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Posts: 302
Joined: May 27 2005
From: Zürich, Switzerland
RE: Any thoughts on Macassar for bac... (in reply to Ramón)
Hi Ramón
I find Macassar to be a nice looking wood, but i prefere not to use it for classical or flamenco guitars. Macassar is an ebony "diospyros" and as all ebonies it is acustically rather dead, especially comparred to some rosewoods "dalbergias".
However it might be good looking as a fretboard but it's not traditional.
Posts: 440
Joined: Feb. 23 2005
From: La Jolla, Ca
RE: Any thoughts on Macassar for bac... (in reply to Ramón)
Thanks.
It's just that it's such a beautiful wood. I just saw Taylor Guitars new book, and there's a couple of acoustics in there that are drop-dead gorgeous in Macassar.
Just curious; Why does it 'work' as an acoustic, but not with our strings?
Posts: 302
Joined: May 27 2005
From: Zürich, Switzerland
RE: Any thoughts on Macassar for bac... (in reply to Ramón)
Hi Ramón
Yes, i know it is used not only for western style guitars but also for classical guitars by some luthiers. The reason why it is used is probably more due to it's visual atractiveness rather than for it's acoustical quality. As you know, backs and sides are not as much critical for the final tone of the guitar as it is the case with the soundboard. Nevertheless i don't want to use any wood, even if it is beautiful , if it has high damping properties. In deed i want to build a good sounding instrument and not a furniture, so the tonal quality of a certain piece of wood is more important than it's visual quality. That's my opinion, as always there are others as well.
If you are looking for wood to build your own guitar or if you are about to buy a new instrument its recommendable to make the test by yourself.
Just get a piece of macassar ebony and a piece of indian rosewood. cut the two pieces to the same size. Not much wood is needed for the test. Two small pieces will do. Throw the two pieces on the floor. Ceramic floor is best but others do as well as long as there is no carpet. If you have an ear just above average, you will immediately notice the difference in the sound. While the ebony will sound "clack", the indian rosewood will sound "pleng" and a piece brazilian would sound "pling". So it is obvious, that such a difference in response will also have it's effect on any stringed instrument.
RE: Any thoughts on Macassar for bac... (in reply to Armando)
quote:
Nevertheless i don't want to use any wood, even if it is beautiful , if it has high damping properties.
Then I can imagine that you never use Meidterranean cypress?
Just kidding... The problem with Mac. Ebony is that it has high damping property and its VERY heavy. I´ve seen a high end guitar made with backs and sides which were laminated of cypress and Mac. Ebony. It was good.
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