
Just cool wood
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- spudmunkey
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Re: Just cool wood
I thought of that too when I took down a tree, but didn't have the space to let it dry for 2 years, and didn't want to spend the couple hundred dollars the closest lumbaryard would have charged to kiln dry it. 

- Brock
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Re: Just cool wood
And the thought of being cold in the winter gets me back on track. 

- Doctor Turn
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Re: Just cool wood
spudmunkey wrote:I've always liked Olive wood but I have no idea what's it's properties are.
Some write ups:
Tonewood data source:
Olivewood Olea europenea, Mediterranean Olive
Gold to black in color, can be highly figured, dense, oily, beautiful golden brown lumber with brown and black streaks running through it. These trees are usually only harvested when they are too old to produce olives or are damaged by disease or nature. Olives are usually pruned to keep the olives close to the ground so long lengths in olive are uncommon. Olive can also come with tiger striping and burl.
Wild Olive Wood - (Olea capensis macrocarpus) A rare hardwood/tonewood from Zambia. Beautiful colors, contrast and light figuring combine to yield exquisite beauty. The extreme density, (approx. 1.05, very similar to Ebony), yields bright tonal qualities, making Wild Olive a desirable tonewood.
Specific gravity 0.89, 4.6 wt/board foot
Goodall Guitars
Olive Wood
Origin: Europe and eastern Africa
Density: 990 - 1050 Kg/m3
Characteristics: Heartwood is a cream or yellowish brown, with darker brown or black contrasting streaks. Color tends to deepen with age. Olive is somtimes figured with curly or wavy grain, burl, or wild grain.
Details: Olive trees are commercially important throughout the natural regions where they grow. The olives harvested from the trees are made into olive oil. Beautiful colors, amazing contrast and light figuring combine to yield exquisite beauty. The high density, which is similar to Macassar Ebony, yields rich, full and balanced tonal qualities, making Olive a desirable tonewood. A historical Biblical wood.
Carvin Weaponry:
1985 DC150K (koa) Stereo, M22N/M22SD w/black hardware.
1985 100 Watt X Amp 2 x 12 combo (XV212) upgraded w/ 2 Vintage 30's
...and other gear.
https://soundcloud.com/the_heavy_clouds
1985 DC150K (koa) Stereo, M22N/M22SD w/black hardware.
1985 100 Watt X Amp 2 x 12 combo (XV212) upgraded w/ 2 Vintage 30's
...and other gear.
https://soundcloud.com/the_heavy_clouds
- spudmunkey
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Re: Just cool wood
Jet black raw tone ash... Conference table.

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- gumbynotpokey
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Re: Just cool wood
spudmunkey wrote:Jet black raw tone ash... Conference table.![]()
20180201_132346.jpg
It has more of an open, clear tone -- better for single coils, including during live shows at concert volumes.
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- spudmunkey
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Re: Just cool wood
An interesting note... in San Francisco, there used to be a concert venue where my office currently sits. Our conference room is exactly where the stage used to be. U2, Meat Loaf, KISS, ACDC, Etc have all performed here. And now, in the place of this hallowed ground in terms of music history, there is a wood print plastic laminate conference table in an office furniture company's office.
- UnexplodedCow
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Re: Just cool wood
Doctor Turn wrote:So ya think that alder is a plain unfigured wood good only for colored/opaque finishes?
I give you--one of the coolest alder superstrats on earth (unless the guy is mistaken and it's ash.. which based on the figure wouldn't totally surprise me):
Not only is it clear on alder, it's a satin finish on alder, which usually doesn't bring out the figure the way a "deep clear" poly does. Really cool Bolt Plus. Rosewood board. Hardtail. Looks like it might be a 1 pc body. Wicked.
Ah to have limitless disposable cash. Ah to be wealthy.
That one is Ash, for sure. The light color of the wood (Alder is typically a little darker) combined with the huge grain contrast. I've spent plenty of time around Ash, Hickory, and Black Walnut trees (I used to cut them down and split them as a young teen).
If you look at the grain patterns in the blue guitar, they're the same type, and also gorgeous. This guitar just makes me smile. This is a shot of my personal C/K collection as it is today.
The green one I believe is also Ash, based more on weight, though the grain is pretty mild, and Alder looks pretty similar. Under brighter light, however, the contrast comes out, and it looks very much like Ash.


We are entitled to our own, wrong, opinions.
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Do or do not; there is no understand.
Guitar theorem: G=X+1 where G= guitars one needs, and X = guitars one has.
Do or do not; there is no understand.
- Doctor Turn
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Re: Just cool wood
Your'e absolutely right, that's most likely ash and alder is mostly a snooze; I was just talking about my love of alder as a tonewood over on the Tele thread, but aside from the occasional freak cut with some figure in it, most of it looks pretty plain with sutle grain patterns like so:

Which is why I'm into solid color, painted alder Teles and Strats. Prefer alder because of its way huge sound for those 25.5 scale Fenders.
Which is why I'm into solid color, painted alder Teles and Strats. Prefer alder because of its way huge sound for those 25.5 scale Fenders.
Carvin Weaponry:
1985 DC150K (koa) Stereo, M22N/M22SD w/black hardware.
1985 100 Watt X Amp 2 x 12 combo (XV212) upgraded w/ 2 Vintage 30's
...and other gear.
https://soundcloud.com/the_heavy_clouds
1985 DC150K (koa) Stereo, M22N/M22SD w/black hardware.
1985 100 Watt X Amp 2 x 12 combo (XV212) upgraded w/ 2 Vintage 30's
...and other gear.
https://soundcloud.com/the_heavy_clouds
- spudmunkey
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Re: Just cool wood
"Cool wood" because after weeks of false starts (thinking we were ready to start, but then realizing/learning about something else we needed to do/consider)...we finally installed the first course of the wood flooring going in to the newly added bedroom.
Once this floor is in, which I hope to God goes quickly, and I get the ONE piece of wall base board in place that goes where the bed is going, we can finally move the bed into this room, and I can finally get all (ALL) of my guitar gear out of storage!!! It's been in storage for...something like 4-5 months.
Walnut, btw. Going for that tone floor.
Once this floor is in, which I hope to God goes quickly, and I get the ONE piece of wall base board in place that goes where the bed is going, we can finally move the bed into this room, and I can finally get all (ALL) of my guitar gear out of storage!!! It's been in storage for...something like 4-5 months.

Walnut, btw. Going for that tone floor.

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- spudmunkey
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Re: Just cool wood
spudmunkey wrote:"Cool wood" because after weeks of false starts (thinking we were ready to start, but then realizing/learning about something else we needed to do/consider)...we finally installed the first course of the wood flooring going in to the newly added bedroom.
Once this floor is in, which I hope to God goes quickly, and I get the ONE piece of wall base board in place that goes where the bed is going, we can finally move the bed into this room, and I can finally get all (ALL) of my guitar gear out of storage!!! It's been in storage for...something like 4-5 months.
![]()
20190204_022359.jpg
Walnut, btw. Going for that tone floor.
Getting there...

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