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Just wondering if anyone has built with Black Limba? I know it's used for electrics. It is similar to mahogany but lighter in color with some pretty varigated black lines and patterns. Should be a good acoustic tone wood.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
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The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Find some outrageous stuff Bob and post it. I'll probably succumb along with my fellow luthier bretheren who are mostly all wood junkies.

Bob, that makes you the pusher man

John

Will do John!

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

This was the quality I was looking for with my primavera. If disater strikes, I'll be looking for some Limba. Are you going to carry some sets of it?

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I'd be interested in seeing some!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

[QUOTE=j.Brown] This was the quality I was looking for with my primavera. If disater strikes, I'll be looking for some Limba. Are you going to carry some sets of it?[/QUOTE]
I wanted to see if there was any interest before I bought any. I see that there is.    

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Think about some solid body blanks.   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

It's one of my favourite woods (looks-wise; I'll be building my first with it soon) for electric solidbodies (I've got a pair, getting a few more soonish), and I've heard from a few people now that it works well as an acoustic wood. In electrics, it's mahoganoy-esque tone, but with a little more high end. I'd build with it!

Here's a gorgeous McCollum acoustic:
http://www.dreamguitars.com/preowned/acoustic/McCollum_Meagh ann_M-104.htm

Gilmer's got some nice stuff, but their prices for electric body blanks are a touch on the unreasonably insane side (about 90-100 dollars for a body blank is too rich for my blood; got some from them, but also got some from another source for 55 each, and the cheaper ones are nicer, and lightly flamed, too), considering that (here anyway) Limba (white, can't find black locally) isn't that expensive.

In short: get some. Odds are high I, for one, will buy some.

Mattia how about some solid body dimensions?

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Mattia (and Bob), looks like the Black Limba that Lance used had some curl in it. Never seen that, but it sure was pretty. Bob, can you find any like that?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I have always wondered how this would be as an acoustic wood. Love to see some pictures.

I've got some very light flaming (nothing like that fiddleback type curl) on the pieces I have, but I've seen several builders (check out David Myka's guitars if you like 'modern classic' electrics) who managed to find some.

Bob, a good 'standard' dimension for an electric body blank (for non-explorer type shapes) is about 14" x 20" x 1.75"-2". A Les Paul's a hair under 13" wide, and a mere 17" and change long (ditto a strat or a tele, actually..) long (IIRC), just for the record, but a bit of space to work with is always nice. 15" wide is a luxury, and some might like it (some of my semi-hollows are kinda wide). The blanks I've got are 14" x 21.5" x 2" (well, a hair under 2"). I'd even be fine with, say, 1.75" or 1.5" (if you're topping it with maple, 1.5" is fine, 1.75" for a fender-style electric without a top, 2" if you're going to carve a one-piece body).

Well, that's what I guesstimate, anyway.Mattia Valente38744.6024305556

I have seen some with light curl.
Mattia I doubt I would be able to get 14-15" wides pieces. The stuff Gilmer has is only 7 1/2"w. So that means no bookmatch. Is that suitable? As you can see I'm not up on electric building.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Bob,

Bookmatching is rare in solidbodys, especially if we're talking about 8/4 boards (if you could find some, though, you could probably command Ziricote-like prices for them!). However two-piece bodies with well-matched grain are very acceptable, and can produce some excellent-looking guitars.

Thanks Carlton. That's what I thought.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

I'm getting ready to finish a 000 out of limba with some pretty good curl, I'll let you know how it sounds in a few weeks. I have a plank of it about ten inches wide, 2 inches thick and 14 feet long, so I sure hope it makes good sounding guitars - It sure looks good.

                Paul Harrell

Yep, what they said. High figure tops on electrics are bookmatched, but slip-matching is the most common thing for the bodies. With a bit of sliding 'n flipping you can get very nice matches, I feel. F'r instance, the strat and tele that've been waiting for me to get un-lazy and break out the spray gear for about 6 months now:


Came off a single large board about 9" wide, slipped and flipped the piece to get the grain 'countering' itself. The telecaster's a little less nice on the top, but only the bit that goes under the pickguard. Please excuse the pencil markings and glue all over the centerline. It's invisible, honest!

Mattia Valente38744.7173263889

[QUOTE=CarltonM] Bob,

Bookmatching is rare in solidbodys, especially if we're talking about 8/4 boards (if you could find some, though, you could probably command Ziricote-like prices for them!). However two-piece bodies with well-matched grain are very acceptable, and can produce some excellent-looking guitars.[/QUOTE]

It is in some woods for sure!!! Many "traditional" solid body woods can be bought in 16/4 but you can't often find it the local wood store. I bought a unit of 16/4 black limba a few years back...it does make nice bookmatched blanks when I remember I have it. By the way, black and white limba are the same species, but are selected for color. Black limba markings are pigment and not spalt. Black limba weight can vary a lot from piece to piece and tree to tree...more black...more weight. It can approach heavy mahogany or walnut in weight. I'd be more than happy to sell some for ziricote prices Larry Davis38744.7413657407

Mattia that looks very nice and a viable solution.

Paul I look forward to seeing some pic'sBobc38744.7426851852

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

I might be into a few bodies. ones just big enough for an LP would serve me fine.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Howdy guys and gals-
This is a picture of a black limba acoustic set - the orange streaks are caused by bugs and it can be quite common. Hiding the bug holes are easy in this species because most of the holes are surrounded by black pigment, but not always.


I bought 4/4 and 8/4 black limba boards a few years back and about half of it had a persistent light curl - like the McCollum guitar's back and sides. The guy who sold it to me told me these trees can be pretty big - he showed me a fairly well quartered 16/4 piece that was 20"+ wide and about 15' long. At the time he was selling 8/4 flatsawn honduran mahogany for $7.50 a boardfoot and 8/4 quartersawn black limba was $4.75 a boardfoot. Even though this wood is in vogue with electric builders it is still fairly inexpensive. It does sound like a pretty good alternative acoustic wood. If I didn't have so much of it already I would buy some from the Zootman. Also, if you can use this for the back and sides why not for the neck on acoustics too. Just my $0.02.


Peace-

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

I've got an acoustic set all ready to go, can't wait to get into it!

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

Hey John, that is b -u- t full wood you got there, did you think of a theme for that guitar ?

Serge

[QUOTE=Serge Poirier] Hey John, that is b -u- t full wood you got there, did you think of a theme for that guitar ?

Serge[/QUOTE]

Serge-

This was a set on eBay that someone else won (they outbid me). I just saved the picture because it was so pretty. I do have some wood that is similar but it doesn't have orange streaks that big. If I can get into my stash and take pics of it, I'll post them for you. If the Zootman starts selling Limba sets do get some - it really is nice stuff.

Peace-

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

Coming Soon Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack Liiiiiiiimba!

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498