Rosewood Identification - need help!

[ewh2]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

It works very well for necks. Mahogany has a huge range of density, with some individual pieces being very heavy. African padauk is within the mid to upper range of the density of mahogany. I have not found padauk to make instruments neck-heavy.

I've found it to be very stable. The first guitar I made with padauk back and sides was in 1984, and is my own classical guitar, though it has a Spanish cedar neck. It has aged well without any structural problems or splitting. The necks I've made with padauk have been rock solid.

Thanks for the reply CT.

Great info about the Padauk neck being stable. I have no problem with heavier guitar necks (for steel strings anyway, lighter necks for nylon strings are a must though), I'd seen it being used as a lamination for Yamaha necks.

(apologies to the OP for going off topic)

***
To the OP, if the new find turns out to be Burma Padauk, send me a PM....

[pallet40]

Sad to say " chinese rosewood " is just a stupid term for the chinese furniture industry devouring red or orange looking hardwoods that they can appropriate as rosewood. I have done a lot of research and woods like padauk and narra essentially make up the bulk of chinese " rosewood " furniture. Most of it of the pterocarpus genus. I sent a couple grain photographs to a wood expert in Maryland. He is fairly that it is padauk. Just with a very deep finish.

I do understand that this method is insanely complicated and expensive but " sustainable " dark-tone woods like cocobolo and EIR aren't really sustainablely managed as far as I've seen. They are now industry standards and are being ravaged across the world. Jebediah wiebe, the BC luthier is essentially running this project with me. I'm jus the client and helper. This is his policy and I'm totally intrigued by it. We are trying to make a fan fret jumbo.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by pallet40

I do understand that this method is insanely complicated and expensive but " sustainable " dark-tone woods like cocobolo and EIR aren't really sustainablely managed as far as I've seen. They are now industry standards and are being ravaged across the world. Jebediah wiebe, the BC luthier is essentially running this project with me. I'm jus the client and helper. This is his policy and I'm totally intrigued by it. We are trying to make a fan fret jumbo.

I well understand the desire to use sustainable woods, or not further the use of non-managed resources. One approach to the issue of "industry standards" is to use reclaimed materials of the same species as the standard, as you are doing. Doing so, while not cutting down more of the same species, further entrenches the idea that only those half a dozen "industry standards" can be used to make fine instruments.

Another approach is to change the standard to woods that are managed and sustainable, which has far longer reaching influence than hunting down furniture and chopping it up. Doing so involves making instruments from sustainable woods and slowing educating the buying public that top-quality instruments can be made from woods other than the several "industry standards".

There are many domestic, sustainable woods that can - and are - being used to make top-notch instruments. Black walnut, claro walnut, white oak, maples, black cherry, to name a few of the most obvious ones.

To each his (or her) own path.

[pallet40]

Yes those woods are no doubt excellent sustainable tone woods...however their tone is that " bright " mahogany sound or even brighter (koa or maple) and I just can't stand that tone after putting thousands of dollars and many hours of work into a guitar. Another option we are looking at is using Florida-grown East Indian rosewood blown down by hurricane Katrina.

[redir]

I'd still doubt that Padauk furniture piece is solid. Could be but it's unusual as far as furniture goes and for a good reason. Furniture is probably better off using veneer.

I love using local and sustainable wood and have re-purposed barn planks, floor boards and more into guitars but I can't see destroying a perfectly functional piece of furniture for it. As Charles mentioned you can build a good guitar from local wood that is available and sustainable.

As for Cocobolo and other tropical hardwoods there are some people out there managing it properly. I know because I own several hundred Cocobolo, mahogany and other mixed tropicals on a Costa Rican plantation that is very uniquely managed. On this particular farm once the trees are cut then the property is left to reforest naturally and in the future will only be used for maintaining wildlife and the environment. The only trees afterwards that will be removed will be done so for the health of the forest. It's a profitable reforestation project and there are others around the world picking up on this model.

[tadol]

Originally Posted by pallet40

Yes those woods are no doubt excellent sustainable tone woods...however their tone is that " bright " mahogany sound or even brighter (koa or maple) and I just can't stand that tone after putting thousands of dollars and many hours of work into a guitar. Another option we are looking at is using Florida-grown East Indian rosewood blown down by hurricane Katrina.

???????????

Mahogany bright? Koa or Maple even brighter? my friend, I think you are listening with your eyes, or you have not taken the time to audition some of the incredible guitars being made with these woods. my baritone is koa, my deep bodied 000 is mahogany, and both are as far from "bright" as one would ever want to get. It may just be a difference in descriptions, but also a majority of the sound of a guitar is going to be the top and the bracing -

But I also have to question the concept of "sustainable" being the destruction of previously built items - "re-purposed" perhaps, but far from "sustainable" - unless, of course, you believe there is an unlimited supply of solid rosewood furniture out there -

[gpj1136]

Originally Posted by pallet40

Yes those woods are no doubt excellent sustainable tone woods...however their tone is that " bright " mahogany sound or even brighter (koa or maple) and I just can't stand that tone after putting thousands of dollars and many hours of work into a guitar. Another option we are looking at is using Florida-grown East Indian rosewood blown down by hurricane Katrina.

Are you forgetting Black locust, Osage orange, Persimmon, Madrone, and Chestnut?

I also have to say. I will never tire of Charles's beautiful neck joints. Some day I may try one like that. It must be great to play one.

[printer2]

Walnut is dark sounding.

[pallet40]

Has anyone here used sheesham / dalbergia sissoo in their guitar construction? It's the " other " Indian rosewood.