I need to choose lightest wood ever for the neck

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Ahmed Flamenco

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

I need to choose lightest wood ever ...

I need a very light wood for neck if I'm gonna use wenge as a fretboard.
Is Swedish pine wood is good?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2015 21:03:05

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

I don't understand your problem with procuring regular luthier supplies. There are vendors all over the world who will happily ship you wood. If you must use something other than Spanish Cedar for the neck there are a few other choices but none as good in my opinion. Why not use ebony or rosewood for the fingerboard? Neither of these woods is substantially more expensive than Wenge.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2015 21:11:43

Ahmed Flamenco

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

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to jshelton5040)

using ebony will cost me, I will use wenge beacause i'm not gonna put high price for my guitars , I think it is good but I want a stiff and also light wood for neck I don't want to ship anything to me so I ask for different working woods

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2015 21:19:50

tijeretamiel

Posts: 441
Joined: Jan. 6 2012

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Wenge weighs less than African Ebony but more than Indian Rosewood.

Using Spanish Cedar would be fine.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2015 21:49:21

jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ahmed Flamenco

using ebony will cost me, I will use wenge beacause i'm not gonna put high price for my guitars , I think it is good but I want a stiff and also light wood for neck I don't want to ship anything to me so I ask for different working woods

Everyone who makes guitars has to pay for materials. If you're unwilling or unable to purchase the necessary materials why bother? Find another hobby.

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude or insulting but that's simply the way things work.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 8 2015 23:11:54

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Wenge makes better bass fretboards. Usually the are engineered wood, or coated it epoxy or CA glue to make the surface harder and smother.

Wenge is a poor choice for fretboard for flamenco guitar because it is porous and brittle. It may splinter off on the edges unless you coat the surface.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 0:28:50

keith

Posts: 1108
Joined: Sep. 29 2009
From: Back in Boston

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

ahmed, you might want to check out this resource to find out the properties of the so called Swedish Pine. Persimmon is a wood used by many as a substitute for ebony--it is in the ebony family. As to your question, mahogany is used for necks so it might be useful. To be honest, if you are wanting to build a low price flamenco a cedar or mahagoney neck and rosewood fingerboard should suffice and not scare away any prospective customers. As to what estebanana said, wenge can be nasty to work with as it does splinter. I have used it in turning projects and you will need to protect your hands from the splinters.

http://www.wood-database.com/wood-identification/by-scientific-name/

link directly to wenge

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/wenge/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 0:41:22

norumba2

Posts: 37
Joined: May 20 2015

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

wenge can be nasty indeed to cut -- and it will tear up tools pretty quick. Wear a mask when working with it as the dust is intense.

that said, its a very hard, stiff wood , quite stable, and can often need no finishing at all. a couple of coats of tung or danish oil will do the trick.

I once had a guitar with quartersawn wenge neck and ebony fingerboard. Fabulous combo, will not bend or warp ever, nice bright and loud tone. Could work well in a flamenco build.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 3:41:24

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

quote:

I once had a guitar with quartersawn wenge neck and ebony fingerboard. Fabulous combo, will not bend or warp ever, nice bright and loud tone. Could work well in a flamenco build.

That would weigh a ton and make the poorest choise of all.....

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 7:12:26

norumba2

Posts: 37
Joined: May 20 2015

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

i didnt find it unduly heavy, but thats true, it may be too dense for a flamenco build. i was thinking more of tonal qualities as a sonic fit for flamenco.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 16:03:59

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: I need to choose lightest wood e... (in reply to Ahmed Flamenco)

Wenge is very heavy. More than many rosewoods. Its almost like oak.
Besides all this bright and brittle doesnt really fit to well into flamenco. Bright is good but not as important as midrange punch.
Cedar is just a VERY good wood for necks. Stable and light.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 9 2015 16:50:52