# Pictures of woods and their info.



## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

I searched and couldnt find a thread on this... I was wondering if you guys could post up pictures of different species of woods and give info on how dense they are, weight, tonality, price where they come from etc. for people that would like to build their own guitars but dont know too much about woods. I would love to learn all I can about different species! 

The more pictures and info the better!! 

( all pictures belong to their respected owners.) 



I'll start with a few!! Feel free to more pictures and info! 

ZIRICOTE 













info... Pretty solid wood DENSITY: 50 - 60 lbs./cu.ft. location.. Guatamala to southern Mexico, and tropical south american Good for fretboards. Iv'e seen a lot of acoustic guitars made with ziricote. Sapwood is white. Heavier than most Rosewoods, it works somewhat like Ebony, and tends to be brittle, but what is lacks in workability it more than makes up for in tonality











PURPLE HEART. 



















<---- Devotion's guitar!  http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...86452-iceman-7-build-its-coming-together.html
Great wood for neck laminates. Or fretboards. Can be used for a guitar top as well. Located in south and central America. its grain is usually straight but can be wavy or irregular. Weight: 50-70 lbs/cuft Generally straight grained, sometimes interlocked, with a fine even texture. Creamy white sapwood and vibrant purple heartwood that turns to dark-purplish brown with exposure to light. This wood is very heavy, hard, and strong, with good decay resistance and stability in service.
Native to: Central America and South America





Ebony.












expensive. 
Madagascar ebony: Macassar Ebony is native to India, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Strong, heavy, and hard, Macassar Ebony has an average specific gravity of about 1.09, which means that it actually sinks in water. The wood is somewhat difficult to work with
its grain is susceptible to tear out, and its edges can occasionally splinter off. Because the wood can blunt cutting edges pretty quickly, frequently sharpened tools and a gentle cut are generally recommended.
African ebony: native to seasonally dry regions of Africa from Senegal east to Eritrea and south to the Transvaal in South Africa





Quilted maple: 












is considered a high quality tonewood (a wood that carries sound waves well). It is used in many musical instruments. Because Maple is denser than Mahogany it carries sound waves even better than Mahogany (another tonewood used in manufacturing instruments). It is said that the denseness of the Maple gives it a brighter sound than other hardwoods.





Curly maple:


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Everyone add as much as they can!


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## TRENCHLORD (Mar 23, 2012)

We did have a simalar thread not too long ago, but I for one always enjoy the wood threads.
That purple is freaky and a first for me. Nice.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Oh I couldnt find anything


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## jjcor (Mar 23, 2012)

Purple!!

And thanks for making this thread. I got alot to learn on woods.


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## simulclass83 (Mar 23, 2012)

This thread gets my:


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

^ thanks man. I just hope everyone can share a little bit of info!


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Spalted maple:
















I loveee spalted maple. It's one of my favorites. Spalting is any form of wood coloration caused by fungi. Although primarily found in dead trees, spalting can also occur under stressed tree conditions or even in living trees. spalting can cause weight loss and strength loss in the wood, the unique coloration and patterns of spalted wood are sought after by woodworkers


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## TRENCHLORD (Mar 23, 2012)

Are spalted woods a detriment to vibration transfer?

That one right above looks amzing.


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## brynotherhino (Mar 23, 2012)

This should be a pretty handy thread!! Thanks mang!


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## Purelojik (Mar 23, 2012)

thing is with these kinds of threads it all boils down to personal taste and whatnot. the sonic properties are more goverened by the amp and pups and very much so by the player. 

im not trying to knock this idea or anything just adding some perspective.


if its purely for visual reasons then hell i'll contribute as well. but this should probably be stickied otherwise its gonna be a constant bump thread


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## anthonyferguson (Mar 23, 2012)

Mahogany:

Another fairly common hardwood with loads of different species that are often sold under the name bracket of mahogany. 

Machines well, and takes finish like a sponge due to open pores. Medium density.






Maple:

A closed pore, very dense hardwood that is available worldwide with fairly universal consistency. Can be highly figured.

Machines well, with great structural integrity.






Walnut:

A hardwood with a few varieties. Most common is American/black walnut. Contrary to its title, it's not very black. A more pastel brown that darkens with finish. A similar density to mahogany, perhaps slightly heavier with attractive grain and medium size pores.

Machining is slightly hit and miss-it can be great to work with, but can be a bit of a nightmare. Looks beautiful though.






Korina (white/black limba):

A nice looking, dense wood. slightly open pores with a very uniform grain (unless you get a piece of black limba which is a bit more exciting) Machining is alright, but the wood smells beautiful. Shame (IIRC) it's carcinogenic. Wear a mask!!






Will add some more when I can be arsed.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Basswood: 








Fine straight grain material. Fairly soft, preferred wood for carving. Canada and USA.
Basswood is a pale, almost white wood which darkens to pale brown on exposure. 
It has a straight grain and a fine and very uniform texture so that it is generally a featureless wood. It is of variable weight a mahogany. takes dye very well.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Swamp ash:
















a great sounding tone wood that takes a finish beautifully and is light enough to resonate well but strong enough to be stable. Some of the best sounding Fender Guitars were made from Swamp Ash


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Alder: 












Alder, part of the birch family, is a softer hardwood from the Pacific Northwest. Consistent color, stability, and uniform acceptance of stains and finishes are some of the characteristics that have made Western Alder a preferred wood for furniture. Its elasticity makes it ideal for carving intricate details. Ranking second only to oak as the most commonly used wood, alder offers the look of many fine hardwoods at a value price.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Cocobolo:














Cocobolo is a very dense wood (it does not float) and is a beautiful deep red in color, with a high contrasting sap wood of white or yellow. It is prized for wood turning, although the dust is an irritant to some. Because of its density and natural oils it takes readily to polish. It is occasionally used as veneer for use in furniture.Cocobolo likened to a rosewood. All of the rosewoods are beautiful and cocobolo doesn't disapoint. cocobolo is very dense and has a oily natural finish which enables us not to need a sealer or a final coat of varnish. It is highly water resistant so it will not swell in heavy use. Native to: Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Bocote:












Bocote's heartwood is rich, golden brown with a pinkish tint, often showing irregular markings. Bocote has a straight grain with a medium coarse texture. The wood is hard and heavy and of medium strength.
Native to: Bocote grows throughout the West Indies, tropical America, Mexico, Belize and Honduras.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Birdseye Maple: 
















Hardwood
Birdseye maple has a medium density and variable color. The outer rings of the tree create lumber that's usually a creamy, light amber color with darker birdseye patterns. The inner rings, called heartwood, might be deep amber or reddish with dark brown birdseye. Depending on the frequency of the birdseye swirls, each 1/4" to 3/4" wide (0.3-1 cm), the wood may be extremely valuable. After it's finished, birdseye maple doesn't scratch easily. ref Native to: The Great Lakes region and the Rocky Mountains of the United States.








Goncolo Avles: 












Goncalo Alves, a wood that comes mainly from Brazil, has been growing in popularity among builders who favor bold, contrasting figure on the back and sides. Sometimes called &#8221;Tigerwood&#8221;, the color is an attractive honey-tan with broad reddish brown stripes which often paint dramatic, symetrical shapes across the bookmatched guitar back. Although it is lightweight, it is only slightly porous and finishes nicely. Some say the tone is similar to Mahogany.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Rosewood:












Hardwood
Rosewood is an exotic and imported hardwood that is strikingly beautiful. The wood has color variations from chocolate or violet-brown to violet streaked with black, often streaked with golden-brown. The grain is straight, sometimes wavy. The texture is medium to coarse and the wood is oily to the touch.
Native to: Bolivia and Brazil


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Bloodwood:












Bloodwood is a bold red colored wood that does not oxidize over time &#8212; it stays red. For this reason, Bloodwood is often used as decorative binding and inlay by both luthiers and furniture makers. Other reddish woods, like Paduak or Bois d&#8217;Rose, change over time to a warmer/browner color. Bloodwood is a remarkably dense wood (about as dense as the harder Honduran/Brazilian Rosewoods) and is well suited for backs and sides, as well as fingerboards and bridge blanks. Matt












Zebra wood:












Guitar Logistics! P




Hardwood
A heavy hard wood with a somewhat coarse texture, with the typical so-called zebra stripes, often with an interlocked or wavy grain. The heartwood is a pale golden yellow, distinct from the very pale color of the sapwood and features narrow streaks of dark brown to black. Zebrawood can also be a pale brown with regular or irregular marks of dark brown in varying widths. It is almost always quartersawn to get the exciting alternating colour pattern and a straight grain. It is a true exotic wood, with limited availability and relatively high prices
Native to: Western Africa - mainly Cameroon and Gabon


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Lacewood:













Medium to heavy hardwood with possible coarse to very coarse grain texture depending on how it is cut. Light tan to golden yellow with streaks of dark brown to black. Africa.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Wenge:
















The heartwood is dark brown, almost black. On the quartersawn surface, fine pencil-thin, light tan lines interspersed with blackish brown stripes make the surface appear as if it has been stroked by the fine claws of some wild jungle animal. On the tangential surface, the light lines show up as undulating streaks, like waves on the water. Orientation of the grain is an important consideration to show the wood at its best. Wenge is straight grained, and very coarse textured, similar to the slivers from bamboo flooring.
Weight: Averages 55 lbs. per cubic foot. Great for neck laminates. Comes from small countries of West Africa


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

TRENCHLORD said:


> Are spalted woods a detriment to vibration transfer?
> 
> That one right above looks amzing.



I dont really think its used a full body, mostly just a thin top over a body. And that last spalted maple picture is from invictus guitars!


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## simulclass83 (Mar 23, 2012)

Hey Faine, thanks for all the additions. Good info , repped.


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## Faine (Mar 23, 2012)

Thanks man! I hope it helps. I'm gonna occasionally add more and I hope other people can too!


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## Faine (Mar 24, 2012)

Snakewood:








Snakewood is an incredibly beautiful wood which originates mostly in Suriname, South America. The specific gravity is around 1.2, making it one of the worlds hardest woods. Very expensive. snakewood can be somewhat challenging to work with. It splits fairly easily and tends to be splintery. It's also hard to cut and drill.










Bubinga:








Hauschild's guitar again! 








Bubinga is quite hard and heavy. Weight varies from about 50lbs to 60lbs per cu. ft. Works easily with hand or power tools. Reduced cutting angle recommended for interlocked grain. Moderate to severe blunting of cutters. Pre-drilling required for nailing. Gluing can be difficult due to gum pockets. Stains easily and can be brought to an excellent finish. From Africa, Central Africa.


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 24, 2012)

Granadillo (Platymiscium yucatanum):










EXTREMELY hard and dense, also very stable, and won't easily rot. The piece shown has a density of 1210 kg/m3 (does not float). Very bright and sweet tap tone. It's widely used as back and sides or fingerboards for acoustic guitars in Paracho Michoacan, but other than that it's use is rather unheard of. Difficult to cut, tends to blunt cutting tools, but so far it doesn't seem too splintery.


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## Justin Bailey (Mar 24, 2012)

Google is great, man


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## Faine (Mar 24, 2012)

Khaya ( African Mahogany ) :












Khaya has a lighter weight than other mahogany species, and a nice red-brown color after finishing with oil, with sometimes red details in the endgrain
33 lbs./cu.ft. Tropical West and Central Africa.


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## scherzo1928 (Mar 24, 2012)

FYI, that's not snakewood. The tiiny bit of binding you can see is snakewood, but not the neck itself.



Faine said:


> Snakewood:


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## Faine (Mar 24, 2012)

^ the headstock isnt snakewood!?


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## elq (Mar 24, 2012)

no. it's rosewood


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## Faine (Mar 24, 2012)

haha im dumbfounded.


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## elq (Mar 24, 2012)

That headstock really doesn't look like snakewood to me


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## Faine (Mar 24, 2012)

haha thanks man. I'm sorry. I thought it was snakewood. That headstock looks amazing though. It's really rosewood?! I've never seen rosewood like that before.


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## Superwoodle (Mar 24, 2012)

My contribution-

Bamboo:
Technically considered a grass, bamboo is a somewhat eco friendly material used for flooring, baseball bats, skateboards and other furniture. Bamboo's hardness varies depending on manufacturing processes and species, but can be harder than some species of maple. The basic manufacturing process of bamboo consists of, slicing the stem of the grass into strips (as bamboo is hollow), allowing the material to dry, then laminating the strips into blocks or sheets. Bamboo is a diciest substitute to maple in guitar necks as bamboo is strong and light.


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## Faine (Mar 25, 2012)

^ thats a first for me! I've never seen a guitar made of bamboo!!


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## Faine (Mar 25, 2012)

Pictures from Buzzardsbass.com! 

Amboyna burl: 




















Maple Burl:


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## Faine (Mar 25, 2012)

Good news! I got permission from Gareth from " Invictus guitars " to use his pictures and hes going to give me some info on his timbers and species on request! 

Invictus guitars UK | Facebook


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## b7string (Mar 25, 2012)

I would just copy and paste this whole thing here, but that would be a waste of everyone's time. Its not all encompassing but its a great starting point on woods used in guitar building. Has pictures and a "tone-o-meter" which tells you how a typical piece might sound.

Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Body Wood Options


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## Faine (Mar 26, 2012)

^ just checked it out. Very cool man thanks!


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## Kykv (Mar 26, 2012)

EYE POPLAR


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## Faine (Mar 26, 2012)

^ thats beautiful man!


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

Padauk: 








when freshly cut, is a very bright red but when exposed to sunlight fades over time to a warm brown. Padauks can be confused with rosewoods to which they are somewhat related, but as a general rule padauks are coarser and less decorative in figure.
Native to: Central and West Africa as well as Asia










Figured Burl maple. Good for tops.














Peruvian walnut: 








Peruvian Walnut is a rich medium to dark brown wood. Source Region: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru.


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

These next few pictures are from Invictus guitars' wood stock! I got permission from Gareth the mastermind himself! Invictus guitars UK | Facebook


Invictus quilted redwood:











Invictus' Redwood Burl:









More pics. 











Invictus Cats paw elm:




















Invictus Quilt maple burl:










Invictus Bubinga:







Invictus Osage orange:
















Invictus wenge:















Invictus Flamed Katalox ( mexican royal ebony) :


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

These are pictures of some of Guitar Logistics build's I got permission from Brett ! 
Heres a link to his blog
Guitar Logistics Check it out!! 

Ziracote top: 













Korina/Flamed Myrtle:















Cocobolo fretboard:

















Figured Burl Maple:









Khaya: 









Flamed maple:








Walnut:











Peruvian Walnut:








Claro Walnut:












Bloodwood fretboard:









Wenge: 









Flamed Burl Maple:











Sapele:


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

MORE PICTURES FROM GUITAR LOGISTICS!


Sapele/Bloodwood:
















Spalted Flame Maple with cocobolo neck:











Ambrosia Maple:


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

Buckeye burl:













Buckeye, Aesculus glabra, is a tree that grows predominately in Ohio and other parts of the Ohio Valley. Its wood is relatively light in weight as well as color. When burl is part of its composition, dark areas are also prominent. The wood also has a unique texture. When cutting tools are applied, a fine dust, rather than shavings, are produced. This characteristic lends itself to a smooth finish. However, it is also very porous. So, extra amounts of polish or finish material are needed to protect the finish.


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## DropSplash (Mar 28, 2012)

Stick this bitch


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## Faine (Mar 28, 2012)

Can I do that? or the mods have to?


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## Faine (Apr 2, 2012)

Here are some Conklin Guitar pictures! I got permission to use them from Bill Conklin!
Conklin Guitars & Basses Official Home Page




Amazing buckeye burl!









Another buckeye burl top!



















Burl Maple with a Cocobolo fretboard ( fingerboard has ebony binding as well! ) 





Another burl maple!






Spalted maple!









Another spalted maple.






Quilted maple






Figured Walnut






Curly Maple






Raw Burl Maple with ziracote fretboard.


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## hanachanmaru (Apr 3, 2012)

Faine said:


> Here are some Conklin Guitar pictures! I got permission to use them from Bill Conklin!
> Conklin Guitars & Basses Official Home Page
> 
> 
> ...


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## Faine (Apr 4, 2012)

Maple Burl has a fairly bright warm tone.. Buckeye Burl has a thicker warm tone.


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## hanachanmaru (Apr 6, 2012)

thanks faine... well any tone guide for camphor burl? i seen few good burls off from from warmoth...


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## Faine (Apr 6, 2012)

^ I'm sorry, what?


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## hanachanmaru (Apr 7, 2012)

camphor burl... but am not sure of what kinda tone it sounded..


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## Faine (Apr 7, 2012)

Camphor burl: 






















As for tone, I think it's mostly used just as a top piece. Camphor (Cinnamomum) is used a lot for furniture. But it is burl so It could be lightweight and varies from Density, so that can effect tone. It also depends where the piece comes from the tree.. for example, If it is closer to the trunk it is more dense. I'll ask a few luthiers I know and I'll get back to you with a more thorough answer!


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## jarnozz (Apr 9, 2012)

those guitars look beautiful except for that fugly input jack...


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## Faine (Apr 9, 2012)

jarnozz said:


> those guitars look beautiful except for that fugly input jack...



yeah I'm not too fond of the Input jacks either. Otherwise the guitars are beautiful.


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## Adrian-XI (Apr 10, 2012)

They are output jacks


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## Faine (Apr 12, 2012)

QUE!? 






Whyy???


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## Faine (Aug 19, 2012)

Does anyone have any pictures of wood from their builds or anything they would like to add? thanks!


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## Levi79 (Aug 19, 2012)

Great thread, we needed something like this on here. There's tonnes of places elsewhere to get this info, but it can never hurt to have some here as well.

A couple things I would add 
- Cocobolo is quite difficult to glue due to the high oil content, I've heard that epoxy works better for Cocobolo than regular wood glue.
- African Mahogany tends to have a nicer ribbon like figure than most mahoganies (from my experience)


Faine said:


> Does anyone have any pictures of wood from their builds or anything they would like to add? thanks!


Sure! Here's my very first build. African Mahogany body, Ziricote fretboard, Maple neck. Only one coat of Danish oil.


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## Polythoral (Aug 19, 2012)

I really like the idea here, and there's lots of great info, but it could really be organized better... Like everything should be in a few posts on the front page, with an organized layout and similar information on all aspects for each (such as what their typical uses are, densities, tonal qualities, workability, precautions, etc.)


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## Rusti (Aug 19, 2012)

Faine said:


> Camphor burl:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



More camphor burl:

Dried






Wet






Under a different light:


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## sondich (Aug 19, 2012)

Black Limba






Compression curled White Limba (Korina)





Quartersawn Figured Genuine Mahogany


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## demonx (Aug 19, 2012)

Mahogany:






Tasmanian Blackwood






Victorian Blackwood


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## bob123 (Aug 19, 2012)

The Wood Database | The Wood Database


/thread.


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## b7string (Aug 20, 2012)

bob123 said:


> The Wood Database | The Wood Database
> 
> 
> /thread.



^ Great link! But it doesn't have tone info, which is key for guitar building. 

<continue thread>
...
...


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