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Hi Guys,

I was wondering apart from Lance K, who had worked with a lot of redwood tops?

More curious than anything!

Warmest Regards,
Terence
www.goodacoustics.com

Hank has used his fair share.

I've done more processing redwood tops than building.  It's a tricky wood.  The more beautiful the flaming, the more likely in billet form it is to get surface checking, rendering it useless for guitar tops.  Who needs built in trouble?

I purchased some really straight nice stock from LMI and it seems to be well quartered and stable.

While I think some really nice guitars have successfully been built with it, it's problematic wood for the short and long term.  It's so soft, that looking at it mars it, it seems.  And then when a real test comes, like something dropped on a top, well, it's bad, similar to western red cedar.  Those are typically and historically woods used on classicals. 

We see many builders using it now for steel string, but I for one, am convinced that for longevity spruces are a little better choice.  That said, one of my favorite players has strummed a cedar top for 25 years, having now retired that guitar from the road.  The new one.... a cedar top.  So, redwood may work for many, just fine, but as you can tell, I'm a skeptic.

How are things in Europe?

I certainly dont want to disagree that Redwood is softer or less dent resistant than spruce. But, its not nearly as soft as cedar. What I see as the biggest difference in redwood vs cedar is its propensity to split, and its brittleness. That brittleness is probably what give it is depth and shimmering highs, unlike cedar which tends to be warm. Now don't get me wrong, I love cedar too!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

[QUOTE=JB Dickey]

Hank has used his fair share.

How are things in Europe?

[/QUOTE]

Man, I forgot about Hank, and Dennis!

Things are cool. Plugging away, but may take a job in south east asia later this year...

I have used redwood and I like it.
But, redwood is extremely week across grain.
But fairly strong in its longitudinal stiffness. (Similar to cedar)
If you flex the wood horizontally (Side to side) It can snap very easily so be careful.

Tonally it is a bit warmer than spruce, but still balanced. I think of it as a balance between cedar and spruce.

Here is my most recent redwood top. I thicknessed it to 0.113. based on deflection testing. Keep in mind, my tops are generally thinner than most tops

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

Andy, I was at Tonys this weekend and seen one of your beautys hanging in the white room, right next to Heshs sweet Koa creation!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Oh yeah, there was also two of John Kinnairds great looking guitars, and a few others that will remain nameless unless they want to speak up. Some I'm sure that will be on display at HGF.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] I agree with everyone.....

Like Andy I see redwood as sounding in between cedar and spruce and like Lance I agree that redwood has beautiful, shimmering highs.

[/QUOTE]

That's my assessment too!

Warmest regards,
Terence

I've built around 30 or so redwood topped Mayes Guitars. and a couple
dozen redwood topped ukes.... Love redwood for ukes...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I think I've built around 60 redwood tops,I have a few opinion's, Oh and 3 failurs,all from the same source!
Lance

I pretty much agree with the previous posts, but.....

I think redwood is one of the hardest woods to generalize about. It's density ranges from as light as cedar to as heavy as the heaviest Adirondack. Stiffness, in both directions is all over the map.

Even from the same tree, redwood sets can be quite different. Maybe it's because the trees are so big. I have a couple of sets of LS redwood that seem to be from different zip codes !!

Evaluate each set individually when deciding if it is right for a particular guitar.


Mark

[QUOTE=JB Dickey]

Hank has used his fair share.

I purchased some really straight nice stock from LMI and it seems to be well quartered and stable.

[/QUOTE]

That would be the redwood I supply to LMI...from the same stock that I have sold direct to fellow OLF'ers and other luthiers.
All the straight grain tops I have ever built with are still doing fine. The flamed stuff, as mentioned by Lance elsewhere, has caused some problems...mainly through abuse of the instrument. That said, I would use the flamed sets for either double top acoustics (Peter M.is doing that) or overlays on a solid/semi acoustic electric.
Longevity...I don't think any of us will liove long enough to see/hear one "play out" or go dead. As with any instrument, care and maintenance are in order.

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Hank Mauel

I love this thread.  Now this is the OLF at it's finest.

Here's a wierd question... what have you used to brace redwood tops?

I've built 1 redwood topped guitar and I used sitka, cause that was all I had!

Warmest regards,
Terence

Adirondack.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

[QUOTE=pakhan] Here's a wierd question... what have you used to brace redwood tops?

I've built 1 redwood topped guitar and I used sitka, cause that was all I had!

Warmest regards,
Terence[/QUOTE]

Hey Terence,

You've made a guitar - fantastic Let's see the pics!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

[QUOTE=John Mayes] I've built around 30 or so redwood topped Mayes Guitars. and a couple
dozen redwood topped ukes.... Love redwood for ukes...[/QUOTE]


Redwood Ukes? Pic please John!
in case you havnt noticed I am a Uke lover and You make some nice ones John Sorry for the hijack

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Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

Hi Dave,

it was one of the few I built back in high school- nothing to shout about but I'll see if I can dig out the photos.

I would describe the build quality as agricultural!

Warmest regards,
Terence
www.goodacoustics.com

I'm building two semi double tops with it! Great stuff!

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

[QUOTE=zac_in_ak] [QUOTE=John Mayes] I've built around 30 or so
redwood topped Mayes Guitars. and a couple
dozen redwood topped ukes.... Love redwood for ukes...[/QUOTE]


Redwood Ukes? Pic please John!
in case you havnt noticed I am a Uke lover and You make some nice ones
John Sorry for the hijack [/QUOTE]

Ok here are a couple of many...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

lets try that last one again....

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

May I ask what types of backs and sides all of you are using when building with Redwood tops?

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Wow, John Mayes, you build some great instruments there friend. I really like your work.

Peter, I finally have to 'fess up and admit my ignorance about double tops. Would you consider showing us what's involved in making one so that this dummy can understand it?

Thanks....

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Only badly."