Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Full Version)

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Andy Culpepper -> Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Feb. 12 2020 0:40:00)

I've always been enamored by these little crystals that appear on seasoned Spanish Cypress. As the wood ages and dries it exudes this stuff (oil? resin?) that crystallizes on the surface. You know it's ready to use when it's covered in these things. I almost want to scrape it and bottle it as some kind of perfume...lol.
They are usually either little rods or salt-like grains. It would be interesting to see them under a microscope.
I would be happy building with nothing but Cypress for the rest of my life. Such great wood and it smells so damn good.







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mango -> RE: Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Feb. 22 2020 23:18:31)

I also love that smell. Always too bad to throw away these little curly shavings from the cypress... ;-)



Tom Blackshear -> RE: Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Mar. 4 2020 19:36:50)

Many years ago I contacted a perfume manufacturing store in my town to make some essence of Spanish cedar for me. It sure worked royally well but I lost interest some where along the line.

I think this is what some Spanish guitar makers used to do for extra aroma in their guitars; using heavy oil based perfume to enhance their appeal.



ernandez R -> RE: Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Mar. 4 2020 20:54:08)

Tom,
I was recently gifted a well seasoned block of Camphor that had come from Hawaii some time ago.

The lady had bought it over thirty years ago. She asked if I could make a guitar for her out of it. I was just making up a batch of 1863 Torres inspired parlor sized so I stripped out the wood accordingly getting eight full sized back and side sets.

I did my homework before hand thinking there might be some allergy issues with working the wood. We did the rough sizing outside.

The smell is amazing. The wood cutting part of my shop, where I have the wood stacked, smells like some foreign mercantile of long ago. At first I was afraid the aroma would be too strong but working up the back and sides of the first one is just wonderful.

I'm imagining playing the guitar, you know how it is, as it warms up and about twenty minutes in the smell of shellac wafts out of the sound hole. I can't wait. Pity I have sold it already except for the seven other sets.

I am surprised dealers would perfume a guitar, but then again...

HR



RobJe -> RE: Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Mar. 4 2020 23:44:10)

Here is an alternative solution to the perfume bottle.

A guitarist friend Vincent went as a young man to Spain many years ago to visit Manuel Reyes Sr on the recommendation of Pepe Martinez. He hung around doing odd jobs in the workshop for a few months. When he left Reyes gave him two nice sets of cypress to take home and something else to remind him of the cypress aroma in the workshop. It was a small wooden box with a sliding lid. Inside was a small block of cypress and a tiny rasp. Vincent always carried this in his pocket and often took it out to ‘scratch and sniff’. When he died during a heart operation we found that he had the box in hospital with him.

Rob



RobF -> RE: Spanish Cypress resin crystal appreciation (Mar. 4 2020 23:52:42)

quote:

Vincent always carried this in his pocket and often took it out to ‘scratch and sniff’. When he died during a heart operation we found that he had the box in hospital with him.


That’s really touching. It is said that smell is a very strong memory trigger.



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