3 set of Brazilian Rosewood

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

Well, just on sight alone, after watching a video with Dana Bourgeouis choosing woods for tone. I'd choose #2. As he states, that straighter grain resonates better.

I’m pretty sure Dana would agree with all the other luthiers on this thread.

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I’m pretty sure Dana would agree with all the other luthiers on this thread.

I keep seeing that, and I'm sure y'all have a point... but I don't
get it... #1 and #3 look like weirdly formed stump wood or from
a gnarled-out twisted tree. #2 looks like a random layer from a
slab-sawn piece of "normal" wood.

-Mike

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

I keep seeing that, and I'm sure y'all have a point... but I don't
get it... #1 and #3 look like weirdly formed stump wood or from
a gnarled-out twisted tree. #2 looks like a random layer from a
slab-sawn piece of "normal" wood.

-Mike

The short answer would be a Brazilian Rosewood slab sawn board with heat and humidity will shrink and expand about 45% more width wise than a well quartered board. When that board is 15” or so wide and is only an 1/8” or so thick it makes a big difference.

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

The short answer would be a Brazilian Rosewood slab sawn board with heat and humidity will shrink and expand about 45% more width wise than a well quartered board. When that board is 15” or so wide and is only an 1/8” or so thick it makes a big difference.

But we're not comparing #2 to the back on a 1937 D-28, we're comparing
#2 to the metamorphic looking #1 and #3. I'm not arguing, just surprised
at what the builders here are choosing.

Here's my 65 year old slab-sawn Brazilian Rosewood back...



-Mike

[Mark Hatcher]

Here is a 250+ yr old well quartered BRW set I have stashed away:



The reason the builders are choosing sets #1 and #3 is they structurally appear to be closer to this one than your beautiful old slab cut back.
The fact the grain isn't as straight isn't as important to the likelihood that they are more well quartered and have a better chance of lasting as long as your guitar has.

The problem with stump wood is when a living tree is standing it is wet and heavy. The strength of wood lengthwise isn't near as great when it is wet and the wood fibers down near the stump under all that weight can crush thereby greatly weakening a board. I don't believe set #1 and #3 look particularly crushed and a bit of a curve in the original log is not necessarily of any great consequence.

Now I'm saying all this looking only at one picture of each of these sets and if I could feel the flexibility of these boards, hear their tap tone, and look the their edges the choices would be much more well informed.

[H165]

Here's my 65 year old slab-sawn Brazilian Rosewood back...

That may be QS, with nice landscape lines. Get another opinion

[jt1]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

Here is a 250+ yr old well quartered BRW set I have stashed away:

Gorgeous wood!

And, yeah, set #2 is not quartered. But look at the upper bout of the set. Pretty close to quartered. And the lower bout? Certainly not quartered, but not completely flatsawn.

So, no, not a perfect set. But most certainly not 100% flatsawn.

Sets 1 and 3? Also gorgeous. But also obviously stump wood.

A bit off-quarter non-stump wood vs relatively quartered stump wood? I'll ask Dana.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

But we're not comparing #2 to the back on a 1937 D-28, we're comparing
#2 to the metamorphic looking #1 and #3. I'm not arguing, just surprised
at what the builders here are choosing.

Here's my 65 year old slab-sawn Brazilian Rosewood back...



-Mike

That’s not slab sawn but close to quartered with beautiful ink “Landscape” figuring that many old sets of BRW were known for.

[jt1]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

That’s not slab sawn but close to quartered with beautiful ink “Landscape” figuring that many old sets of BRW were known for.

Precisely.

[hubcapsc]

Originally Posted by jt1

Precisely.

I drove two hours to look at it because of the back. If you could look at
the end grain of the back, I wouldn't think that it would be vertical or
flat, but somewhere in between...

-Mike

[George brw]

I’d pick number one. It looks a bear took a swipe at it with his paw

[Skydog]

#1 makes me feel like I’m looking out from a jail cell!

[TennesseeWalker]

#1 - but only after seeing the side set

(maybe post the side sets as well so all can see)

[dbintegrity]

#1 for me.....