Official Luthiers Forum!

I recently had the opportunity to buy some quartersawn Gaboon Ebony
that is big enough for sides and back for a classical size guitar. I am just
an amateur at this business and don't want to ruin some nice wood. Can
this stuff be bent for sides? Is it a good wood for backs and sides?

I also have two pieces of curly Gaboon Ebony that can be used for backs
and sides. This stuff is not jet black like the quartered material, but what
a show!

Give me some advise please. I won't use this stuff until I am confident
enought that I won't ruin it. But before I resaw any of it, I though I would
ask if it can actually be used for backs and sides or if it needs to go for
fingerboards and bridges.

Thanks for your help
Ken Hageman

I have attached a photo of the Curly Gaboon Ebony.

[IMG]useruploads/KHageman/2006-07-21_200941_Gaboon_One.jpg[/
IMG]

I've bent several pieces of binding, but not a set of ebony sides. The binding is not hard to bend if you go slow.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Ken,

I bent some Gaboon ebony bindings and they bent OK. They did try to split a bit in the tight part of the waist, but a pair of sides might be OK if you don't /.ave too aggressive of a curve.

A couple warnings. Gaboon ebony can be very finicky. It can be quite brittle, prone to chipping, and is very susceptible to splitting with humidity changes.

Also, Colin did some tests and concluded that Gaboon ebony is a bit "dead" compared to other tone woods, unlike other ebonies like Macassar. Here's the thread:

http://luthiersforum.3element.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID= 2090&KW=gaboon+macassar#forumTop

I don't know how these tests would translate in the real world, but I'm anxious to hear your results.

Good that you ask, my luck I would hear snap, crackle & pop. I have never tried Gaboon ebony before, some of the other guys might have and I sure will chime in soon.

Mike
White Oak, Texas

I had an absolute bear of a time with Gabon ebony bindings until I thinned them down to about .075". Even then, the runout was a killer. I could not hand bend without cracking the wood. (I actually stopped my project & built a Fox bender so I could get the job done)
If your sides are relatively free of runout, you should be able to pull it off.
I've seen a couple of Michael Dunn Ebony gutars & they were pretty cool looking.
Good Luck, if you decide to try it.
Cheers,   Dan