Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, let me call them "English", since we saw them in England. The UK weather seems compatible with the giant conifers, and that's what amazed me most. Kew Gradens have a world-wide selection of stunning trees... I wonder if there is a similar collection anywhere?

Here's a couple of spruces that were new to me:

"Schrenk Spruce" Picea Schrenkiana. Grows in Asia, and I believe is planted in plantations:




And this one--"Chinese Spruce" (I know what you're saying, yeah, right, but they called it this with a totally straight face. And I trust these guys.)




Proof?




How about a Cedar of Lebanon?



OR...a "London Plane"? "Sycamore" to us Colonists. This isn't Kew Gardens, it's in Bunhill Fields. And that's the Mrs. there for scale. Yup...she's the little woman. She's standing there looking pretty, while I'm thinking, "How many guitars are in this thing?"






And what the heck is this thing? Bucket-o-lard to first correct guess:





One more, to prove that Texas doesn't always have the biggest and best. (Just usually...Ha!) be kind, Colin




Hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Brillaint photographs!! Never guess what that multi- limbed thing is, though.

Cedar of Lebanons are such MAJESTIC trees. *sigh*

Although I have to boast that in my county, there are some of the most beautiful ancient trees I have seen anywhere in the UK, growing in their natural habitats.

I thought the British liked their guitars on the conservative side. What the heck. Colin and David et. al have been leading us astray.

That tree looks like a big box elder to me.

Glad you made it back across the water.

I thought a Big Box Elder was a retiree that worked at Lowe's or Home Depot!   Not that there is anything wrong with that.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Looks like a big ol' Beech tree to me.

At first I thought I read "English Teas" not "English Trees". I was happily surprised, although I'm a big Earl Grey drinker.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I cant see the leaf or needle structure but knowing jolly old England I will guess it is a Hemlock

Sorry Steve but I have to ask!!

Are those "Limy eye, eying the prize some people call manly foot wear"?

Have they said? "Well you're from down south and when you open your mouth you always seem to put your foot there"?

"Do you want to come home with the armadillos"?


Every Texan wants to know

Steve, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for the great tree pics from Kew Gardens, but for crying out loud you travel to England with all its historic sites and you post pictures of trees.   Sheesh!

More pics please!

I own several sawmills and I have been accused of coveting other's trees before and wondering how many board feet of expensive woods I could get out of that tree

It was pointed out to me that one of the 10 commandments was "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's trees"

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Reguards,

Ken H

Glad you enjoyed Kew Steve, a couple of years ago it was added to the UN list of World Heritage Sites, probably the best arboretum in the world. Although if you want Spruce then one closer to me (see what you missed by not visiting!) Bedgebury Pinetum is the place to visit, tallest redwoods outside north America, 20ft girth Sitka Spruce (it's all right they are quite safe here).

And you even got a picture of the Gherkin.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Don just might have it right, calling it a Birch.
However, I really don't remember. I think I was too taken aback by that bizarre-looking specimen. To me it looks as if it has just fed. This is a tree for Tolkien.

Michael, I'm lost mate. I'm not sure to what you are referring, but by gum I'd like to know.

Anthony, I've got over 200 pix of jolly old England, but I'm trying to keep this a bit on topic?

Colin, I'm still kicking myself....

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

We have bunches of very large Beech trees like that in this area. We have Silver Beeches, and Copper Beeches, which are all mammoth trees with a lot of massive limbs that tend to shoot out horizontally like that. They're really something to behold.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Steve, lets see more pics.    Michael's post were lyrics to a Jerry Jeff Walker song "London Homesick Blues".

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Don... "Doh!" You did indeed say Beech, not Birch.
I still think that's probably right. And, I'd love to sit down and sip some Earl Grey anytime. You bring the tea, and I'll bring the water.

Don (A)... Thanks for the clarification. Guess I tipped my hand that I'm no JJW fan, huh?

Ok...try this-- a large Holm Oak:




And this-- rosettes a'plenty in this Beer-Bellied Ash:



TFL,


Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Any takers for Paulownia Tomentosa

Tim

Lines from a Gary P. Nunn song called Originally the Homesick London Blues" but was released as "Loansome London Blues" I tas an Texan's athem back in the 70's

"If your down on your luck
and you ain't got a buck
in London your a goner"

"Even London bridge
is falling down
and moved to Arizona"

"I want to go home
with the armadillos
good country music
from Amarillo to Abilene"

"The friendliest people
and prettiest women
you ever seen"

That help?
It is used as the them song for Austin City Limits on PBS

Michael,

Thanks, pardner.
I got (back) here in '71, but have never heard that anthem.
Where've I been???

SK

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I guess the most popular recording of it was on Jerry Jeff Walker's Viva Terlingua album. I think was released in 74 or 75. Recorded in part at the original Terlingua cook out hosted by Willy Nelson before he moved it to his ranch in the Austin area. It was a staple of every honky tonk and beer joint in Texas for 20 years or more.

I know you have seen Austin City limits on TV before.

Anyway I just had to poke a little humor at a Texas in jolly old England

Wow!!!! The burl on that tree would have to make a liftimes worth of rosette blanks

Actually, Steve.... Gibson has placed 35 10-foot Les Paul shaped metal guitars around Austin - each one decorated by a different artist, and some signed by assorted musicians.


for example....

[QUOTE=MichaelP]
good country music
PBS[/QUOTE]

Surely an oxymoron!

Colin

_________________
I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.