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Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
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Author:  Erik Hauri [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 9:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Anyone try out B&S set made of swamp ash? Care to share your impressions?

I know it's a PITA to grain fill, but tone-wise and stability-wise how's it work out?
Author:  KenH [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
You mean like this?

This is Ash.. I dont know if it is swamp ash or not...

Attachment:
image014.jpg


Attachment:
image017.jpg
Author:  Billy T [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Nice Ken! I like it!!! [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  Erik Hauri [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Ken, from the pics that could be either one....FWIW swamp ash is a lot lighter than northern ash.
Author:  KenH [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 2:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
I was told it was just "ash". I have no clue what the difference in "swamp ash" is.

As far as sound, there is a sound clip/movie of me playing this guitar over on luthiertube.com if you want to hear it. It is toppped with Adi and quite sa few people have been taken back by the volume and tone of the guitar. If it means anything, I bought a pallet load of this wood after building this guitar. I am drying the wood now and it will be at least a year before I can start using it.
Author:  Brock Poling [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Hodges_Guitars wrote:
I was told it was just "ash". I have no clue what the difference in "swamp ash" is.


If you believe the brochure, it isn't as heavy as regular ash. It is used a lot in electrics. Especially tele's and strats.

The problem is, it is hard to know if it is swamp ash or not. The weight and density of ash seems to be all over the place from the electric blanks I have got.
Author:  Erik Hauri [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Good light swamp ash checks in around 1.5 to 2 lbs/board foot, but it can get heavier than that. Northern ash is about 50% heavier, 2.5 to 3 lbs/bf or more.

For you botanists, swamp ash is most likely Fraxinus caroliniana or F. nigra. Northern ash is most likely F. americana. Pretty difficult to tell the difference without weighing it. Swamp ash is usually sourced from the deep South (Louisiana, Missisippi, Alabama, Florida).
Author:  KenH [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Mine came from Indiana, so it is most likely plain old Ash.
Author:  Rick Turner [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
"Swamp ash" is fraxinus nigra (and I've also seen reference to fraxinus caroliniana as "swamp ash") grown in "the bottoms"...in or near swamps or along river banks. The lower ten to twelve feet of the tree tends to be quite low in density as it grows very fast, but it's quite resonant. It's very highly regarded for solid body instruments, and other than the very coarse and open pores, there's no reason why it shouldn't make wonderful acoustic guitars. Martin made some ash models a while back, but I'm not sure it was "swamp ash".

Nice stuff, and I love making solid body basses with it.
Author:  Brock Poling [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Brock Poling wrote:
Hodges_Guitars wrote:
I was told it was just "ash". I have no clue what the difference in "swamp ash" is.


If you believe the brochure, it isn't as heavy as regular ash. It is used a lot in electrics. Especially tele's and strats.

The problem is, it is hard to know if it is swamp ash or not. The weight and density of ash seems to be all over the place from the electric blanks I have got.


True enough. I don't doubt that lighter swamp ash exists. The problem (at least from my experience) is that just because someone is selling "swamp ash" that is no guarantee that you are going to get the lighter stuff. For me it has been about a 50/50 experience.
Author:  Billy T [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
Hodges_Guitars wrote:
As far as sound, there is a sound clip/movie of me playing this guitar over on luthiertube.com if you want to hear it.


You have a link Ken? All I get is an "osage" under your name!
Author:  KenH [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Swamp Ash back & sides...yeah or nay?
I'm not much of a player or a singer, but here is the link:

Sweet Baby James
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