Official Luthiers Forum!

I have been reading a discussion on the forum about laminated sides. I want to know what wood people use for this process. I have read where one person uses Sitka Spruce. Another Yellow Cedar. What other woods have worked.

Thanks
Ken

EIR, Walnut, Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, Cherry, African Blackwood are the woods that I have used thus far.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I guess I didn't explain myself too well. I am referencing classical guitar builders. Several laminate a softwood on the insides of the ribs. In other words, a rosewood rib with a Sitka Spruce laminate. Not lamination of the same wood. I have the most recent classical guitar making book and the author laminates his sides with Sitka Spruce. I know of a classical maker in South Africa who laminates with yellow cedar. I was just wondering if any other woods were used such as douglas fir or larch or engelmann spruce and what difference it makes to the sound and projection of the instrument.

Ken

I buy sides from Allied. They sell EIR at lower grades that are very well priced. I usually buy them in "bulk" that saves money.
To make them look good, since they are a different wood than the back and the outside of the sides, I dye them.
I use a jet black dye. To me it looks different but nice.

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

I just bought a well quartered but otherwise featureless and undistinguished mahogany board and sliced it into a stack of very thin side-sized pieces to use as needed. I haven't built one that way yet, but will be trying it out on two guitars this year.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Mahogany, walnut, and maple are readily available in 1/16" veneers. I've used the mahogany and walnut for inner sides. If I want to maximize density and stiffness I use a lower grade EIR side set.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.