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 Post subject: Alder
PostPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:03 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:22 am
Posts: 207
Location: Norway
Status: Amateur
Hi,

Anybody use alder on acoustics? noticed it's popular for solidbodies. would be interesting because it's a wood i can get locally.

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 Post subject: Re: Alder
PostPosted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:06 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:55 am
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Location: United States
First name: James
Last Name: Bolan
City: Nashville
State: Tennessee
Country: USA
I`ve used a lot of Alder wood in cabinetery and I know it`s not nearly as hard as the usual suspects,such as EIR.
James W B

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 Post subject: Re: Alder
PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 9:42 am 
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Mahogany
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Here is a link to a low priced Ovation knock-off with and alder back, so yes, alder could be used. Why not give it a try? http://jacksmusicstore.com/catalog/guit ... t-l~eca600


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 Post subject: Re: Alder
PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:42 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:49 pm
Posts: 2915
Location: Norway
Frank, I assume this is local wood, right? What type of alder is it; common 'gråor' (grey alder) or 'svartor' (black alder)? The latter, less common variety sometimes has a wonderful flamed figure and has been used in some of our traditional instruments (hardingfele, langeleik) in lieu of birch or maple. It is also a priced hardwood for kitchen cabinet fronts etc. It is the denser of the two varieties. The former type is sometimes called 'Nordens mahogny’ (mahogany of the north) because it will turn to a nice golden tan color over time, but it is not very stable and quite light and not really anything like mahogany in any way except perhaps color. It grows almost everywhere here, and I think of it more as weed than wood, almost! Lousy firewood, burns like paper, about as soft as spruce or pine.

I don’t know how our alder compares to the American type, but you should not assume they are the same only because they have the same name. All our birches, maples, beeches, oaks etc are quite different from the American types.

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 Post subject: Re: Alder
PostPosted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:55 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:22 am
Posts: 207
Location: Norway
Status: Amateur
I found a guy about a half hours drive from here that mills hardwoods on hobby basis.
i paid him a visit today and took with me a couple boards of alder,ash, and maple.
the alder i was told was the black alder, not that uncommon here south in norway.
i might experiment with this, but otherwise i've got some furniture plans to use it for.

he also had a lot of elm, that would also be interesting to experiment with, 'twas a beautiful wood...

Frank

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