The Sonic Properties of Poplar - Page 2

RP · #16 03-06-2024, 01:36 PM

A number of years ago an old Tulip Poplar was removed from Jefferson's Monticello. Huss & Dalton made a guitar from some of the wood https://hussanddalton.com/special-si...edition-oo-sp/...

MinorKey · #17 03-06-2024, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koolimy

I have zero experience with Poplar as a tonewood, but if you go to the Wood Database, you'll see that Yellow Poplar has very similar properties to Port Orford Cedar

https://www.wood-database.com/yellow-poplar/

https://www.wood-database.com/port-orford-cedar/

From a brief reading, I think the biggest reason why Poplar is not used in acoustic guitars is because of its softness. Unlike electric guitars, acoustic guitars need to have thin back and sides with a thin finish, so it will be hard to protect the guitar if the wood is not strong enough.

Ah thats not actually poplar, its a different unrelated species (Tulip tree)

RP · #18 03-06-2024, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MinorKey

Ah thats not actually poplar, its a different unrelated species (Tulip tree)

While that's true that Liriodendron tuliperfera is not a true poplar, it raises the question as to whether Taylor or any other guitar manufacturer is using true poplar or yellow/tulip poplar...

MinorKey · #19 03-06-2024, 02:24 PM

Or Willow, which is related.

koolimy · #20 03-06-2024, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MinorKey

Ah thats not actually poplar, its a different unrelated species (Tulip tree)

Oh, that's interesting to know! I have heard that the wood known as tulip poplar is the most popular form of "Poplar" that we know, however...

MinorKey · #21 03-06-2024, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koolimy

Oh, that's interesting to know! I have heard that the wood known as tulip poplar is the most popular form of "Poplar" that we know, however...

Its actually in the Magnolia family, whereas Poplar (Cottonwood, Aspen) is in the Willow family.

KevWind · #22 03-06-2024, 03:08 PM

I have only dealt with some kind of poplar used in construction (back east) and seems pretty soft to me ??

printer2 · #23 03-06-2024, 04:26 PM

Too soft? I guess my spruce guitars should not exist.

John Arnold · #24 03-06-2024, 04:41 PM

Yellow poplar is very commonly used in cores and cross plys in laminated panels. It is also one of the main species used for necks of the inexpensive Chicago guitars from days past. It is soft for a hardwood, but marginally harder than spruce. IMHO, its main detraction is its appearance (green heartwood). However, it can be stained to resemble mahogany or walnut. It is one of the easier woods to finish with lacquer, since it lacks large pores that require filling.

gr81dorn · #25 03-06-2024, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by printer2

Too soft? I guess my spruce guitars should not exist.

This discussion is about the use of poplar in place for anything other than the top. Spruce would be worse than poplar in that respect.

gr81dorn · #26 03-06-2024, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koolimy

Oh, that's interesting to know! I have heard that the wood known as tulip poplar is the most popular form of "Poplar" that we know, however...

I've got millions of board feet of poplar lumber on hand. It's all Yellow/Tulip poplar. In the lumber biz, that's the poplar everyone's talking about. That would be the poplar used in the plywood at Taylor and others.

printer2 · #27 03-06-2024, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

This discussion is about the use of poplar in place for anything other than the top. Spruce would be worse than poplar in that respect.

I only have about a month on the guitar with a poplar back, six years on this spruce one.

John Arnold · #28 03-06-2024, 05:40 PM

40+ years ago, a friend who built classical guitars made a few with redwood, which is softer than spruce. They worked just fine. At least one of them is still cranking. It also has a redwood neck.
Come to think of it, those flamenco guitars have cypress backs and sides that is pretty soft. And I built a 000 size steel string with butternut back, sides, and neck.
Are these more prone to dents than rosewood or mahogany? Yes. Do they have inferior sound? Not necessarily.

KevWind · #29 03-06-2024, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by printer2

Too soft? I guess my spruce guitars should not exist.

Might want to try and reply to what I actually said not what you imagined
I did not say "Too soft" I said--- "and seems pretty soft to me" given I could shove a chisel in with my hand, and qualified it with "some kind used in construction "
How that might relate to what is used for instruments I do not know, thus the qualification