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Has anyone out there used this wood for tonewood ? If so, what are your thoughts about it. I contacted a seller on e bay, but it was not quarter sawn or large enough for an instrument. Any good sources for this wood ?? with names and phone numbers ?? thank you !!!

What's the incentive for using this wood?

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Peter Havriluk

A lot finds its way into instruments from China. Fast-growing, light-weight, cheap. Saw loads of it when I worked china as a forestry consultant in the early 90s.

Last time I saw it in an instrument was on a Chinese “pipa” that came in for repair. We changed the paulownia tuning pegs for rosewood. Consider paulownia perhaps an alternative to basswood.


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I use it for laminated linings which it is perfectly suited for, really lightweight and stiff enough. I buy from world paulownia based out of Georgia. https://worldpaulownia.com

I read or heard somewhere that Jimmy Carter was somehow behind the research into planting and harvesting in GA. I also heard on a recent fretboard journal podcast that a builder was using it to experiment with bracing / tops. It could be a great bracing for ukes too, I was planning on experimenting there in all my free time

Brad


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Just to be clear, I first heard of it’s use from Burton LeGeyt. His solid lining tutorial here on the OLF is a great resource. I use that approach for solid linings on all my instruments.


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Many Asian solid body makers use it, but call it mahogany. It takes stain well, and works pretty easily - but it doesn't have that fat grunt of solid mahogany.

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Beau hannam is a luthier who was building a uke an gtr for a carter charity . He had paulownia for his sides as part of a 2 part lamination using T1 . I watched his youtube video, to get an idea of how this wood is used. I like to experiment with new an different woods. My original training was as a cabinetmaker in the 70/s. By 1990 i had switched to luthiery after back surgery. Sooo I am always on the lookout for new and interesting woods to work with , Currently . I am doing a 3 part lamination of american cypress .100 rosewood veneer .022 and usa cypress veneer .022 for a flamenco gtr.I/ve also purchased some bamboo which also looks very promising for back an sides . I have in the current isuue of uke magazine a pic .An all wood bamboo tenor uke. I like the idea of using a renewable fast growing resource like bamboo. Thank you for all the tips an sources for pualownia.

It grows as a weed tree here in Maryland. It is very fast growing. I have several large Paulownias growing around my house that I should have cut down when they were smaller and more manageable.
I built a dulcimer with a paulownia soundboard because I heard it was a good tonewood. I was not impressed. I may still have an odd piece or two around. It is a very light weight wood and takes stain well. I'm sure it is good wood for the right uses, but I'm not sure what they might be.

Paulownia seeds are available on etsy. the elongata species have pretty flowers here in zone 7 , which we are in tnx for the heads up on the dulcimer. Did you use it as a top , ? or back an sides ?? tnx !

Also in Maryland here, and a boatbuilding friend built an 8 foot dinghy out of it 4 years ago. It is painted and holding up well, and exceptionally lightweight. I can see it being used for bracing.

Ed

Hi Ernie,
I used paulownia as a soundboard. IIRC the back and sides were walnut. I have used a number of different woods for dulcimer soundboards - WRC, spruce, sassafras, and a number of other hardwoods. Others have reported good luck using paulownia, so it may have been the piece I used or it may have been me.
The Paulownia trees around here also have pretty purple flowers, and aside from the seed pods and the tendency to shed small limbs don't present any unusual problems or major hazards beyond the typical.

We get nasty high winds,an heavy thunderstorms here so a sturdier tree might be in order . Tornado alley is 2 mi w. of us on I 35. I still havent figured out why we dont have bsmts , We live on a hillside ? It could be you got a dud? . I have tapped wrc and spruce , that were just mushy, and were only good for carpentry. Anyway I/m going to get some to see how viable it is, perhaps for a uke for starters. Tnx for the info clay!

I've been wanting to try using Paulownia for a guitar top for some time now. It grows like a weed here in Virginia. I met a dulcimer builder years ago who tried it and claimed it made the best sounding dulcimers he's ever made. Of course that's quite a different instrument.