Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood

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Ahmed Flamenco

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood

I said before that I found Indian rosewood sold near me but when I went back to the merchant I found that it is palisander , then I searched online and I found that palisander is the Madgascar rosewood , It has a reddish brown color which is pretty but it was flat sawn to make 2 pieces back but there was another quarter sawn piece but not wide enough for 2 pieces back,so I'm gonna look for it from another supplier.
What do you think I have to do if I did not find the same wood in a different place?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 3 2015 17:48:23

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Just make a guitar. Make it out of pallet wood for all that it matters. Don't think your first one will be great. Learn to make and afterwards concern yourself what to make the next one out of.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 3 2015 21:03:49

Ahmed Flamenco

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to printer2)

who told you it is my first guitar, I built one guitar and I'm working on another one but I'm so so slow because I make guitars at house and I don't have much time for making guitars but I really adore what I am doing ,so I have to make my guitars in the best way ever with what I have from Resources and possibilities.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 3 2015 21:13:50

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Sorry, from the questions you are asking and changing your mind I assumed that was the case.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 4 2015 0:04:39

Richard Jernigan

Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

I'm no luthier, but I have ordered a few guitars from well known makers.

When I spent a couple of hours with Abel Garcia Lopez ordering a new classical, we discussed woods for the back and sides. Garcia has published a book with a Mexican university press on guitar making woods.

Garcia said he could make equally good guitars with palo escrito, cocobolo and Brazilian rosewood. He concluded by saying that given the much greater expense of Brazilian, in his opinion using Brazilian was like "putting jewelry on the guitar."

I responded that in my youth, Brazilian was the only choice for a good classical, so I would go with that.

He took me to his temperature- and humidity-controlled storage room and showed me some sets of Brazilian. I chose one that was straight grained and quarter sawn, more so than any I had seen recently. He marked the wood with my name.

Then I asked him which set he would have chosen. He indicated a flat sawn set. "Why?" I asked. "It is softer," he replied.

RNJ

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 4 2015 19:59:57

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to printer2)

quote:

Just make a guitar. Make it out of pallet wood for all that it matters. Don't think your first one will be great. Learn to make and afterwards concern yourself what to make the next one out of.

He made the first one already and it sounded pretty damned good. We we're all impressed.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 4 2015 20:25:09

Ahmed Flamenco

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

He made the first one already and it sounded pretty damned good. We we're all impressed.

I'm really really really happy to hear that

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 4 2015 20:47:05

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to printer2)

quote:

Sorry, from the questions you are asking and changing your mind I assumed that was the case.

He lives in Egypt and is having trouble sourcing goods and materials as easy as Europeans and Americans,Aus. etc. So he is asking more questions than usual, but it's fine.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 5 2015 1:59:49

mqbernardo

Posts: 47
Joined: Mar. 26 2012

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Hi Ahmed,

Many woods are named paliander in different parts of the world. For instance, here in Portugal most sellers refer to any rosewood that _is not_ brazilan rosewood as palisander (so you have indian palisander, honduran palisnder,..). But i guess you´re right - The most common association with palisander is madagascar rosewood.
All species of madagascar rosewood (there are a lot!) are small trees, so almost all guitar sets you´ll find will be a mix between flat, rift and quarter sawn. At best, you´ll find almost quartered sets that turn to rift on the wings of the lower bout.

In my (reduced) experience i´d say that flatsawn madagascar rosewood, even if the numbers you find online for wood movement are not impressive, is one the woods that is most sensible to humidity changes in my wood stash.

If i was in your place, i´d try to get quartered stuff and make a 3 or 4 piece back - no 2nd thoughts about it. Problem would be to find quartered sides. OTOH there are many flat/rift sawn madagascar guitars out there...
decisions, decisions....

good luck!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 5 2015 10:26:23

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

quote:

He lives in Egypt and is having trouble sourcing goods and materials as easy as Europeans and Americans,Aus. etc. So he is asking more questions than usual, but it's fine.

I understand. Just think he will learn a lot even with the wood that is easily available to him. I think the builder is more important than the wood, if he already hit one out of the park he has a good chance of doing it again.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 5 2015 22:35:32

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to printer2)

quote:

I understand. Just think he will learn a lot even with the wood that is easily available to him. I think the builder is more important than the wood, if he already hit one out of the park he has a good chance of doing it again.

In the beginning I received a lot conflicting advice about using low grade wood to practice vs. using higher grade wood and risking ruining it or making an inferior guitar with good wood. But I also foraged for some wood in forgotten corners of lumber yards searching for discounts. Some panned out a some did not, but I regret I wasted some time.

One bad advice I got was to not worry too much about the quality of the top. I think you need to pay close attention to that above all, and the bridge wood. Why not start understanding that from the beginning?

I wish I had been strongly advised not to forage for wood and to work with higher grades in the beginning. I used Maple.....the first ribs I bent I broke and had to order an new set! I also used cypress right way.

One thing is that today Indian rose wood is plentiful and not expensive, paired with a decent Cedar or Spruce top you can potentially make a pretty nice guitar. And if a learner messes it up they not wasted something very, very rare.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 6 2015 5:47:31

Ahmed Flamenco

Posts: 163
Joined: Feb. 22 2014
From: Egypt

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

and the bridge wood.

By the way if I can get palisander or wenge which will be better in sound not wood working?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 6 2015 10:44:23

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Quarter sawn vs flat sawn wood (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

quote:

By the way if I can get palisander or wenge which will be better in sound not wood working?

Indian Rose wood better, Brazilian rose wood also better. I have made Wenge bridges, but the edges can be tricky and break easy. Rose wood generally best for bridge.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 6 2015 14:40:14