As I noted in my other thread about tools, I bought a set of Bubinga back and sides for my second try at a first build.
I was primarily shopping based on price and what I'd read about tone, without really considering workability.
Only after the fact did I notice discussions of how hard it is to work. For example Tim McKnight is quoted as saying "Go out to your sidewalk and practice sanding on it, because that is what it is like to sand bubinga" and Steve Kinnaird commented that he had one set of Bubinga that "bent like bulletproof glass. This is the one that faceted so badly..." (
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=177470).
Now, there are mixed reports about how Bubinga bends, and apparently several different species sold as Bubinga, and I won't really know until I try it.
I like the set I got well enough, looks good, has a beautiful clear ringing tap tone, and is quite heavy. But I'm wondering if I'm setting myself up for failure starting with this, and if I might be better off saving it for a future project. I am only about $55 into it, so it's not a huge deal.
I was thinking I might be better off building with something like Myrtle first time out, which I had previously read bends like plastic, and which Bruce Sexauer has said "is as easy bending a material as I have encountered" (
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...=595199&page=2).
I've found a few reasonably priced sets, and am thinking that saving myself the frustration might be worth the investment.