Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi again,
This build has also just been finished.
Blackheart Sassy Queensland Maple neck.
Lovely little instrument I love building them.
Some pics and thanks for looking.
Cheers
Alan

That one has a lot of character Alan. I would just want to pick it up and play. The concentric circle rosette is a nice and simple idea. I have never seen that before.
mm

Looks amazing, well done Alan. How do you find the sassafras sounds as a soundboard?

That is an interesting question Jim. Sassafras is not really a hardwood - much lighter than most native timbers. So it could make a good material for a soundboard. On the other hand the only pieces that I have worked with were not very stiff, and had tap tone similar to damp cardboard until I braced it.

So - Alan, what do you make of it? Did you make the thickness or bracing much different from what you would do for a spruce top?

Thanks Mark and Jim.
The Sassafras is tending toward a softwood much like Myrtle and the Australian grown pines. It is a warm tone and not much treble. I built my first guitar a Weissenborn out of Golden Sassafras and it was a big warm tone. I like it but nothing like the sound qualities of spruce. The concert uke was just a standard two cross braces, spruce soundhole patch and a bridge patch with a little larger footprint. No braces north to south. So the same as I would approach a sruce top I think the Sassy was 1.8 mm thick
It's nice to work with and easy on the hand tools.
Cheers
Alan

12 Frets clear that's a great Instrument ,been reading about the 14 fret to the body it don't make a lot of sense on an Instrument like that nice choice that's where I'm heading