Urban Iron Bark?

[Jeremy]

It sounded okay in the YouTube demos I've watched so far. My local shop got one of the new 514CEs in and I'm going to check it out in person today.

Regarding Ironbark, some good info here: https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/woo...d/ironbark-red

[KevWind]

So I could call it my new VaporRub guitar ?

[Dave Hicks]

Originally Posted by RP

Ironwood is actually Ostrya virginiana, a member of the Birch family. Not the same thing as Eucalyptus sideroxylon. I know, people don't like using genus/species to name flora, but it clears the confusion often caused by the use of common names...

Hooray! (Sorry, I'm a botanist.)

Ironwood is also used as a common name for Carpinus caroliniana (hop hornbeam), Guaiacum sanctum (lignum vitae), and lots of other trees. Common names are confusing. So are scientific names, but in a different way, as they do get changed now and then.

D.H.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by RP

Ironwood is actually Ostrya virginiana, a member of the Birch family. Not the same thing as Eucalyptus sideroxylon. I know, people don't like using genus/species to name flora, but it clears the confusion often caused by the use of common names...

I think the confusion was thinking Iron Bark and Ironwood were the same
I have used ironwood for deck construction and it is so heavy it would IMO not be at all good for guitar

[Gromitspapa]

Urban Ironbark is people!!

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Osage

Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) is native to Australia but was brought to California in the 1850's and planted extensively in the state. If you live in Southern or Central California, you've seen the trees. When I lives there we had them all around us and everyone called them Eucalyptus.

Any Koala bears in those trees?

[rollypolly]

Originally Posted by Treenewt

I'm not a Taylor guy, buy any measure, but ad-speak aside, I like what they're doing here. We've long bemoaned the decline of responsibly sourced traditional tone woods on this forum, and here one of (if not the largest) American manufacturer is trying to use locally-sourced woods that would just wind up as mulch otherwise. I applaud them for the initiative they've shown in doing this, especially with a higher-end part of their line as opposed to the 300 and below.

This. If Martin, and other builders who make guitars that I like, were using alternative woods, I wouldn't give one hoot as long as it sounds good. And I think Martin is capable of doing it. I had a cherry back and sides OM for a while that I really liked. If Martin came out with a short scale 000-Iron wood I would buy it in a flash. Beats the heck out of richlite.

[dodge]

I understand that finding good mahogany is getting harder and more expensive. I assume they would have to keep increasing the price of the 500 series if they kept using mahogany, which would have probably pushed the price closer to a 700 or 800 series model. So from a business perspective for Taylor makes sense to redo the 500 series with an alternative wood.

[B Chas]

"Urban Ironbark yields a bold, rich and sweet voice that's sure to impress players of all styles, giving these guitars piano-like clarity with a smooth character that amplifies each player's unique touch"

Sounds like amazing stuff

[RP]

Originally Posted by dodge

I understand that finding good mahogany is getting harder and more expensive. I assume they would have to keep increasing the price of the 500 series if they kept using mahogany, which would have probably pushed the price closer to a 700 or 800 series model. So from a business perspective for Taylor makes sense to redo the 500 series with an alternative wood.

I'd sooner have Taylor invest in mahogany farms as they do with ebony....

[J Patrick]

….it’s a cool alternative to the dwindling supply of Honduran Mahogany….looks swell….I look forward to hearing it in action…I like Iron Barks other name…Mugga…

[Pender]

In Europe this new 514 model is 12% more than the previous with a cedar top.

[Alan Carruth]

'Iron wood' is simply the local name for whatever wood happens to be the hardest in a given area. Ostrya virginiana is "American Hophornbeam". It tends to have a somewhat 'muscular' looking trunk, so it is sometimes called 'muscle wood', and also 'lever wood' because it's the one you use for tool handles. It tends to be straight grained, hard and tough, too dense for necks, but good for fingerboards, bridge plates, and bridges. The trees tend to be small, growing as they do in the understory, seldom more than 30 tall or 8" in diameter.

Another local 'iron wood' where I live is 'American Hornbeam', another member of the birch clan, also called 'Blue Beech' since the bark, wood and leaves resemble beech. It's another understory tree that seldom gets to 30' high, and tends to have very gnarly interlocked grain. It's much too hard and dense for neck wood, but makes good fingerboards if you stain it.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

'Iron wood' is simply the local name for whatever wood happens to be the hardest in a given area. Ostrya virginiana is "American Hophornbeam". It tends to have a somewhat 'muscular' looking trunk, so it is sometimes called 'muscle wood', and also 'lever wood' because it's the one you use for tool handles. It tends to be straight grained, hard and tough, too dense for necks, but good for fingerboards, bridge plates, and bridges. The trees tend to be small, growing as they do in the understory, seldom more than 30 tall or 8" in diameter.



Another local 'iron wood' where I live is 'American Hornbeam', another member of the birch clan, also called 'Blue Beech' since the bark, wood and leaves resemble beech. It's another understory tree that seldom gets to 30' high, and tends to have very gnarly interlocked grain. It's much too hard and dense for neck wood, but makes good fingerboards if you stain it.

Thanks for this info, Alan. My cousin had some “iron wood” and it sounds like it was the Blue Beech you describe here. He realized that he couldn’t use it for neck wood and did, in fact, use it for a couple of fret boards. He did remark that it was tough on tools.
Best,
Jayne

[RP]

Originally Posted by Alan Carruth

'Iron wood' is simply the local name for whatever wood happens to be the hardest in a given area. Ostrya virginiana is "American Hophornbeam". It tends to have a somewhat 'muscular' looking trunk, so it is sometimes called 'muscle wood', and also 'lever wood' because it's the one you use for tool handles. It tends to be straight grained, hard and tough, too dense for necks, but good for fingerboards, bridge plates, and bridges. The trees tend to be small, growing as they do in the understory, seldom more than 30 tall or 8" in diameter.

Another local 'iron wood' where I live is 'American Hornbeam', another member of the birch clan, also called 'Blue Beech' since the bark, wood and leaves resemble beech. It's another understory tree that seldom gets to 30' high, and tends to have very gnarly interlocked grain. It's much too hard and dense for neck wood, but makes good fingerboards if you stain it.

I would add that the "muscle wood" I've seen is generally growing in riparian areas...