Can I use this for a guitar?

[phade314]

My parents have to cut down a tree in their back yard, a Silver Leaf Maple, that I grew up climbing on. If I wanted to use this wood in a guitar, how would I go about storing it? I won't have the money to pay a pro to make it for a while.

Its definitely a maple. It probably has a diameter of about 3 feet going up the main trunk. I am guessing the tree is between 55-65 years old. I'm not sure how much the location has to do with anything, but its in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Can you use maple for a guitar top? I would love to have as much of the guitar as I could be made from the tree, but even if it was just the back and sides, or the neck, I would be happy.

[PorkPieGuy]

I'm no expert, but you'll probably have to have it cut and milled a certain way.

I'm sure there are some youtube videos of people out there doing this. I'd start there.

[Misifus]

Yes, that’s certainly doable. The main thing right now is to be sure that the wood is handled properly when cut. This might include sealing the end grain of the cut logs to reduce checking, but, again, research this before the tree is cut.

Btw, I think you’ll find that your best results will come from using the maple, a fine back and side wood, for that purpose, and planning on using spruce or cedar for the top and top bracing.

[Wade Hampton]

You could use maple for the top if you absolutely had to, but it wouldn’t give you much tone or volume. Spruce will sound better.


whm

[TomB'sox]

The silver maple is a soft maple and very fast-growing Maple. It's not usually the type used for guitars? It doesn't mean you couldn't use it but it won't be the same as if you're using a hard sugar maple for example. At least this is what I believe to be true...

[RickRS]

What TomB'sox said. From a general woodworking pov, silver maple is nothing like sugar maple. It's a much softer wood. I have no idea what luthiers think about silver maple, but I wouldn't be surprised if they wouldn't bother with it as a general wood for guitar building.

[Fishermike]

FWIW, Seagull uses it for the neck of their well-regarded S6, so it's good for at least that part of a guitar.

http://www.seagullguitars.com/en/pro...51-s6-original

[RP]

I could be wrong but I'm under the impression that many commercial sawmills won't touch a tree from someone's backyard because of the likelihood that the tree will have imbedded nails or other metal and ruin a very expensive blade...

[Ozzy the dog]

If it proves difficult to get and season any sizeable pieces for guitar body or neck parts you could always cut some thin strips to use as binding or inlay. That way you can concentrate on more suitable stuff for what will be an expensive project and still include the maple that has the history for you.

[runamuck]

I appreciate that the tree has sentimental value to you. But to use it for back and sides of a guitar (it's not suitable for a top) will require a whole lot more work than it's worth. If you insist, it needs to be quarter-sawn soon after it's felled and then properly treated, covered and stickered to dry. It'll take 2- 4 years to air dry it in your location under optimum conditions.

Your tree is known as soft maple, I believe, which isn't commonly used for instruments as its' acoustical properties are not great.

[JCave]

Originally Posted by RP

I could be wrong but I'm under the impression that many commercial sawmills won't touch a tree from someone's backyard because of the likelihood that the tree will have imbedded nails or other metal and ruin a very expensive blade...

They do accept a customers trees. But the expense belongs to the customer should they hit something. I found a screwdriver shaft buried deep in a tree. Was a brand new chain on my saw...


You can find a local with a portable sawmill... Mill it up on-site.

[H165]

I'm under the impression that many commercial sawmills won't touch a tree from someone's backyard because of the likelihood that the tree will have imbedded nails or other metal and ruin a very expensive blade...

Some technology is available - metal detectors like the Garrett Ace 250 , etc.

[Fast Jimmy]

I had a portable saw mill guy come into my property to cut up some black walnut trees in my backyard. At that time I wasn't into guitars so didn't bother trying to get them sawn for guitar blanks. The sawyer had a metal detecting apparatus that he used to scan the logs with prior to running them through his bandsaw. He accepted all responsibility for any problems with blade damage. I watched him for hours scanning and then cutting up boards for me. It was getting late in the day when he got the last log set up and I noticed he didn't scan it. I hollered to him about that and he said he hadn't run into anything all day so it was good to go. The first cuts went fine and then he rolled the log over and started on that side, BANG-TWAANG-ZINNNG went that blade. Sure enough there was a metal spike in that tree. If I remember correctly, he said the blade was totally shot and new blades were about $150.00.
I prepped all the wood for storage, put it in my attic, sticker-ed the layers and left it there for 10 years. One of my sons just had a great craftsman build him a really, really nice bar out of that wood.
Fast Jimmy

[JCave]

Originally Posted by Fast Jimmy

If I remember correctly, he said the blade was totally shot and new blades were about $150.00.

We milled 18 trees in my driveway, fir and hemlock. I donated the lumber to a historic train restoration project in Eastern Oregon. You'll not find that quality lumber anywhere. Blades were no big deal to that fellow either. Sharpens them once, then toss it.

[Frank Ford]

Originally Posted by phade314

Can you use maple for a guitar top? I would love to have as much of the guitar as I could be made from the tree.

Absolutely - make a solid body electric!