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I see a couple discussions about snakewood going. Other than it looks cool, what's so great about it? Its got to be one of the most expensive woods around. Does a snakewood fretboard or bridge influence the sound? A good looking guitar may justify the expense but I'm wondering if there is more to it.

Thanks,

Joe Volin

My guess (Since I've never used it) Is that its purly cosmetic - and since its rare, very expensive.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I think you hit the nail on the head Joe. It just looks great. (thinking of the recent JohnO acoustic displayed under the stump thread.... mmm mmm... what a beauty)



Dickey38574.5296527778

That's funny you bring this up, I showed my wife my snakewood fretboard last night and she said it was ugly. "Why would anyone want that ugly piece of wood on their guitar?" were her exact words. My response was that this is a rare piece of wood that would increase the value of any instrument, and increase the looks. I really love the look, and I will have a snakewood fretboard and bridge done at some point in my building career. I guess women have different taste in wood than men.
Tracy

I'm pretty sure the looks are the kicker here. I'd like to see a back and side set but I'm pretty sure the darn trees don't grow that big. Here's a snakewood bound guitar I did with sycamore. I think it worked pretty well.



BTW Tracy, great story. My wife did the same thing to me when I brought her a body made of some fab-tabulous MadRose. She said, "Ick, it looks like paneling". Go figure.

[QUOTE=Pwoolson]Here's a snakewood bound guitar I did with sycamore. I think it worked pretty well.
[/QUOTE]

I disagree...I think it worked very well.

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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."

Me too

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I guess this just proves wifes don't have good taste. I showed Marcia some nice quilted sapele and she said it was disgusting!

BTW, I recently saw some wenge with a snakewood pattern. It might be a good substitute.


Joe Volin

Paul,
I have seen several guitars and sets made from snakewood.
The trees can grow10" to 12" in diameter.
Serge Dejonge has made some-there used to be one on his site.
BradBrad Goodman38574.6410416667

Joe, my wife thinks the quilted sapele looks like veins! And agrees with your wife, that its disgusting!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I've done about 5 guitars/guitar bouzoukis with snakewood fretboards, and apart from it looking really nice - particularly along the fretboard edge where it can look almost tiger like at times - it makes some of the most smooth, slinky, sensuous playing surfaces that I have ever played. It's a joy to play on. Don't know what - if anything - it adds soundwise. It "sounds" just as good as the ebony ones. The wood polishes up very easily just looks great.

Haven't used it for bridges or bindings yet but it adds a really exotic touch for peghead overlays, heelcaps and end grafts etc and goes well with other woods - here's a pic of a baritone I'm currently building in Euro Spruce/Cuban Mahogany that uses snakewood on the peghead, fingerboard and rosette:



I love the stuff!

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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

I think the snakewood bound fingerboard on John Hows' guitar looks great.Dave Whites guitar is lookin' good too! I'm definatly using snakewood in the future! It just looks so purrdy on guitars!!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Those are some beautuful guitars gentlemen. Very nice indeed.

I did notice that a few months ago Gilmer had several complete guitar sets made of snakewood. Two piece backs no less. Asking price was over $1000 per set. Seems like it was about $1200 but it sure did look exotic. what would you bind that with?

John

Yeah, it was $1,200. They had 2 of them, and as I recall the description said these were the only two sets they had seen in 20some years tht were big enough to make a 2 piece back.

As easy as this stuff is to crack though that seems like a risky play....

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

What country(s) does the best snakewood come from?

Bob,
From what I understand it comes from Suriname-wherever that is.
I think anyone who would use it for back and sides is going to end up with a crack habit!
Plus the pieces big enough for backs and sides really weren't that pretty IMHO.
Brad

[QUOTE=Brad Goodman] Bob,
From what I understand it comes from Suriname-wherever that is.[/QUOTE]

Surinam is Dutch Guyana - top right hand corner of South America.

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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

I love Snakewood. My 7yr old daughter thinks it should be called "cheetar" wood because well..." It don't look like snake skin it looks like Cheetar skin".
It is hard so it should wear well as a fretboard. It is unusual although I have gotten binding from BobC that had every bit the beauty and detail of snakewood and was something else...maybe Eucalyptus or flamed Sapele( help me out Bob!). Can't remember at the moment. But it is so beautiful! I own as much as I can afford and use it on special projects only.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I like Snakewood bindings because it gives a similar, but non-transparent affect as tortes shell celluloid. I love the look of tortes shell but hate plastic or celluloid for it's manmade apperance. I think it is a great binding when using a med-dark to med-light back and side set. I think it gives just the right contrast between the two main wood tones to eliminate the need for extra purfling lines, especially on the sides. It give the bindings a very organic feel IMO

All the snakewood in this thread is gorgeous. I love the stuff myself. I agree with Michael about the contrast it gives. One of my favorite things aesthetically is snakewood against IRW.

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I really like the appearance of Snakewood as a fingerboard, bridge or binding and that is probably the most heavily determining factor in my using it in any of theose applications. It is very hard and sands and polishes to a nice natural sheen so fingerboards are very durable when made from it.

   It fills two of the most sought after results for any builder or player when selecting woods for any guitar....great looks and longevity.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars