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Has asyone used the S. American Lacewood(leopard) for making guitar b/s and or bindings. What result-how does it bend, work sound?

I've had trouble bending lacewood.It will fold in the tighter bends. Others seem to get theirs bent, but mine have been difficult.

AlA Peebels39003.6440277778

John Mayes made a gorgeous guitar out of bearclaw spruce and leopardwood. I didn't want to swipe the pictures off his website so here is the link to the guitar. Nice isn't it.

_________________
John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

So John, what's your take on bending leopard wood? I got a set from Bruce awhile back and need some experienced input before I use it.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Nice!

Leopard wood is only INCORRECTLY know as lacewood. Actually, they are
two very different woods. Mr. Mayes's guitar is leopard wood. Bob C has
leopard wood. The stuff on our woodshed from Hibdon is leopard wood.

See www.woodworkerssource.net for an example of both.Cameron Reddy39004.6442939815

[QUOTE=Cameron Reddy] Leopard wood is only INCORRECTLY know as lacewood. Actually, they are
two very different woods. Mr. Mayes's guitar is leopard wood. Bob C has
leopard wood. The stuff on our woodshed from Hibdon is leopard wood.

See www.woodworkerssource.net for an example of both.[/QUOTE]   

I wouldn't say it's incorrectly mixed up with "lacewood". Many retail outlets lump Oz lacewood and leopardwood in the same rack.   I belive all "lacewood"imported into the USA is plantation grown in Brazil....nothing from Australia. Leopardwood is a fairly new name applied to the old "fish tail oak" name.


Lacewood from Latin American is (Roupala brasiliensis).
Lacewood in North America is Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
Lacewood in Europe is the London Plane tree (Platanus hybrida).
Lacewood in Australia is Silky Oak (Cardwellia sublimis).
Leopardwood also from Latin America (Roupala montana) is also often called Lacewood

From what I can see, they are two different woods. I have an example of
both and they are nothing alike. Here are some sources:

From Internetlumber.com:

"Leopardwood is often confused with Lacewood, because they have
similar characteristics. However, Leopardwood is much more dense, it is
darker in color, and it is more fragile than Lacewood. In addition,
Leopardwood is much [more] readily available."

From www.hobbithouseinc.com:

"leopardwood: this is Panopsis rubellens of the family Proteaceae, the
same family as both South American lacewood and Australian lacewood,
but is easy to distinguish from them with a small amount of experience
--- it is darker brown in color and is harder and heavier and with a
noticibly finer texture."

From Jayfisher.com:

"Lacewood Grevillea robusta or Grevellia sublimis:
Origin: Australia and Europe. Often called Silky-oak,... This is a striking
wood, with a "basketweave" or "fish scale" rayed
appearance of the figure, from 1/4" down to 1/16" lacelike patterns,
though it's mostly straight grained. It is only of medium density and light
hardness. It's tan to shell pink and light brown, very open grained, so
sealing is necessary, but it makes a fine knife handle." See
www.jayfisher.com/_borders/WoodLacewood2.jpg

Cameron Reddy39005.0424421296

Of course they are two different woods....different species as I pointed out, but the species I listed for the wood NOW KNOWN AS "leopardwood" and PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS "fish-tailed oak" is the correct one taken off my import papers and not a website. The trade name of leopardwood was owned by snakewood years before the marketers changed the name. Talk about confusion early on!! You know, my head hurts from making the attempt to impart actual verifiable facts and dislodge some of the mistaken myths and mis-use of and spread of mis-information. Truly, ignorance can be bliss. Whatever.

[QUOTE=Larry Davis] Of course they are two different woods....different
species as I pointed out, ...[/QUOTE]

Well, since they are different woods, then it is obviously incorrect to call
leapord wood lacewood, and visa versa.

Consequently, leopardwood is also, but incorrectly, known as lacewood.

[QUOTE=old man] So John, what's your take on bending leopard wood? I
got a set from Bruce awhile back and need some experienced input before I
use it.

Ron[/QUOTE]

It bends easy. Bend it like rosewood and you'll be in business!

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

[QUOTE=Larry Davis]
Lacewood from Latin American is (Roupala brasiliensis).
Lacewood in North America is Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
Lacewood in Europe is the London Plane tree (Platanus hybrida).
Lacewood in Australia is Silky Oak (Cardwellia sublimis).
Leopardwood also from Latin America (Roupala montana) is also often called Lacewood
[/QUOTE]

Better add one to the list Larry. We actually have two different species commonly called silky oak, that you guys call lacewood.

There's Southern silky oak Grevillea robusta And there's Northern silky oak Cardwellia sublimis

I can never seem to get a straight answer when I ask the lumber yard guy which one they have in the racks, I suspect it's a mixture.

I've heard differing opinons over which silky oak makes the best guitars.

Clear as mud.

I thought it was interesting that the discussion of lacewood led to several name variants based on oak. When I looked at the link to John Mayes site, my immediate reaction was that the wood looked a little like the Spanish Oak that Allied was selling recently.

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu