and I want the luthier to enjoy the process. Also, I just took possession of a guitar that was built by a luthier I like, and it was for no other reason that I selected that guitar. That was Drew Heinonen, and he made an absolutely stunning walnut B&S, spruce top SJ guitar that I love. I doubt very much that anything else I can afford will come close to that guitar in beauty or sonic properties. I am specifically interested in the sonic properties of wenge for a next steel string. I already have a classical with wenge and cedar, and I love it.

[mercy]

Aviacs wrote "IOW, the firmness of your opinion outruns the depth of your database? "
IOW means so many things that it is meaningless. The rest of your statement I dont understand either.

Some questions were asked and I gave my opinion. In reality that is all that is said on this forum, but its fun.

[ZeroFretWear]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

I am specifically interested in the sonic properties of wenge for a next steel string.

The sonic properties of the luthier would be more determinative of the sonic properties of the guitar than the sonic properties of wenge.

[mercy]

Yep, its the builder, mostly. The best builder cant go beyond the woods potential. But the wood doesnt make the guitar. So a mahogany guitar cant sound like rosewood etc