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I've just received some sets of Sweet Almond wood from one of my suppliers and wonder if any of you out in there ahve build a guitar with Almond wood?

The sets are beautifully quater sawn, just the way I like it, and tap great.



Close up of grain:


Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

OH, for an edit button!

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Wow Colin, what beautiful wood! You are very fortunate to get hold of this stuff.

I can just imagine how the Sweet almond would look under a few sessions of French Polishing....

I've worked with Pecan (not guitars) before. I liked the stuff a lot and am guessing Almond has pretty similar properties. Does it smell nice? Wouldn't that be nice to have ode de amaretto lingering in the shop?

What are you going to build with that!?  Whatever it is, might I suggest dark brown cedar, you know, so its chocolate covered Almond.  Yumm.  Whatever you choose, I'm sure that it will come out tasty.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
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If it's the same species that produces the almond nut, it's sold as firewood in California when orchards are taken out or pruned. Much to unstable for anything else. Yours may be different, of course.

Larry, I don't see stability as a problem with this wood. This particular wood comes from Syria, quite a few guitars and other instruments were made with it in the 18th and 19th century in Europe that are still around today. I've played a couple of 19th century Italian guitars that sounded fine, though I did have to repair a crack in the top of one, the 150+ year old almond was in perfect condition. This species originates in the middle east and the instability may be a clonal problem with the original stock introduced to the USA.

Colin

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

You could very well be correct in the California root stock theory, Colin. I tried to find uses for the almond when I lived and had my retail store there, but it always came back to bundles of firewood in the local grocery store. Wood turners not even interested much. Nice find!!!