Been Thinking About Wood Today
Going to need some guitar body wood very shortly.
I’ve been thinking about the wood I’m going to need for my guitar body. As it’s my first build I don’t want to go all out on some super attractive, super expensive tone wood that I’m going to hack to bits with my unskilled hands.
So, I want cheap but I also want something thats going to sound like a guitar and not a kitchen cupboard with a fretboard.
I figured that something, that grows locally, or at least in my great wee country of Scotland.
Silver Birch
Silver Birch is my current wood of choice. Its native to Scotland, can be used for all parts of the guitar and is fairly cheap.
I’ve seen sheets of 3mm and 4mm thick Silver Birch on sale for very good prices. But what I’m not clear about in my head is if it needs to be treated or have some de moisturising or whatever before it can be used in guitar. I will look into this more.
I say its my current choice but I havent researched it much. By the end of the week I will decide.
Guitar Mould
I’m hopeful I will have the mould complete in the next couple of days. Then it’s on to my side bending rig.
Thanks for reading.
I think going for the local woods is always cool! As for the treating of wood if you can get kiln dried/fine carpenter dry wood from your store all the better. Especially when using birch as it is quite "lively" material, meaning that it is more sensitive to humidity changes than some other woods used on guitars. Kiln drying reduces the chances of warping afterwards, even though all woods live some what over time and through changing of the seasons.
Birch should also be a good wood for practicing bending acoustic guitar sides. It bends quite easily compared to mahogany or rosewood for instance.
Anyways, I'm curious to see what woods you'll end up choosing ..and of course the steps how the guitar comes together!
as always, this is a very interesting process, what other types of wood could you consider, that wouldn’t be too expensive?