Topic: Finding the Right Wood

My big brother is a guitarist and a forestry major at Iowa State (go Cyclones!). He showed me this video of how the forestry guys for Taylor find the tone wood for their guitars. It's so cool I had to share it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EpVIEyY … re=related

Re: Finding the Right Wood

Very interesting MB - thanks for sharing!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

Re: Finding the Right Wood

Yeah, that's pretty interesting.  A lot of work goes into finding the best wood and only using trees that have already fallen is a good thing.

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I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.

Re: Finding the Right Wood

GAS factor is now increased. Must visit local Taylor dealer. Thats a lot of work in wood selection, all for a noble cause. Thanks for posting M.B.

Live in the "now" - a contentment of the moment - the past is gone - the future doesn't exist - all we ever really have is now and it's always "now".

Re: Finding the Right Wood

bluejeep wrote:

GAS factor is now increased. Must visit local Taylor dealer. Thats a lot of work in wood selection, all for a noble cause. Thanks for posting M.B.

Yes, the dreaded GAS! I got to play a 700 series Taylor with a cedar top on Saturday. DROOL. And hey, it was on sale for just a little under $3,000. It's hard to imagine ever having a spare 3,000 dollars, but as someone on this site once said, "You only have to pay for it once." Although, in my case, I'd be paying for it monthly for a couple of years.

Re: Finding the Right Wood

bensonp wrote:

Yeah, that's pretty interesting.  A lot of work goes into finding the best wood and only using trees that have already fallen is a good thing.

Yeah, I liked that part about using fallen timber, too.

Pete, have you ever heard about logs they've brought up from Lake Superior and used to build guitars and mandolins? My brother told me that when the spruce forests of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota were being timbered back in the 1800s, a lot logs went into the water and sank to the bottom. But because the water is so cold and so low in oxygen the wood is still in wonderful condition.  Also, the lumber is old growth. Back then, the trees grew  slowly over hundreds of years, so the wood is incredible dense with very tight rings.

Re: Finding the Right Wood

MB that was interesting,thanks for showing the video.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

Re: Finding the Right Wood

That was very interesting. I think that would be a cool job to have out in the forest like that.

I watched a few of other Taylor vids too.  The Spruce part 2 was neat. I like the bear claw he talked about. I don't know if it's actually always caused by bears, but it looks as if the the tree had been injured and the scar has healed.

The Grafted Walnut one was really cool. Awesome how the grafts become part of the tree as if it was just born that way.

The Maple was super cool. I had no idea that 3 diff grains come from the same piece of wood depending on the cuts. Fascinating stuff. The piece of quilted maple he showed was awesome.

The Koa on was short, but I didn't know it was such a rare tree.

Learned me some new stuff today!!!!

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Finding the Right Wood

Great video. i consider myself a "realistic" environmentalist, (We are invariable gonna need stuff that the earth gives but we can do a better job of stewardship). I thought that the fact that Taylor would only use fallen timber showed how a company can use timber without causing so much damage.

The way that guy broke that disc of spruce up was interesting. Lumberjacks, or fallers, do not have a reputation of being "smart" yet working with fallers on fires numerous times I have found that falling timber requires great skill mentally and physically. To watch that guy work the wood only added to my admiration of foresters and fallers.