Sheoak guitar soundboard?

[Crafty Fox]

I'm about to build an OM style of flat-top acoustic guitar and got some good sheoak (about 5 or 6mm thick) from a mill just south of Perth which I intended to use for the back and sides. However, when I mentioned to the mill operator that I would use spruce for the top he asked why not use sheoak too? 'Good question', I thought. I mean, I know that mahogany and koa has been used for tops by Martin, Guild and others but has anyone got any experience in using sheoak for a soundboard?
Also, according to the Jonathan Kinkeade book he suggests 3mm thick for a spruce top; but should I go a little thinner for sheoak? Say, 2.5mm?
This is my first attempt at a traditional acoustic, although I've built a few resonators (laminated tops/back/sides) and a few solid body electrics.
I've got spruce for the top anyway but I'd welcome some advice on using the hardwood. Maybe I'll build 2 guitars, one of each?

Thanks

[Kim]

Hi Ken,

I 'really' like WA Sheoak as a tonewood.

Allocasuarina fraseriana is generally less dense, more responsive tonally, and even looks better than all the other aussie sheoaks put together IMO. But that does not mean I think its better than spruce for a guitar's top.

I am not saying that an all WA Sheoak guitar could not work really well, and you are correct about examples of mahogany and other hardwood topped guitars sounding great. But when compared to spruce, the properties of WA Sheoak, as good as I believe they are when compared to most other hardwoods, do narrow the window for success somewhat, and they do so enough for me to suggest that perhaps one would gain more in following a well know direction with spruce, and from those lessons, 'then' perhaps they would understand how to hone in their focus on the reduced bullseye.

Which leads me to ask..How many all sheaok guitars has the sheoak mill owner built?? And...can you tell me if you could 'just about' hit his floorboard mill with a stiff Freo Dr and a really good stubbie throw from the eastern end of the verandah of the Jarrahdale Pub??

Cheers

Kim

[martintaylor]

Hi Ken,

I have used WA Sheoak for back and sides and agree with Kim, it is a beautiful Australian tonewood. I found it can add a little more weight to the final instrument but the benefits are plenty. Great sustain, clear tone, good volume and a look that will get lots of oohs and ahhs from onlookers. I found it bends well but with all the cross grain going on I always heat it up a little longer to avoid any cracking. I have combined it with Bunya tops and am really happy with the result.

Martin

[Allen]

I've used it and a couple of students have used it for a uke top. Well, the entire body and neck actually.

On ukuleles its customary to have a hardwood top. They give a different tone than a spruce or cedar for sure, and quite in keeping with a ukuleles vibe. But I'd not pick it over a spruce top for a guitar. Sure, it would work, but no where near as well.

In fact, the only reason I'd use it on a ukulele is to have that homogenous look. Sound wise there again a softwood top performs better.

[TimS]

I tell you what Ken, I will build one as well and see if we can determine what Sheoak has to offer as a soundboard material. I think I will shoot for a OOO body. I suspect that flamed sheoak not lace sheoak would be best for the top as it is stiffer. Back and sides in lace she oak. Neck would be a bolt-on.

regards

Tim

[Crafty Fox]

Thankyou gentlemen for your swift and excellent advice.
Kim, so it was you who nearly got my van with that stubbie!!! If you'd emptied it first you might have got the mill LOL.
I worked at the Jarrahdale mill a few years ago doing restoration stuff (indirectly)for the Heritage Council and noticed that they cut the thin slices of sheoak. It took me a while to get back there; I live up near Joondalup.
I will take the advice of the majority and build my OM with a spruce top, however I'm now tempted by Tim's suggestion by building another with a flamed sheoak top. Same design etc, to compare the differences. I'll use lace for the backs, both from the same log.
It will be a (very) slow build and I will post progress pics now and then.