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Top wood ID

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bcombs510

Post subject: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 6:40 pm

Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:21 am
Posts: 3594
First name: Brad
Last Name: Combs
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Hi folks,

Can anyone tell me if this is redwood or cedar or?

It’s lightweight for sure and stiff.

This is for a ukulele which I’m finishing up this project for the son of a luthier who passed away. The back and sides are katalox, but this is what was set aside as the top. I don’t have any first hand experience with top wood other than spruce, mahogany and koa.

Brad

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Chris Pile

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:16 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5821
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional

I vote for redwood.

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These users thanked the author Chris Pile for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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bobgramann

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:18 pm

Koa

Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:10 pm
Posts: 721
First name: Bob
Last Name: Gramann
City: Fredericksburg
State: VA
Zip/Postal Code: 22408
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional

Scratch and sniff. If it’s redwood or cedar, that ought to identify it.

These users thanked the author bobgramann for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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DennisK

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:19 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:59 pm
Posts: 3592
First name: Dennis
Last Name: Kincheloe
City: Kansas City
State: MO
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I've never seen cedar with curl like that, but it's fairly common in redwood. And like Bob says, cedar is easily identifiable by smell.

These users thanked the author DennisK for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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Colin North

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:32 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:44 am
Posts: 5492
First name: colin
Last Name: north
Country: Scotland.
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro

Others have said it all duh

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

These users thanked the author Colin North for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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johnparchem

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 8:11 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:42 pm
Posts: 1703
First name: John
Last Name: Parchem
City: Seattle
State: Wa
Zip/Postal Code: 98177
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

I have some curly redwood that looks like that.

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These users thanked the author johnparchem for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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CarlD

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 9:53 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:26 pm
Posts: 487
First name: Carl
Last Name: Dickinson
City: Forest Ranch
State: California
Zip/Postal Code: 95942
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Yup. Redwood.

These users thanked the author CarlD for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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meddlingfool

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2022 10:36 pm

Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:15 pm
Posts: 7378
First name: Ed
Last Name: Bond
City: Vancouver
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Professional

Hmm, speaking of redwood…

These users thanked the author meddlingfool for the post: bcombs510 (Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:16 am)

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bcombs510

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:17 am

Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:21 am
Posts: 3594
First name: Brad
Last Name: Combs
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

Redwood it is!!

Thanks folks. Now to do some research on thickness for a uke top.

Brad

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DennisK

Post subject: Re: Top wood ID

Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2022 2:10 pm

Contributing Member

Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:59 pm
Posts: 3592
First name: Dennis
Last Name: Kincheloe
City: Kansas City
State: MO
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur

bcombs510 wrote:

Redwood it is!!

Thanks folks. Now to do some research on thickness for a uke top.

Brad

Good luck with that

Redwood has such a wide range of density to begin with, and you can't rely on density to guess the stiffness since the short grain of the curl will be more flexible. But you can't flex it very much either or it will break. Chladni patterns may be the best bet.

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