Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks Dean. I do understand your comments about tone wood opening up. I know that even the tone wood of the oldest guitars will not have been tonally optimized if they weren't also played-in as well. Time - in my understanding - is only one of many variables that adds to the quality of tone.

Again, I was really more interested in understanding how a method of "cooking" could not only help stablize the wood - but also how much it would contribute to the seasoning process in preparation for building - and not so much for impoving tonal properties. I would be concerned if folks were warning about how the process of cooking would rob the wood of its tone - but I haven't heard anyone say that. My main interest in this discussion has been in knowing if this would be a viable way of enhancing or accelerating the seasoning process or in some way improving the build quality of the wood. And I think you and others have addressed that well.

edit:
Just so everyone will know - this is the reason why I decided - at the beginning of this particular discussion - to start another thread about "cooking wood" instead of continuing with the original thread. I thought that if I named it "seasoned vs stablized" it would help folks recognize where I was coming from. Did I do right?
tony39002.8988773148

Picture your tone wood as a speaker cone.

Oy.... <bg>

You didn't really agree with that Mario?

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Wheeewww! Finally got to the end of this thread so I
could add my $.02. This is really interesting to me.

I believe that the main thing that "time seasoning" has going for it is the chemical reactions that take place inside the wood as moisture is absorbed and released. Although temperature can increase the speed of a chemical reaction. That's why I store my wood in a more or less uncontrolled environment. It sees the full fluctuation of humidity and goes through pretty wide temperature cycles. When the wood absorbs moisture, resins and other compounds, sugars, starches etc. react with it producing different compounds. When I'm ready to use a piece for building I bring it into my environmentally controlled shop for a month or two to stabilize. I like to let my wood breath with the seasons.

I can also see where cooking may do something that the seasons can't. But I still think I would let the wood set for a few months even after cooking. Just to let it mellow a bit.

KirtKirt39003.5835185185

_________________
Horton, MI

I can understand Mario's reaction, at least to some extent. On the one hand the 'bass reflex' action of the top and air (and the back, too!) of the guitar has been studied for a long time, and is pretty well understood. On the other hand, the guitar is quite deliberately a lousy loudspeaker. I think a guitar that had a 'flat' response would be about as interesting as a tall glass of warm spit. Fortunately for the folks who have tried to make them like that, it's pretty hard to do, and some of them end up sounding alright.   

Mmmmmmm, a tall glass of warm spit. You're making me thirsty, Alan.

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Every once in awhile that navy vocabulary slips out of 'im :)

_________________
Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

Actually it was a Vice President of the US, who used the expression; saying his office wasn't worth...

Well whoever said it, it sounds delicious!!!   

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Just looked it up "Cactus Jack" Garner! VP under Franklin D.!

Not worth a bucket of warm spit!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)