"Tree" talk
 

There has been a real resurgence of interest in "the Tree" lately, and even in tree-like trees. I had a guy walk into the shop the other day with some of the nicest examples of the tree I've seen, except that they were resawn from cabinet drawers and several sets have inclusions from the ebony pulls that were used in the drawers. While I don't think it is likely that there will be any structural issue, I have to wonder how the obvious aesthetic issue will fly.

Here are a couple of pictures, and I look forward to seeing what the esteemed denizens of the Custom Shop will make of this (figuratively. . . and possibly literally):

http://mojoluthier.com/lpics13/Levine/set1a.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/lpics13/Levine/set1b.jpg

That's a toughy.......one of your customers that wants a "tree" guitar is going to be pretty picky I'm assuming, given the cash layout. Hard to say how it will affect a decision. Probably hanging on to it until there isn't any left would be the best;)

I'd imagine someone with your skill could plug that pretty darn close with matching grain from the excess though!

That kind of thing is just a pipe dream for me, so I probably don't even count on the "feedback"!:D

I personally would build with it, regardless if it is the tree or not it is still beautifully wood. I don't think I would try and hide the handle holes, I'm sure you can come up with a creative solution to embellish them.
Just think this will be the first recycled "The tree" guitar.

Cheers,

Christian.

I would definitely own a guitar with it, and I'm sure those skilled in wood could try to match the punchouts with donut holes from the leftover trim.

+1

I'd imagine you could probably do something aesthetically pleasing with those ebony plugs so long as they're symmetrical.

Perhaps with the endgraft and back strips we are seeing more of now days that don't go all the way from end to end you could in lay something with the same flavor from dot to dot. I'd be more tempted to leave nail holes that show for that authentic recycled look (what ever that is) than the ebony dots you have at the moment. Too beautiful to ignore.

Just looked at a thread in the build and repair section that said that John Monteleone has inlayed diamonds on the insides...Now surely that wouldn't devalue it.

Hi Bruce,

"The tree"? Could you please give me a link to the story? I'm guessing there is one.


I'd use it and inlay over the holes.

I think there is a client out there that would want that for the right price.
The real question is would you want to hang on to it until that buyer comes along?

From Guitar Bench Magazine:

The Maya Forest is a lowland tropical rain forest boasting 375 plant species found nowhere else on earth. It stretches from the Caribbean coast of Mexico, through Belize and into Honduras and the Peten region of Guatemala.



In 1965, within the heart of this jungle, a group of loggers came across an exceptional mahogany tree. Measuring 10 ft wide at the mid-trunk and 50 at the base, it had a spiraled back. This was a sign the wood could be highly figured.



The loggers camped at the base of the giant and felled it with axes. But they were robbed of their prize by fate. On the way down, the tree twisted and landed in a steep ravine. Two D7 tractors were brought in to extricate the fallen tree, but to no avail.



So there it lay until 1971 when a sawmill owner called Robert Novak heard of the giant figured mahogany tree. In 1983, after some searching, he found the log. The tree was halved then quartered with the resulting eight pieces were dragged, carried and floated for 200 miles to a steam powered bandsaw mill.



Novak outbid several veneer manufacturers to saw the logs into timber. The cutting operation lasted 12 days and yielded 12,000 board feet of lumber of which one third was a bilster/quilt figure, another third had a waxy quilt figure and the remaining length, a combination of the two. This wood was air dried to 35% on site then kiln dried in Miami. Half the shipment was sold direct from Miami and the other through Handloggers Hardwood in California



A lot of interest was generated through Mark Berry’s article in the sept/oct 1985 issue of Fine Woodworking. Mark, now a noted Classical and Flamenco luthier, had purchased wood for several projects during his time in a woodworking firm.


Today, boards of this striking tonewood continue to be sawn and used by luthiers such as Breedlove guitars, R Taylor Guitars, Brock Poling and Ken Miller. Ken has worked several sets of the tree mahogany [see sidebox] says “it’s more brown than red and is denser and stiffer than usual for mahogany. It sounds closer to rosewood than mahogany.”

I selected I'd own it...however, I didn't specify price or how it sounded and how the blems were handled. I certainly would never commission a build with it.

Provided the answers to those questions were no upcharge, sounds great, and creatively....I could be moved to buy it. Kind of a stretch.

I'd have a difficult time commissioning a guitar using that set. At this time, there are still fantastic Tree sets available. Worm holes in BRW would be much more acceptable to me than this. I can't imagine there would be enough of a discount to persuade me. It would still have the 'tonal worth' portion of the upgrade, but not much if any visual upgrade worth to me.

I can't speak to the legitimacy of using the wood in a build.

But I'd surely be OK buying a guitar made from this wood...especially with the story from it and with the ebony.

Slap some naptha on the wood so we can see what it'll look like finished. :up:

"Tree" talk
 

Firstly i wouldn't call that the "nicest" examples of the "tree". Average at best from what I've seen of it. With the ebony dots it is below average. Useable yes. After being sliced that thin there isn't a lot left to so with it besides build a guitar or veneer something. I'd definitely use it in a project but probably as a veneer where I could cover the dots. IMO it shoulda been left as it was instead of being chopped up into veneer. What a shame

I would buy it if the holes were filled with matching mahogany as artfully as possible, but I wouldn't pay the normal up-charge The Tree usually gets. I would hope the luthier would get a substantial discount and then pass it on to the customer.

Well, I say I would buy it, but what I mean to say is, if I could afford it I would consider it! ;)