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I have a figured Redwood top and am thinking of that top on a 000 12 fret. That is untill I read comments about the fragility of REdwood.-Whats the real scoop. Is it really fragil?, problems working?
Thanks,

Redwood is more fragile than sitka across the grain. The high figured stuff seems to be more stiff across the grain than straight grain.
The stuff I have scares me a bit and I'm thinking about doing a double top with sitka like Peter M of Cornerstone Guitars did on his sinker redwood top.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

to me the major fragility of redwood seems to be its softness, which makes it a ding collector of the first water. i have only just started working with it, so my experience with it is extremely limited to say the least, but it seems even softer than wrc.

I've made one redwood top guitar. I didn't find it any easier to ding than sitka or englman. It does splinter quite easily. I discovered this when I rough cut the top to shape on the band saw. So, when I routed the top flush with the sides, I made sure that I first scored the top with a special scoring tool that I made. I posted a picture a year back or so. I'd post it again if I could post images.

I then made sure that I scored the top before I routed the binding and purfling channels.

Other than the splintering, I found redwood to be pretty easy to work. I made a 14 fret OM out of it. It was very stiff wood and I over braced it. It took over a year to break in.

I am working with redwood currently.   It seems to be quite stiff
longitudinally. Vertically it is a bit weak. If you flex it vertically it could snap
easily.   I am going to brace it with a bit more vertical bracing for this. I
don't know how thick it will be until I deflection test it.

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

[QUOTE=SteveS] Redwood is more fragile than sitka across the grain. The high figured stuff seems to be more stiff across the grain than straight grain.
The stuff I have scares me a bit and I'm thinking about doing a double top with sitka like Peter M of Cornerstone Guitars did on his sinker redwood top. [/QUOTE]

Steve, I would probably would an Englemann top or something of that sort to complement the warmth of the redwood. As a matter of fact, I have a curly redwood top that's getting doubled pretty soon too!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Here is a post I did on the subject over on the APM forum:
http://www.acousticplayermagazine.com/forum/index.php?showto pic=8581

It will give you some insight on flamed redwood. If you want additional input, let me know. I've built about 20 instruments with redwood tops, mostly straight grained, and they are all behaving normally.

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Hank Mauel

I have only made one instrument with a redwood top and it sounds great but it is soft. My top is pretty thin, .080 and it does have some top deflection but it is otherwise holding up well. One of the most mellow guitars I have picked up was a Santa Cruz guitar they called a California special. It had a redwood top with black walnut sides and back.
Bob

[QUOTE=Hank Mauel]   If you want additional input, let me know. I've built about 20 instruments with redwood tops, mostly straight grained, and they are all behaving normally. [/QUOTE]
Hank, have you found it to be softer than WRC? Any other ways it differs from the usual spruces and cedar?

No...my WRC experiences were all softer than the redwood. But then, do remember that I have the "pick of the litter" of redwood tops from all the old Craig & Alicia Carter redwood.
That said, the vast majority of these tops that have passed through my hands in sales to fellow OLF'ers, other luthiers, some small guitar companies and LMI have all been, in my opinion, harder than WRC.
I would say that I have probably built about 20 guitars from each(redwood and WRC) and I always had to take more precautions with the cedar tops during the bracing process to avoid any impressions from wood chips.
Of course, YMMV, but that is my firsthand experiences with the two woods.

As mentioned in other threads, it does want to splinter more readily than the spruces, so SHARP tools and router bits are mandatory when working with it. But once braced and glued up in a guitar sound box, it is very durable. The only OOOP's I have seen was one guitar where the end strap slipped off the button and the guitar became a 9 iron onto a concrete floor and then a couple of the really flamed redwood tops that went "out on the road" and suffered from the venues, rapid temp/humidity changes and the general mistreatment of instruments on stage. Other than that, all the others are in the hands of loving owners. In fact, several are on their second owners...all of whom have contacted me after acquiring the instruments to say how great they are and how they fit right into the music the owner's play. Obvious lesson here is that the second owners SHOULD have been the original buyers, but at least the instruments have found appreciative homes and are doing what they were intended to do...provide great music for their owners.

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Hank Mauel

[QUOTE=Hank Mauel] No...my WRC experiences were all softer than the redwood. But then, do remember that I have the "pick of the litter" of redwood tops from all the old Craig & Alicia Carter redwood.
t that is my firsthand experiences with the two woods.
[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with Hank on this one. Of course I don't have any of that pick of the litter stuff but I have found WRC to be softer and need more care in handling. It does splinter easily so take care and follow grain direction when routing and use a good sharp bit.

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Thanks everyone!

[QUOTE=Bobc] [QUOTE=Hank Mauel] No...my WRC experiences were all softer than the redwood. But then, do remember that I have the "pick of the litter" of redwood tops from all the old Craig & Alicia Carter redwood.
t that is my firsthand experiences with the two woods.
[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with Hank on this one. Of course I don't have any of that pick of the litter stuff but I have found WRC to be softer and need more care in handling. It does splinter easily so take care and follow grain direction when routing and use a good sharp bit. [/QUOTE]

Yeah, Bob...you have your OWN pile of zoot to sift through! It's a dirty job, but some of us have to do it.

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Hank Mauel