I'm not sure if this has been addressed before, but do you think this will work?
It's been done before (the Spruce Goose, Boucher. Kinnard), but I've never played one in person.
I'd like to know what your thoughts are, as I'd love an excuse to buy a bunch of tops from our sponsors at Alaskan Specialty Woods.
-Matt
All spruce guitars?
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Chuck Tweedy
- Posts: 1182
- Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:25 pm
- Location: San Diego, CA
Re: All spruce guitars?
So Matthew, don't you think you should build a standard guitar before jumping into an oddity??
Anyhow, I did hear an all spruce body steel string acoustic at the 2008 GAL convention. It had the punchy attack of a flamenco built with cypress.
Anyhow, I did hear an all spruce body steel string acoustic at the 2008 GAL convention. It had the punchy attack of a flamenco built with cypress.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
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Dan Pennington
- Posts: 75
- Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 6:10 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
Re: All spruce guitars?
There's an all spruce build-along over on the Luthier Forum that is just starting:
http://www.luthierforum.com/index.php?/ ... ntry118587
I am part of an all cedar build-along that started last fall. Working on the finish now.
http://www.luthierforum.com/index.php?/ ... ntry118587
I am part of an all cedar build-along that started last fall. Working on the finish now.
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Chris Reed
- Posts: 168
- Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:26 pm
Re: All spruce guitars?
Finished an all-cedar (except for the walnut neck stripe, fingerboard and bridge) soprano uke a couple of weeks ago.
The sides were very reluctant to bend evenly, impossible over a pipe and just manageable using a light bulb bender. I experimented with spruce once and found it even harder to bend. And carving the neck was just horrible - cedar doesn't like being carved into inside curves (heel and peghead transition).
Softwoods like cedar and spruce are also a pain when constructing because they show even the slightest knock.
It was an interesting experiment but I won't be making another. Tops and backs, OK, but not sides and necks.
The sides were very reluctant to bend evenly, impossible over a pipe and just manageable using a light bulb bender. I experimented with spruce once and found it even harder to bend. And carving the neck was just horrible - cedar doesn't like being carved into inside curves (heel and peghead transition).
Softwoods like cedar and spruce are also a pain when constructing because they show even the slightest knock.
It was an interesting experiment but I won't be making another. Tops and backs, OK, but not sides and necks.
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Matthew Lau
- Posts: 627
- Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:03 am
Re: All spruce guitars?
Chuck,
I've built a couple conventional guitars. They're just too ugly to post.
Give me a decade or three to catch up to you.
Chris,
Thanks for the info. That's exactly what I wanted to know.
I've built a couple conventional guitars. They're just too ugly to post.
Give me a decade or three to catch up to you.
Chris,
Thanks for the info. That's exactly what I wanted to know.
Re: All spruce guitars?
I built an all bear claw sitka spruce jumbo steel string last year and it turned out great. Neck, back, sides and top were all highly figured bear claw from Maurice Roy.. It was an absolute canon...
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Steven Smith
- Posts: 193
- Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:01 pm
- Location: East Tennessee
Re: All spruce guitars?
Joe, have you got any photos?Joe Hart wrote:I built an all bear claw sitka spruce jumbo steel string last year and it turned out great. Neck, back, sides and top were all highly figured bear claw from Maurice Roy.. It was an absolute canon...