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  #1  
Old 02-03-2015, 12:33 PM
li2ljay li2ljay is offline
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Default Ambrosia Maple ? Easy or Hard ?

I'm about to start a build and I'm looking at a back and side set of Ambrosia maple . I've found quite a bit of info about how it gets its figure but I can not find much other info on it . So if someone can enlighten me on its "workability" hard to bend? very porous ? ect ect ...Thanks for input
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Old 02-03-2015, 06:30 PM
Aubade Acoustics Aubade Acoustics is offline
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Makes a fine guitar. Easy to work and does not require pore filling. You might want to fill the holes left by the ambrosia beetle or maybe call them mini sound ports.
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Old 02-03-2015, 07:31 PM
li2ljay li2ljay is offline
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Lol , awesome ! Haha
I was hoping to hear it's fairly easy to work with , I'm still learning ...but aren't we always! It's such a beautiful wood to me , but didn't want to get in over my head with a stubborn lumber . Thanks for the response
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Old 02-05-2015, 06:54 AM
BlmJn BlmJn is offline
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Default Ambrosia Maple

Ambrosia maple is not sought after in the lumber industry so most loggers sell off logs to pallet factories. It has only been in the more recent past that Ambrosia Maple has gained acceptance, primarily in the arts, instruments, turned wood art and custom furniture. It used to just be called "mineral stain" as loggers could have cared less about what the defect cause was. You may try and see what a local pallet factory has in regard to lumber. But it will not be quartered or even dry. Pallets are usually just power nailed out of green lumber.
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Old 02-05-2015, 08:57 AM
li2ljay li2ljay is offline
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Not sought after because it's "defected" ? Due to its infestation? Or other reasons . I've seen some Beutiful guitars made from it , maple in general is used quite often , and as far as I know is tonaly a good choice. But I'm learning , so all input is welcome and thanks for your response
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Old 02-05-2015, 12:33 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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This is one of my early guitars (1982), and I think it was (and is) a success. Red maple is not that hard to work, and it finishes beautifully. There is no need for pore filler. I filled the worm holes with epoxy and ebony dust. If I did it today, I would use CA (super glue) for filling the holes. I have given up on epoxy for most uses, since it has the annoying property of swelling up after a few years.
The binding is curly sugar maple.







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Old 02-05-2015, 01:47 PM
li2ljay li2ljay is offline
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Love.... love it ! The matching pick guard and looks like maybe the bridge pins also is a classy touch . How's the tone , boomy or more of a mid high tone ?
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Old 02-05-2015, 02:58 PM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arnold View Post
I have given up on epoxy for most uses, since it has the annoying property of swelling up after a few years.
Very interesting, John. Do you think it is actually the epoxy swelling, or similar to fret ends beginning to poke out, could it be the wood shrinking amidst the non-shrinking epoxy??
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Old 02-05-2015, 03:43 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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Quote:
The matching pick guard and looks like maybe the bridge pins also is a classy touch. How's the tone, boomy or more of a mid high tone ?
It's a bright sounding guitar, but that is primarily a function of the bracing. I turned the bridge pins from birdseye maple.

Quote:
Very interesting, John. Do you think it is actually the epoxy swelling, or similar to fret ends beginning to poke out, could it be the wood shrinking amidst the non-shrinking epoxy??
It is definitely the epoxy swelling. I used to do banjo inlays with standard slow cure hardware store epoxy, and the older ones all tend to have the epoxy fill sticking up above the surface. In a few cases, I have scraped and sanded them flush, only to have the swelling return after a few years.
We are talking about 30+ years of history.
I switched to using CA for fingerboard inlays around 1987, and I have never looked back.
About the only thing I use epoxy for these days is when I have to re-do a poorly repaired headstock break.
For those, I use West Systems epoxy.
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Old 02-05-2015, 07:33 PM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arnold View Post
It is definitely the epoxy swelling. I used to do banjo inlays with standard slow cure hardware store epoxy, and the older ones all tend to have the epoxy fill sticking up above the surface. In a few cases, I have scraped and sanded them flush, only to have the swelling return after a few years.
We are talking about 30+ years of history.
I switched to using CA for fingerboard inlays around 1987, and I have never looked back.
About the only thing I use epoxy for these days is when I have to re-do a poorly repaired headstock break.
For those, I use West Systems epoxy.
Very interesting! Thanks John!
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  #11  
Old 02-05-2015, 08:53 PM
PhilQ PhilQ is offline
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Cool looking guitar. And great info. Thanks John.
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  #12  
Old 02-11-2015, 07:18 PM
li2ljay li2ljay is offline
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So John , I've got my back and sides in . I'm curious to if you would fill these before beginning ? And if using CA to fill the holes , wouldn't the ca be a harder serface making it near impossible to sand flush ? Or would you plane them smooth , then a light sand to finish off . Maybe a dye could be added to the ca to help it blend in . Thanks for any input you could share
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  #13  
Old 02-11-2015, 07:37 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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IMHO, there is no need to fill the holes until the sides are bent and the back is joined and thicknessed. If you want black holes, I would use ebony dust with the CA. For tinting CA to match the wood, I like to use pastel chalk. If you are really adventurous, turn some maple dowels to size in a hand drill and fill the holes that way.
I have never had a problem sanding CA fills flush using 220 grit and a hard block. I normally use a card scraper to do most of the leveling, though. I hate sanding with a passion.
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