Beautiful maple

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re: Beautiful maple

Neck-through construction for basses and electric guitars presents a different scenario. With one piece of wood running all the way from the top of the headstock down to the end of the body and under the bridge you can have all the flame you want - just not in the middle of the body.

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I'm not always a huge fan of quilted maple, but this Jonathan Mann mandolin with the "underwater" paint job really got my attention.

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[Sandlapper]

Re: Beautiful maple

Todd, I marvel at the wood patterns as well as the craftsmanship in some of the instruments you show. I'm not familiar with silky oak and wonder if it is similar to leopardwood like some I have used in knife scales.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re: Beautiful maple

The literature from Takamine (the guitar's manufacturer) either called it Silky Oak or in some places "Lacewood" for the back and sides with a cedar top.

[Todd Bradshaw]

Re: Beautiful maple

Another nice hunk of maple. This 1992 Rickenbacker twelve-string is their plain Jane, unbound model which I bought from a dealer in Miami as a spare. Why I thought at the time that I should have a spare one is hard to say, but this one does have unusually nice wood, especially for that model. It came with black hardware and pick guards, which I wasn't fond of, so I replaced it all with chrome and I made new white plexi guards. Then I added the middle pickup, changed the nut spacing and stereo wired it. Taking a router to the top of a perfectly good and rather pricey guitar is an interesting experience.

These bodies are cut from a big thick block of maple. They router out all the cavities from the back side, making it semi-hollow bodied, and then add a back panel to it, so the top and sides are all one piece of wood.

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[David G]

Re: Beautiful maple

Lots of beautiful examples here. I agree with Sandlapper about keeping the scale of the grain patterns in mind in order to achieve the effect you want.

The 'Silky Oak' or Lacewood is an Australian rain-forest tree quarter-sawn for the most chatoyance.

The only set that went 'thud' for me was the Madrone example. Madrone grows around here, and I've seen lots prettier slices of it. Doesn't get very large in diameter, so it's tough to get any decent veneer out of it. Lumber is even more limited. But it can be pretty.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Re: Beautiful maple

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Capped Through-Neck - English Sycamore - Acer Pseudoplatanus - with a more tan adequate supply of mistakes.

[cathouse willy]

Re: Beautiful maple

A few more outstanding pieces.

spalted maple

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maple burl

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marblewood (marmaroxylon racemosum)

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[cathouse willy]

Re: Beautiful maple

some beautifully figured black walnut


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[Joe Jackson]

Re: Beautiful maple

I really like the madrone, though I was surprised to see a big enough piece to work with, too.

[cathouse willy]

Re: Beautiful maple

Another beautiful set. Rosewood


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[cathouse willy]

Re: Beautiful maple

Maple burl

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[Stiletto]

Re: Beautiful maple

Those burls are great!

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Re: Beautiful maple

Timber porn

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Re: Beautiful maple

[cathouse willy]

Re: Beautiful maple

Sssssssssssnakewood



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