I need your opinion in this spruce

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Ahmed Flamenco

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

I need your opinion in this spruce

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Engelmann-Spruce-4mm-set-classical-11861-VERY-STIFF-TONEWOOD/191372984868?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27538%26meid%3Da3a7f0b7f3c94b77aac63c64e9cd3c9d%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D11353%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D201198839108

I think I will buy this spruce by shipping (it would be better)
so what do you think of it?
has anybody tried buying from ebay? , so the piece i receive is exactly the same in the picture

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2014 19:31:44

Jeff Highland

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

They are a reputable seller, I have bought from them many times. You get what they show in the pictures.
This particular example is cheap mainly because the colour variation (stripes) downgrades it.
These days, I tend to buy higher grade since the cost of shipping makes the landed cost of low grade less attractive.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2014 20:12:20

Ahmed Flamenco

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

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Jeff Highland)

So suggest different kind of spruce
but what is the problem with this kind ,this will be for my first guitar so I don't want to go to higher tops.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2014 21:36:47

tijeretamiel

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Ahmed,

Where are you based? The cost of shipping will probably be the biggest factor. There might be someone closer where the cost of soundboards and shipping will work out better for you.

(also looking forward to seeing your build progress!)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2014 21:54:45

Jeff Highland

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Most buyers don't like stripes, that's all
If I'm going to spend $80 on shipping (international), I prefer to get better product for little more cost

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2014 1:13:36

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Ahmed. Have you checked with your local costum authorities? How much will they charge you to get the wood into Egypt and how difficult will it be.
Here in Spain, its easy to get whatever from outside the EU, its just a a matter of paying 25 - 30% extra for the full sum. including the shipping.

For a first guitar dont worry about the stripes, but there´s a lot of sense in what Jeff says and I wouldnt buy lower grade wood with a hefty shipping cost. I dont use stripy wood on my 1A guitars. Not because of sound, but because the clients dont want it. On my 2A guitars I havent had any problems selling because of stripes.

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2014 7:40:03

tijeretamiel

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

I actually really, really like the look of stripy soundboards.

Not a flamenco but a steel string made by Laurent Brondel

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2014 11:07:07

Ahmed Flamenco

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

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

At first thank you,In Egypt no Problem in getting this wood , shipping+taxes+handling will cost be 200% +the wood price.
but actually this is much better than buying wood from local oud luthier as he would make it more expensive and not as the same quality.

At the end I will buy the wood in the above link , from its cut-offs how can make the braces (i.e. the grain direction)?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2014 12:41:36

Jim Kirby

Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

There are a number of suppliers in Turkey who may be worth investigating. Akustikwood, Octopus, possibly others. These would usually be providing Picea Orientalis (Caucasian Spruce) rather than Picea Abies (name your region of choice - Carpathian for Eastern Europe sources). The Turkish dealers end up being good sources for Cypress as well.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 8 2014 13:13:11

Jeff Highland

Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

The guys on Ebay also sell direct from their own website with more choice
http://fine-woods-com.3dcartstores.com/
They will also sell you bracewood for very little extra

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 9 2014 2:29:26

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to tijeretamiel)

quote:

I actually really, really like the look of stripy soundboards.

Not a flamenco but a steel string made by Laurent Brondel

I agree. That top is full of life. I personally like "imperfect" wood a lot, but since making guitars is my way of earning some money, I stay away from it.

The most boring looking guitar IMHO, is the "perfect" negra or classical: Mastergrade, white spruce. Dark, straightgrained and monocolor Rosewood. A factory made mosaic rosette or a handmade copy of a factory rosette etc.
There are so many of them and its such a lack of inspiration.

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 9 2014 8:19:24

tijeretamiel

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Anders Eliasson

quote:

I actually really, really like the look of stripy soundboards.

Not a flamenco but a steel string made by Laurent Brondel

I agree. That top is full of life. I personally like "imperfect" wood a lot, but since making guitars is my way of earning some money, I stay away from it.

The most boring looking guitar IMHO, is the "perfect" negra or classical: Mastergrade, white spruce. Dark, straightgrained and monocolor Rosewood. A factory made mosaic rosette or a handmade copy of a factory rosette etc.
There are so many of them and its such a lack of inspiration.

I agree. I find the higher grade Indian Rosewood backs often to be so uniform in colour and stripes they can look really boring, I prefer some of the 'lower' grade ones which have more uneven colours.

Pleased you share my appreciation for stripy soundboards! I personally believe the stripier the better!

It's a shame that soundboards in particular are judged often purely on physical appearance on how uniform grain and lines are. Some of the best sounding guitars I've tried have had soundboards that have had really uneven looking soundboards for grain.

I was reading of a really highly regarded USA luthier/spruce seller who was saying he sold sets of Adirondack Spruce sometimes for $20 a set, the ones which were less than perfect but had great acoustic qualities nonetheless and others for $100's which perfect in appearance but were inferior in acoustic qualities. The luthier in question said most of his low priced Adirondack soundboards went to China, and some of the MIC guitars sounded better than USA built guitars which he had supplied soundboards too as well.

It's a shame so many guitarists judge a sound by the guitar's visual appearance.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 9 2014 11:14:58

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: I need your opinion in this spruce (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

quote:

It's a shame so many guitarists judge a sound by the guitar's visual appearance.

The whole world is like that... So no surprise that guitarists are like that as well.
I have a set or two of really stripy German spruce which is exelent... (if someone is interested

)

If not, its going to be cut up and used for interior reinforcement.

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Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 10 2014 7:49:35