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Hey there, I've been woodworking for several years and I've been wanting to build a guitar, i just came upon a beautiful piece of burlwood redwood.. repetitive i know.. I was wondering if there's any way i can incorporate it aside from decoratively around the soundhole. I was thinking maybe for the back and sides.. but i'm not sure how the chaotic grain will interfere with the sound quality. I was going to use it as a soundboard but i figured that to have a good soundboard, you need to have a straight grained piece of wood... Am i wrong in this assumption?? Thanks for all of your help in advance.

Headstock overlay would be a candidate. Can Yo upost a picture?

Um.. no chance on the headstock overlay.. seeing as there isn't a head... building a guitar with similar stringing to the steinbergers. The design is just much smoother and nicer than the steinbergers lol.here it is.. quite beautiful in my opinion..zlessley38783.9805787037

Hi Zack, welcome to the great OLF ! Nice wood you got there!

Thank you!! mind shedding some light onto my project? I dunno what to do aside from using it for fun little decorations.. seems like a waste of a large sheet...I might just go buy a straight-grained soundboard and then use something like bubinga for the sides and back.. shouldn't cost more than about $110 or so.
Ok, DIRECT QUESTION, Can i use this piece for a back, sides, or soundboard or will the wierd grain mess up the resonance?

The way I would see it would be that because it has different densities (softer in some spots, harder in others) it would be VERY rich in overtones and would resonate at many frequencies because of that.. is my logic wrong??zlessley38784.0038310185

If you have enough for the back and sides, i'd say go for it, it should not affect the sound but it will look great!

[QUOTE] The way I would see it would be that because it has different densities (softer in some spots, harder in others) it would be VERY rich in overtones and would resonate at many frequencies because of that.. is my logic wrong??[/QUOTE]

Or they would cancel each other and produce no sound at all

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Kurtklhoush38784.0459837963

how are you doing a headless acoustic???????? or am i still sleepy this morning and got it all wrong

paddy

Burl makes fine tops for electric guitars, but for am acoustic stick with the tried and proven woods.
When you mentioned Steinberger,I immediatly thought electric guitar. I used buckeye burl to top an electric bass guitar and it made a unique, and beautiful instrument.

Al

[QUOTE=zlessley] Ok, DIRECT QUESTION, Can i use this piece for a back, sides, or soundboard or will the wierd grain mess up the resonance?[/QUOTE]


I wouldn't do it. Ultimately guitars are built to be musical instruments, not furniture. Resist the temptation about how pretty the wood is.

I would start thinking about a solid body electric.... then you have a place for it. A carved top with that would look really cool.

Brock Poling38784.3907638889

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

Ok, just for everybody's information, it's a semi-acoustic. It has a small body (it's a travel guitar) but the wood is def. not thick enough to make a solid body.
So i have two conflicting opinions, one guy says that they burlwood makes great tops, and one guy saying that he wouldn't do it.. GAH...*ranting.. raving.. that sort of thing*

I don't see where anyone said that burl wood makes excellant tops other than electric. I wouldn't use it for a top. May work for the back but I don't think you could bend it for sides without breaking it.

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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

Zack, The burlwood would make a great ELECTRIC top, not acoustic. Think like a telecaster with a f hole or a Les Paul style guitar. Save the wood for something like that.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

i have some of this burl, and it is way too soft for acoustic, it also splits and cracks like crazy in between all the little eyes

I think it would make a beautiful Rosette, and end wedge. I don't think you could bend it without it cracking into a million pieces. Good luck!
Tracy

[QUOTE=zlessley] ...but the wood is def. not thick enough to make a solid body. [/QUOTE]

Yeah, I sort of figured that. I guess I should have been clear. I think it would look great ON an electric. If it is about 5/8" thick you could use it on a carved top, and virtually any thickness will work on a drop top.

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

OH ok, that makes much more sense, well, I might use part of it for decoration, but I kinda wanna use it as one big piece.. maybe i'll make a cool little travel desk...
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ADVICE AND HELP!!! MAHALO!!

Check out this burl!!!





This is one of my early solid body basses.

Al