Scarcity of high-grade woods?

[Colin]

the problem with birdseye is it can't be commercially grown. The reason is, we just don't know what causes a tree to produce it. Unlock that secret and BP will possibly let you marry his firstborn.

 

[Sub1 Zero]

Isn't his firstborn a dude?

 

[Colin]

Isn't his firstborn a dude?

 

[roburado]

^ I second that

I know this is way out there and I don't know jack diddley about biology, but is there a way to replicate trees? Or do you just have to plant them and let them grow?

Edit: Ok so that was vague, let me explain myself better. What I mean by replicating trees, is kinda how dog breeders can breed dogs for temperment, health, etc. Is there a procedure that could achieve similar results in trees, where one could grow only trees that are fit for their craft? Might seem dumb but it's just a potshot idea

It would still take decades or centuries to get them big enough.

 

[pedal_board_geo]

Birdseye is the heart of an EBMM

Like you all... I'm a big fan of EBMM Guitars, and one of the reasons is the birdseye maple neck. BP Keep looking for that wood... it's one of those things that sets you apart.

I was at a hardwood specialty store in my city and found 3 great blanks 10' long and almost a foot thick... so I know its out there... If you want me to send you some from here in northern Canada, let me know.

Also... Looking for an EVH??? Anyone???

Geo

 

[robelinda2]

i like birdseye, especially on the AL's i have!

 

[Big Poppa]

wow rob if you think those lolok rare and exotic wait 5 years! Those are beauties

 

[Psychicpet]

am I still pi$$ed that I got rid of my first SR4 which was a '90 or '91 , it had a wicked birdseye neck....... yep, big dummy.....

 

[Monty Billocks]

Yeah, my DD AL also has very tasty birdseye on the neck...yummy!!!



Steve.

 

[jappy]

i like birdseye, especially on the AL's i have!

Re-donkulous!

Question though - how does the wood get so dark? Is it just the photo?

 

[the24thfret]

^ I second that

I know this is way out there and I don't know jack diddley about biology, but is there a way to replicate trees? Or do you just have to plant them and let them grow?

Edit: Ok so that was vague, let me explain myself better. What I mean by replicating trees, is kinda how dog breeders can breed dogs for temperment, health, etc. Is there a procedure that could achieve similar results in trees, where one could grow only trees that are fit for their craft? Might seem dumb but it's just a potshot idea

I'm really, really against what you're talking about, although I see why you'd suggest something like that.

 

[andynpeters]

As usual in life I'm in a minority of one..... don't like flame or quilt tops on guitars and I think birdseyes make the neck look messy. In fact I recently passed on a trade that I'm sure 98% of you would have leapt at and one of the deciding factors was that the guitar had lots of both.

The thread refers to "high grade" woods, obviously they are perceived as being prettier and command a premium, but is there any structural advantage for flame v plain or birdseye v plain?

I'm enjoying the fact that my different tastes save me money....plain is the new pretty!!

 

[SuperTed]

Coming from being primarily a drummer, it did strike me as unusual that the guitar world seems to revolve three or four main woods like mahogany and alder. Drummer's, especially internet freaks are obsessed with what the drum is made out of, cos it's the most important part of the sound and drummers are always interested in new materials. Check out this guy, he will make a snare out of anything: snare gallery

Having said that, there's still a wow factor in drums that are made of exotic materials. I'm guilty of it myself, check out my Pearl all rosewood snare. I think it's Indian rather than Brazilian, but it's certainley a high grade. I was gonna sell this, but I might keep hold of it now!


I was also surprised that EB uses poplar for guitars because it's tonally inferior to maple or birch for making drums by quite a stretch.

 

[candid_x]

As usual in life I'm in a minority of one..... don't like flame or quilt tops on guitars and I think birdseyes make the neck look messy. In fact I recently passed on a trade that I'm sure 98% of you would have leapt at and one of the deciding factors was that the guitar had lots of both.

The thread refers to "high grade" woods, obviously they are perceived as being prettier and command a premium, but is there any structural advantage for flame v plain or birdseye v plain?

I'm enjoying the fact that my different tastes save me money....plain is the new pretty!!

Well, you're not all alone. I can dig someone else's highly figured necks, but it isn't something I look for or care about on my own, preferring the cleaner and less complicated appearance of smooth and light grain. I understand that as far as stability and tone goes, it's highly debatable which is most consistent and/or better sounding. Same with highly figured tops: I can admire them but they're not really my thing. I do like some transparent finish ash bodies, though, even though I still prefer the less figured alder for tone.

 

[candid_x]

Ted, that's a righteous snare!

I think only the SM and the discontinued Sub uses poplar. It is interesting that Steve chose it.

 

[Big Poppa]

I think that it is interesting that drum companies use birch because you cannot make a clarinet out of it.

Ted..You are a drummer....case closed..... OK just kidding....... but poplar is fantastic wood for guitar and bass bodies. It resonates great and mills pefectly. It sounds great too. The only draw back is that it looks crummy in a trans finish.


Nice snare..is it bright?

 

[roburado]

This is slightly OT, but it's really the reason I resurrected this thread. Below is a link to a story about the availability of ash for baseball bats. It got me thinking about ash for ALs and whatever EBMM makes out of ash. So, I had to dig up whatever BP said about swamp ash. Anyway, baseball fans (or anybody interested in the availability of wood), here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/us/11ashbat.html

 

[SuperTed]

Nice snare..is it bright?

Thanks for the response BP. As a newbie I must repeat that it is very cool that you post on this forum! The drum is fairly bright, but if anything it's very sharp, but still great body, plus it has the most crack I've heard from a wood snare. If you made 20+ ply snare out of rosewood I believe it would rip your f**ing head off! It also has insane ringy overtones, so this beast has to be tamed with a moongel pad or two.

Back onto high grade woods, it would be interesting to hear what PRS is going to do, because everyone's become so jaded about flame maple tops they only want "10" tops on a PRS, especially as they cost so much. Plus I read they make around 600 guitars a month, so it's probably PRS's fault when there's no more high grade wood left!

 

[Robert Marlin]

I live in Belize, CA. This country is 95% rain forest and jungle, there are so many hardwoods down here I don't know where to start. I will be settling on 100 acres of prime jungle in a couple months and will have to selectively clear about 30 acres for planting.

I was thinking of milling the hardwoods into blanks for export to the USA for guitar companies. There are hardwoods down here that ants won't eat because it is too tough, you need a special saw to cut it and you can't hammer a nail in it.

 

[CudBucket]

... but poplar is fantastic wood for guitar and bass bodies. It resonates great and mills pefectly. It sounds great too. The only draw back is that it looks crummy in a trans finish.

Basswood isn't purdy either. Is that getting rare too? Could you make say, Petrucci's out of Poplar if you had to or would that require JP's OK as well?