Official Luthiers Forum!

I came across a set of imbuia on a website and am really curious about it. I have never seen this before and I just wondering what it is like to build with and what tonal characteristics it produces.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

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--Kyle Burner--

I just purchased a set from Steve at Colonial via the OLF swap meet and it's on it's way as we speak!

You could drop him an e-mail for his opinion...Fantastic guy!

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

It is a lot like walnut IMHO. Lovely wood. Here's on built by our own John Kinnaird.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

That is an absolutely gorgeous guitar.

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--Kyle Burner--

I got a couple of sets from Don Williams a few years back and I love it!!!
It holds its shape after bending!
it smells great!
It glues & finishes easy!!

just get use to the look!
Dons sets where hot!!!!!!
We instrument makers have got to start using new woods !
it's not as dense(heavy) as (most ) rosewoods (it's not a rosewood)
but if ya leave it a few thousands thicker it woorks the same way!
It's similar to Myrtle & hard maple!
I left the backs .110(I'd go thicker now) -the sides .085!

Get some -make guitars!!!!


Mike

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Mike Collins

As a matter of fact, I just started my second build on the weekend with Imboya. I thicknessed and bent the sides. I found the set I have amazingly easy to bend. Planning on binding the Imboya with maple.

I got the set purely based on looks. I think it is an amazing looking wood. But the best thing has to be the smell.

Also, on my first build I used it for the binding and also I had a piece of burled Imboya for the headstock. It finished up like glass.


Neil

Next to Brazilian Rosewood, it's the best smelling wood out there. It has a really strong spicey smell to it, sort of like cinnamon. Wonderful wood under finish too. Try it - you'll like it.

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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."

Cinnamon ??? .. try Lebonese blonde !!!! I love the stuff, but after sanding a set the shop smells like Cheech and Chong moved in ....

One of my students built the first one at my shop (I had used it a bunch for bindings years ago) using it and it was a stunning sounding OM ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

It smells just like cat piss....... Seriously. Tony buddy I lived with Lebanese blond and red too for 5 years and it didn't smell like cat piss.......(not that I would have cared mind you....) In fact all I could smell back then was all the Oreos and Doritos that we were munching on......

The set that I had I stickered in my shop and my entire condo started to stink. My girlfriend and I kept looking at each other with an accusing look of disgust and then when this wood came into the house..... the accusations got verbal..... Sony was walking around with his head down and a look on his face like he didn't do it.....

My set was relegated to the garage and I tried to give it away a few times and each time the prospective new owner sniffed it and said that it smelled like cat piss. And I don't even own a cat either.

It may be great tone wood but every cat in the neighborhood is going to want to back up to your guitar and hose it down........

...I read that was the secret to the Stradivarius sound.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

I have built several from Bob Cef. Great wood, easy to bend and work, smells funny when sanding. Really easy to finish as the sets I had and did, almost polish look at 220. Can have worm holes, but easy to fill ca and dust. I am going to get more from him as it is one of my favorites. All I have bought from Bob lot of zoot. To me and others smell is more like marijuana.

I'm allergic to it. and on closer study I've found that it is toxic according to some in my local area, but I can't find anything to support that, other than hearsay! So for what it's worth? just be careful. But cocobolo irritates me as well Otherwise, I think it is a beautiful wood and the local WoodCraft close to me has plenty of it and well figured. Nobody buys it though, since they tell everyone that it is toxic
Oh Well!!
Me, I'll steer away from it since I have allergies to it anyway!! ( I helped unload it and had problems on my hands)

Good luck and if someone can tell me what the REAL truth about it is I would appreciated it?
Mike

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I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

It seems the stuff can vary widely in grain- I am using a chunk of Imbuia for neck laminating, and it has the dark streaking similar to walnut, and has a beautiful sheen & figure similar to Koa. Great tap tone, too!

I'd say the only common thing is the cat urine smell....I thought my bandsaw was burnin' up or something...

mine smeller spicy, more like pepper than anything else. Wouldn't keep a set that smelled like cat urine.
Maybe a cat peed on your set

Build with Imbuia, I surely wanna,
don't smell like cat pee nor marijuana.
to me, it's like a fragrant spice,
and John K's guitar is mighty nice!

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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."

Don perhaps you should stick to building........

Just kidding of course but I am sure that Robert Frost has nothing to worry about.....

I used to think mj a fragant spice. When sanding it, my wife asked what I was doing, and had concern I might have to arrest myself. I thought like one guy on ebay and try to sell the dust.

Stan my friend is it possible to arrest oneself? How would handle Miranda?

Besides the smell it sounds like a great wood, the other option I am looking at right now is jatoba. Any thoughts on that?

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--Kyle Burner--

The wood i got from Don was spicy!
not catty!!!!!
Maybe it has to do with the area it was grown in.
Wet or dry,minerals .etc....


Mike

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Mike Collins

Hmph.

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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."

Which woods smell like that, Don?
Surely not Maple, Myrtle or Gum...
Could it be Willow, or Black Heart Sassafras?
It sure ain't Ovankol, it smells like a pig's A----

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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've got half a dozen sets of it that I resawed and it's got a nice spicy, peppery smell as well.

Certainly ain't got the "eau de ocelot" thing happening.

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia