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I saw some lacewood the other day and I thought it would make a really nice looking instrument but I have no experience with it. If anyone has built with it I would be interested in hearing their opinions on its acoustic properties and workability.
Thanks
Bob

I did a 000 with lacewood once and had problems. Now could have been my workshop but the wood sat for some time before the build and was careful to build at 50% humidity. Sold it to a friend and within 3 months it was cracking all over the place. Also found it difficult to finish. Made another, this time a classical with lacewood, and terrible sound on that one, but again, it might be the builder and not the wood.

Yep I've built with it. It was splintery, but the tone was awesome!! Very
robust powerful voice.

Here are a couple pics:

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I'm just finishing up a resonator zouk with Lacewood. Looks great but I've had problems with the finishing. Shellac sanding sealer, pumice pore fill, nitro top coat but the finish seems to keep sinking into the large flecks. A few days after level sanding & rub out it looks like someone worked it over gently with a ball peen hammer!

What species do you mean when you say lacewood? There's two species from Australia that are referred to in North America as lacewood: Cardwellia sublimis and Grevillia robusta. Plus there's one or two South American species that are referred to as lacewood. All are different but look very similar.

Perhaps you should be more specific.

roupala brasilensis and various types of Plane (or Sycamore for you yanks) are also often called 'Lacewood'.

I've built a few with Lacewood and think it is an extremeley fine tonewood

I built a table with it a long time ago. It was very splintery, but no geetars yet. Maybe someday.

Homeboy

Paul
Thanks, I didn't know there were two different species that might be lacewoods, I shoud have knowing all of the woods in the various families. I will look into more carefully next time to see if can determine what it is I am dealing with. Thanks to all of those who responded. Great group of people.
Bob

Bob,
It sounds to me like each of your responses that talk about the properties of lacewood, might in fact all be talking about different species. This is why it's important to stick to botanical names - makes sure we're all on the same page.

Cardwellia sublimis is called Northern Silky Oak in Australia, while Grevillia robusta is called Southern Silky Oak (or just 'Silky Oak' for either). Try doing a google search for those if you think you have an Australian "lacewood".

I've been interested in Grevillia robusta 'cause my brother in-law has a great whopping one in his front yard, 5' or 6' at the base with maybe 10' of clear timber. I keep finding myself wanting to pick up a chain saw whenever we go over there. I read somewhere that someone built a guitar with it that sounded "vintage Martin" as soon as it was strung up. I don't know how much that had to do with the back and sides though. Both types of silky oak have been used as a cabinet timber in Australia for a long time and both are generally regarded as a pretty stable, easily worked timber.

Paul raises a good point, to make sure that everyone is across exactly what type of wood you are talking about, it certainly is worth while posting the botanical name with the common.

Just to add a little to the confusion on this particular topic, please don't get the "Lacewoods" that have been mentioned above mixed up with Lace Sheoak (casuarina fraserana) which hails from the south west corner of Western Australia.

This wood also gets tagged as "Lacewood" in the USA but is not related to any of the above-mentioned species what so ever. Lace Sheoak (casuarina fraserana) has been used in guitar making with fantastic results. It's tone is exceptional and I have not heard of anybody having an adverse reaction when working it.

Tim Spittle of Australian Tonewoods has some true "lace" Sheoak listed on the Luthiers Auction Site but the image there does little to show the beauty of this wood.

A better quality image of of the same wood, but with different figure can be seen at Tim's Site just scroll down past the nice Blackwood sets through the 2 incredible Tiger Myrtle sets
and the Lace Sheoak set is next on the list.

Yes folks, there was a plug for my mate weaved into that post but I do hope it was an informative one

Cheers

Kim

I just finished three OO size guitars one of which was lacewood. I like the tone and balance that resulted. Working with it was similar to other figured woods. The irregular grain and curls tend to tear out with planing but it bent well and as I said I am delighted with the sound.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

Very lovely wood and guitar! Thanks fellows, very informative thread, i just hope i can gather enough money for shipping some day! Serge Poirier39070.0247800926

[QUOTE=PaulB] I read somewhere that someone built a guitar with it that sounded "vintage Martin" as soon as it was strung up. I don't know how much that had to do with the back and sides though. [/QUOTE]

This was John Greven talking about one of the aussie lacewoods. He did clarify that he found timber from a certain tree that was exceptionally light and stiff for the specific species. He has found raw timber and sets since then, but none that even came close to the stiffness-to-weight ratio of that original timber he came across.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds