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As I said before, I’m a dork when it comes to wood and woodworking. I have learned so much on OLF and appreciate all the information that is posted here. One question I have is about sapwood being present on backs or sides. I can’t tell by what I read here if it is something good or something bad. Does it make the wood any weaker or stronger, or is it just the contrasting colors that add to the beauty?

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

I've sent wood back to LMI because it had sapwood. Others swear by it and pay more to get it. I always cut it out and leave it on the shop floor.

Then, I visit the OLF and see everyone using it. Some darned nice looking guitars are sporting it, and quite nicely. About whether it is quality or not, that would depend on the piece in question. According to it's use I've seen here and the folks using it, it must be.

Sorry for my ignorance folks, what is sap wood please, is it the skin of the tree? just asking for translation purposes,TIA

Serge

I use it, and LOVE it, but thats well documented here at the OLF

Its been used for decades by a few builders, as Bruce said, its more about the individual piece and its stability.

Serge,its the lighter color wood down the center of this guitar and along the edges of the sides.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Here is a Matt Mustapick excample

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Sapwood is just as stable and dense as the heartwood. Think of sapwood as food storage and evenetually as the tree grows the sapwood will turn into heartwood.
As for using it in a guitar, it depends on the individual piece. Some sapwood is loaded with bugholes, bugholes packed with bug dung and lateral cracks. All of these can limit the use of the sapwood in a guitar. Lastly keep in mind powder post beetles, they love sapwood.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Steve

Thanks Lance, it makes great looking guitars too!

Philip,

Try this example from Chris Jenkins of LINT fame. It is Brazilian rosewood, replete w/ sapwood:




You can see that he proudly uses the sap wood with all the "character" intact. I think such an appearance is an acquired taste, but someone will probably flip over this.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I highly recommend the book, UNDERSTANDING WOOD, by Bruce Hoadley.

Personally, I love the look of a contrasting sapwood stripe down the center of a back or along the edge of a side.

That Chris Jenkins guitar is a bold statement, indeed. More power to him. I wouldn't do that myself, though, even if I thought I could sell it. I'm a quartersawn guy - I greatly prefer the look of quartersawn wood on a guitar, and I consider it a good measure of protection against problems caused by cross-grain wood movement (since there is less movement in the radial direction than tangential - if you're not sure what I'm talking about, I repeat my recommendation of Hoadley's book... I'd also be happy to explain it, as I'm sure many others on this forum would as well).

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Sapwood can be your friend as in the quilted maple thread. That is all maple sapwood. Sapwood and heartwood have generally different densities and expand and contract at different rates. Spalting on the sap means there is even more diference. Many pristene exotice sapwood work fine with heartwoods...coco bolo for example. Wood tends to split down the sapline overtime because of the different expansion rates. It's the usual first rule of wood...pick carefully.