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I work at a woodcraft where they've got some nice pieces of tupelo/tupelo gum/black gum/whatever you call it in your area.

I'm thinking of making a thinline tele out of one.

It's not a common wood, but it's rare enough to warrant the lack of information on it online. What I find suggests it works like basswood, but has a janka hardness up near 900.

I cant find one single reference to anyone ever making a guitar out of it. Not even advice NOT to.

what do you folks think? I'm sort of heartset on it, as a nod to Elvis (from Tupelo), but if it's junk I don't want to waste the time.

I've never used it but have read that it is preferred by world champion wildfowl carvers in the U.S. and in Canada so maybe it'll be a great choice for "quack" with that Tele.

You will not get on Leno with jokes like that.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Maybe he'll give me a car to stop trying?

Well I guess those carvers prefer it over Basswood so if I had a nice clear body blank I'd find out what I thought about it.

Maybe not, but Letterman is sill an option..

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I don't think there is ANY wood that could not be used or at least tried for solid body guitar bodies. If I liked the look, weight, etc., I'd use it. Anytime anybody says "Can I use this wood for solidbody bodies " I always say go for it. I would. I'll build a body out of anything I can find. I've seen guys use just about any wood you can think of. There's even a build thread on the TDPRI using popsicle sticks, for cryin' out loud.
Build on! Post pics.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Yo, lotus kid,

please define "junk" so that we might be able to answer your question.


Lots of 2x4s strung up and plugged in and play just fine...and guess what the janka is for dimensional lumber... ok, me save you the time...lower than your tupelo. Now what does that tell you?

Ok me makes it real easy for you, all of the following list and their janka rateing have been successfully use in the making of all sorts of stuff, ya including stringed instruments..even electrifier stringed instruments ....Gee who wood a thunk? But its true! Yes me no lie. Been laid but never lied.


Eastern Red Cedar 900
Southern Yellow Pine (Longleaf) 870
Lacewood, Leopardwood 840
African Mahogany 830
Mahogany, Honduran 800 (imagine that...a mahogany guitar...who wood a thunk it)
Parana 780
Sycamore 770
Shedua 710
Silver Maple 700[4]
Southern Yellow Pine (Loblolly and Shortleaf) 690
Douglas Fir 660
Western Juniper 626
Alder (Red) 590
Larch 590
Chestnut 540
Hemlock 500
Western White Pine 420
Basswood 410
Eastern White Pine


Bet you never thought of taking closer look at that junka list.


oh well
blessings
Padma


PS...welcome to the forum.


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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Well, I guess I'm not sure what I mean by junk, because I can't find any good info on the stuff haha

it could check/crack like crazy. Or warp. Or have hidden gum pockets. Or be cursed with bad juju, doomed to make guitars sound like buffalo.

It seems strange to me that there's next to NO information about this moderately common domestic wood.

Strange!...hmmm

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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LOL

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Maybe...thinking about good possiblities would help...after all it could turn out to be a sweet as honey sounding guitar and by giving it a shot you'd be one that gained "first hand" information.
At least you've gone from " it's not a common wood" (in your first post) to "moderately common domestic wood" so things are getting somewhat better already.