Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey guys,
Sorry for being away but been working with some germans on a documentary film so hardly got time to work on my first guitar and come on the forum.
But after an extensive search for tonewood and coming up disappointed the entire while, i think i might have struck gold. Though id like a few more opinions obviously from ppl who know much more. So im posting some pics here. and looking forward to ur thoughts.

Rosewood FIngerBoard Blank

Ebony

and

now

This is my top 3 peice and im thinking if i should go ahead with using this on my first guitar considering all the other wood is quite excellent and this was salvaged out of a junk stock of pine i found . The reason being that till now with all my search i haent found any where i can buy quarter sawn spruce or pine which is good quality wise and wide enough for a two piece top so this is wht i could come up with. I like it cause its the first peice of wood ive joined and shaped into something but i need you all to tll me.
I have one last option ive left for after a cpl of months. Im gonna be traveeling up to the mountains where there is a ready growth and i think also availibility of Toon wood (Red Cedar)
and ive heard of a luthier who lives up ther almost in obscurity. My guitar Teacher had told me about him. SO maybe i can source some quality cedar from him but till thn this is wht i have.
and no budget or means of getting wood from outside the country at the moment.

Now back to the rosewood i posted pics of . This stuff is available in huge quantities here in India and in a few places even used as firewood (well atleast the new growth stuff) But the old growth rosewood and mahogany here seem to be quality. So im considering stocking up on some more and maybe also supplying some of this stuff. You guys think there would be a market for this and i should go ahead with it??

Yes! I am interested in toon wood? Is this the same wood listed as tun wood and used for sitars? I believe that shisham is dalbergia latifolia? But I am not sure. I know my sitar is shisham for the pegs and tun on the face (at least I think I am sure), but I would love to know more. The back wood you have there looks great. I would try to find a better piece for the top if you can. Hopefully the mountain man can help you!

_________________
Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

YEs toon is wht is used for sitars mostly along with rosewood, shisham, mahogany and some extremely good quality teak is also often used in making sitars, harmoniums and other Indian Music Instruments.
Toon is exclusively used for making good quality sarods as well and i know a guitar manuacturer who uses it mostly for his electric guitars.
So i think the mountain man will definately be able to help me but it will b maybe a month before i can get to him so lets see how soon i can get things setup and hopefully i will have some good top wood soon and maybe ill leave some of this good rosewood aside and use some differnt wood for back and sides for the top i have ready already maybe experiment with some good kapur and almond i found??
Unless someone thinks that this top might have potential.
I know the grain is rather wide and its a 3 Peice top but it has a nice stiffnes to it vertically and some good flexibility horizontaly and a decent tap tone to my ear but my ear still has to listen to more woods to know wht is good.
Will definately be looking forward to more suggestions and advice

Ganeshaa!
use the wood you have for your first build!
It's a learning experience-you do not want to waste really good wood on a learning experience!!

If you need some spruce or cedar for a really great top
P.M. me !
i'll send ya some
Mike

_________________
Mike Collins

Cheers mike,

Sent you a pm. wish i couldve been there to learn something from you in person. But alas im far far away and need to do evrything myself.
But its guys like you on this forum that keep me going

Best
Ankit