Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 So I'm in botany today and my professor is talking about trees; soft woods and hard woods. Then he mentions he has a lot of 120 year old black walnut in his farmhouse... idea clicks. This stuff is very heavy and very old, I see a possible project for an LP style guitar coming up. You think this wood is useable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jrkirkish Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Cut 'em down and see. I'm sure your prof will love that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thredlok Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 works for tele's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bumrunner Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 hot damn! thats nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gravity Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 isn't walnut really bright ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardson Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 That does look really nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thredlok Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by Gravity isn't walnut really bright ? not as bright as maple more defined than mahogany, plenty of midrange punch, it has great projection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 They are already cut down into thick planks . I believe I will be able to make a one piece body which kicks major ass, I may get a pro to do it though since its ahrd to get ahold of wood like this for next to nothing. he said their should be plenty to make a neck with to, so this guitar might be a beast. hell i think some of the pices are big enough to keep the body and neck as one solid piece of wood, dunno if that would work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BigFurryWhale Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by silverbullet They are already cut down into thick planks . I believe I will be able to make a one piece body which kicks major ass, I may get a pro to do it though since its ahrd to get ahold of wood like this for next to nothing. he said their should be plenty to make a neck with to, so this guitar might be a beast. hell i think some of the pices are big enough to keep the body and neck as one solid piece of wood, dunno if that would work though. I always wondered about this myslef. A one piece guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thredlok Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by silverbullet They are already cut down into thick planks . I believe I will be able to make a one piece body which kicks major ass, I may get a pro to do it though since its ahrd to get ahold of wood like this for next to nothing. he said their should be plenty to make a neck with to, so this guitar might be a beast. hell i think some of the pices are big enough to keep the body and neck as one solid piece of wood, dunno if that would work though. The guitar in the picture is made from a 3/4'thick by 15"wide piece of maple with a 1/4" curly maple filler in the middle to bring the body thickness to 1-3/4". You have to keep in mind the moisture content of the wood before you use it,(recommended 3-10%) and if you get to pick the wood look for quartersawn, especially if you are going the neck through or one piece builds. Warping is more prevalent with one piece bodies in comparison to laminated body-blanks. good luck! PS, if it's not been kiln dried I wouldn't touch it for the next few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 ...probably not a good idea to experiment with 120 yo black walnut. I would pick out a nice figured piece for the body and resaw it for a bookmatched top. Put that on top of a chambered walnut body and oooooh baby!! Pick out nice straight grain for the neck and laminate three thin strips of maple between 4 thicker walnut strips for a beautiful, sexy but stable neck!! Don't forget the walnut cap on the headstock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 What exactly does quartersawn mean? I am no expert on wood. Also, these hav been cut for a looong time, like years, and I dont believe they are kiln dried(whatever that entails???). all i know about them so far is that they are thick planks of 120 year old black walnut that have been in a barn and kept dry. they have probably been in their for 30 years or something, he didnt really specify. I will tell you all more when I go over thanksgiving break to see the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I would be suspicious if my professor invited me over during Thanksgiving break to see his wood!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 ROFLMAO!I wonder if I could get the guy at driskill guitars to build this sucker into a diablo blues for cheap? I mean, I AM supplying the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 You would want to get walnut that has been properly cut, seasoned, and dried before using it in a guitar. If you are serious about building a guitar from a naked plank, consider your time and effort and other costs. Then think about getting a seasoned chunk of wood from a reputable dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 You would want to get walnut that has been properly cut, seasoned, and dried before using it in a guitar. Wasn't Brian May's guitar made out of some wood from an old building? I don't think cutting the wood properly will be an issue, but I wouldn't mind knowing how to season and dry the wood properly? The idea behind using this wood is that its basically free and IMO gives a certain character to the guitar that your freshly cut hunk of Koa doesn't have. I am serious about making my own guitar, I have been thinking about it for over a year, but their haven't been any real oppurtunities until now. If you have any information on how to prepare the wood (drying or whatever), i would appreciate the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ronaldo Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I would go for it. If you have access to tools like a drill press, do it yourself. My uncle had four big planks in my grandpa's garage and I made a tele body out of it. It wasn't very hard. I used claro walnut, about 40 years old. Made the neck pocket and hollowbody sections with a drill press, which worked fine. The wood is 'seasoned' if it's that old. I also got black korina at the lumber yard for the top. But yea, walnut is somewhat bright which maple neck adds to, on the other hand the guitar sounds amazing. Very loud and harmonically rich and full. Walnut with a less dense wood is about right. Go on boy, get that old man's wood. Don't be shy, just do it ... you won't regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by silverbullet Wasn't Brian May's guitar made out of some wood from an old building? I don't think cutting the wood properly will be an issue, but I wouldn't mind knowing how to season and dry the wood properly? May's guitar was made from a 150-year old mahogany fireplace mantle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 OK then, Im gonna get the wood for sure, but how do you properly dry it? or is it already properly dried??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ronaldo Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 It's dried. Over time, you just call it 'air dried' ... nothing is not 'dry' after 10 -15 years in any shed. So don't worry, I didn't and it worked just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 OK awesome, once I pick it up(which may not be till after my finals) I will post some pics and start asking for tips on builing this thing, I may create an original body desing, but right now im still thinking of a les paul project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members walfordr Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker May's guitar was made from a 150-year old mahogany fireplace mantle. May: "No, that's quite true. This old fireplace just happened to be around; it's about 100 years old. It's laminated actually. The thing that takes the strain is oak, a square section, on to which is bolted the mahogany neck. The rest of the body is a softer wood, and it includes some acoustic pockets. All the parts are very closely coupled together, screwed and glued, so the whole thing acts as one resonator." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members silverbullet Posted November 22, 2005 Author Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 "No, that's quite true. This old fireplace just happened to be around; it's about 100 years old. It's laminated actually. The thing that takes the strain is oak, a square section, on to which is bolted the mahogany neck. The rest of the body is a softer wood, and it includes some acoustic pockets. All the parts are very closely coupled together, screwed and glued, so the whole thing acts as one resonator." hmmm that gives me some ideas.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ThomasD Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I'm with the guy who suggested finding a nice piece of figured wood then bookmatching it on top of a body made from wood specifically chosen for its acoustic properties. The main benefit of 120 year old wood is, hopefully, a very tight grain structure and possibly finer figure. In unmanaged old growth forests or groves the trees would grow very slowly each year - as they were not thinned often and the crowded conditions would tend to limit available sunlight meaning that each successive growth ring would be very thin leading to tighter, more attractive grain. Structurally this wood also tends to be stronger than new growth, but that is rather irrelevant for this purpose. I am not aware of the characteristics of legacy wood giving any better acoustics/tone in an electric guitar and it seems a little wasetful to use what is likely to be very physically attractive wood for the entire body of a guitar. Better to maximize its use for visual/aesthetic purposes and stick to a body with known, and desireable tonal features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wah wah Posted November 22, 2005 Members Share Posted November 22, 2005 I hear walnut doesn't work very well for necks. But if you could dry it properly it should make for a great body wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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