Bird's eye maple

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Brian Evans
Posts: 922
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 8:26 am
Location: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

Bird's eye maple

Post by Brian Evans »

A friend of my wife's was over the other day and I happened to show him my personal archtop that I made a few years ago. He's a wood guy, his family have been in the lumber and building business around our town for well over a hundred years, and he was very impressed. He said "come by my place when you have a few minutes, I have something you might like". Then he upped the ante and said, "you and your wife come by, we'll have some 18 year old single malt scotch, and we'll look at some maple I have in my attic that you might be able to use" So we went by and he showed me some of the most extravagantly figured bird's eye maple I have ever seen. 16 foot long 6/4 by 12' boards of it, along with some smaller 4/4 by 4 and 5" boards. It's a stash from the last bird's eye log he sawed just before his old sawmill burnt down in 1972, it's been in the second floor loft of his workshop for 45 years, and he releases a bit of it from time to time for special projects. He offered as much as I wanted, I took 48" of the 6/4 by 12 board, and 14 linear feet of the 4/4 4" wide boards, enough for an archtop back set, a neck or two, and a bunch of sides or fretboards. All he said he wanted was to see it turn into something worthwhile, so I have to make a worthwhile guitar out of it.
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Bryan Bear
Posts: 1375
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:05 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Bird's eye maple

Post by Bryan Bear »

Awesome! I'm sure you are up to the challenge. Make sure you post some pics.
PMoMC

Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.
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Mark Swanson
Posts: 1991
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:11 am
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
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Re: Bird's eye maple

Post by Mark Swanson »

What is his address?
  • Mark Swanson, guitarist, MIMForum Staff
Gordon Bellerose
Posts: 1186
Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 11:47 pm
Location: Edmonton AB. Canada

Re: Bird's eye maple

Post by Gordon Bellerose »

How about letting another Canadian boy in on some of that?
What would he charge?
I won't even need a shot of that Scotch! :D
I need your help. I can't possibly make all the mistakes myself!
Brian Evans
Posts: 922
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 8:26 am
Location: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

Re: Bird's eye maple

Post by Brian Evans »

Gordon, he literally only gives it away. He hasn't sold any of it. He loves it like a child... :)

Brian
Bob Francis
Posts: 582
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:28 pm

Re: Bird's eye maple

Post by Bob Francis »

that's a true aficionado.
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