Avoid The Flat Cut Back, Hanter
Aloha Hanter,
Sorry to interject this suggestion amongst all the mirth of wood selection which is quite exciting during this phase of having a guitar made by a master luthier.
But Hanter, you should reconsider your choice of flat-sawn Cocobolo back as shown & even the sides. Ask John Kinnaird to tell you the reasons why more quarter-sawn woods are the traditional & a much better choice for musical instruments that travel & are under 250 lbs. of pressure per square inch. Also, put a meter on both the Cocobolo & Redwood you've chosen to check for moisture content. It should be well under 10%, preferrably 6-8% moisture content.
Flat-cut is always more striking looking, but also more problematic down the line (unless the guitar is kept in a humidity controlled vault constantly & isn't played out much). Quarter-sawn guitar wood is about longevity & better handling the seasonal changes & indoor heating variations. As a Central American rosewood, Cocobolo, especially flat-cut, tends to crack over time & hates seasonal change (moisture loss) & even light dings.
Information is valuable, & of course, it's your choice. That is a very nice looking back. But as a former luthier & travelling musician, I would never have used it on a guitar if I had quarter-sawn choices. And of course the scarcity of rosewoods globally provides luthiers with fewer choices.
Enjoy the build, Hanter.
alohachris
Last edited by alohachris; 05-27-2020 at 05:25 PM.
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