Official Luthiers Forum!

I love bloodwood. It is really the only true red wood. I see it sold for binding and that is the extent of it. I have never seen sides and back of bloodwood. It is exactly the same hardness of macassar ebony, but is a little heavier. The macassar bends easy enough. I was thinking of an OM with sankeskin bindings. Any thoughts? I'm just afraie it has been tried and disaster resoulted lo nobody touches it anymore.
Thanks for any comments,
Bob Johnson

Brian has bloodwood sets occasionaly. Click on the BeachTonewood button up above, it will take you to his EBAY auctions.

Thanks,
How good a tonewood is it and how easy or hard to work.
Bob

Hey Bob,
Bloodwood is striking in its appearance and taps like Honduras rosewood or Brazilian rosewood.....very bright and brass bell like. running it through a planer or sander can be a chore as it is can dull sharp tools. It dries quickly, is stable (once dried) and probably more people would build from it if there were more quartersawn Bloodwood around. The two or three builders that I have talked to that do build from it seem to rate it very highly. As I understand it, it bends nicely. From having cut it, but not having built with it, my inclination is that it is a wood worth consideration....the tap is up there with the best that I have heard, humidity changes don't freak it out, and some day I am sure that I will build one with it. Brian

Bloodwood is great stuff. If you want a red guitar I wouldn't hesitate to use it. The only problem that I can see is the rather conservative buying habits of potential customers who mostly want mahogany or a rosewood. But with proper binding and creative purfling you could make a guitar that would be irresistable.

John

Yeah, Maybe one day those who buy guitars will begin to see the light on some of these other woods that are out there.

I've been using it for accent. Purfling lines and veneers between veneers. I like the way it sets off the rest of a guitar with a natural looking red that is an is a great improvement over dyed wood.