Sick Honduran Mahogany

Big Leaf Quilted Maple has a very similar figure. Although it would need to be cored for use in cues.
 
I got the following info from our local veneer factory which used to make veneer some years back but not any more (they import):

There are special "hunters" which walks different forests searching for special trees. They know what to look for and are looking for trees which has characteristics which they know about.

Trees which is sick has usually special defects in the wood which may make some marvelous patterns and colors. When these types of trees are found, these are basically valued by the size and how many leafs of veneers they can cut from them, almost like gold.

For me this was really new but a interesting feedback to get.
To bad that this factory just imports veneers now. I can't get my hands on any thing before it's cut, but they have some really nice veneers from some really "sick trees" :) But then it's not something to use in a cue as inlays.

Do you think the guitar is solid mahogany or laminated in some way?

N
 
it is solid.i am not sure how thick,but i think they get 3-4 guitar tops out of a 2"x7"x22" piece of wood.i would guess that a piece of "the tree" that size would cost well over $2500 if you could even find,which i doubt.

i think R.Taylor bought a bunch of it.

i have made a few Quilted Maple cues,but it doesn't have the color or Tortise shell look,the overlaying large veins.the quilts are so large and pronounced it really looks like a tortise shell.

the 5A quilted Maple is usually $400+ for that size board,but this stuff is a freak of nature and there was only one tree.i like the story behind it too,that no one could get to it for 18 years and finally they just went down in the gorge and quartered it on the spot.
 
Mason, although the wood has nice color & is neatly figured, Honduran mahogany is very lightweight & pretty soft. It might not be so easy to use, although there are lots of house cues made from it.
 
you are right it is pretty light.i have some with pretty nice ribbon type figure and it is pretty light,but would make some nice handles with a good solid core.

it feels slightly lighter and weaker than some of the Koa i have.i bet the wood from that tree is a little stouter than your avergae mahongany too.
 
Hi MasonH, I do have a piece of that particular tree... I made a cue of it years ago, probably in about 1993 or 94. It is spectacular! and my piece isn't even the best of the tree! I'll try to get photos of it when I get home tomorrow.
I also have some incredible quilted maple that rivals the figure of your fathers guitar. I made a cue of it too I believe. (bad memory) I'll see what I can find for photos to post tomorrow.
 
I wonder if that wood dings easily though.
You can core quilted maple, burl or holly but they ding easily so I don't like them as forearms or handles.
 
please post the pics if you find them,and if you ever decide to sell a piece,i would love to buy some.

i am sure it would ding easier than a real hard wood,but i would love to have some.i would just make sure not to bang it against the table.
 
You can have any wood pressure stabilized with resin and then use it for a ball peen hammer and not dent it. Kind of expensive but for a piece of material that may be one in a hundred thousand it would be worth it.

Dick
 
Mason...Bob Taylor buys a lot of whole trees for their wood...and then sends them to an outfit...cannot remember their name, dangit!...in Concrete, WA to have the trees sawn down until they are finally quarter-sawn for his guitars. If I can find, or remember the name of the place, I'll kick it to you.

BTW....has it occurred to you to just kick Bob Taylor an email, asking him what he does with the 'scraps'? He may just have some 'scraps' that would be suitable for you to obtain. It never hurts to ask, all he can say is 'NO'. :)

Also...prior to the addition of the RTaylor Line...very high end...my favorite limited guitars from Taylor was the Liberty Tree Series. When the last known live Liberty Tree finally died, he purchased it for use in his guitars. Very limited...quite beautiful...and a ton of history. :D

Oh yeah....the Oak Pallet Series really kicked a$$ too!! ;)

Lisa
 
I have a limited maple Taylor that is absolutely beautiful. I'm embarrased to say this is the first I've heard of the R. Taylor series.
 
when he sent me the link,it was the first i had heard of them too.they look very nice.

i have tried in the past to get some wood from lutiers with zero luck.there is a banjo company that has loads of Old Growth Maple,but they wouldn't sell me any.i just figured he would say no,but Lisa you did give me an idea.i am going to see if my Dad will send him an e-mail and casually mention that he bought the Quilted Maple guitar on their website,maybe it will be worth some pull.
 
masonh said:
...i have tried in the past to get some wood from lutiers with zero luck.there is a banjo company that has loads of Old Growth Maple,but they wouldn't sell me any. ...
Click to expand...

This reminded me of a little story. We have a very serious bass guitar builder here, Sheldon Dingwall (http://www.dingwallguitars.com). Some years back the building his shop was in burned to the ground, with all of Sheldons wood stocks going up in smoke with everything else. Apparently other lutiers came out of their woodwork :D to provide wood to Sheldon so he could continue his extrodinary business.

BWT, that is pretty outrageous wood there, thanks for posting mason.

Dave
 
Finally....

Hello All, sorry for the delay in posting these photos, I thought I would be home in time to do this on Saturday!
This wood is from the same tree as the guitar in the original post's link. I purchased one of the last planks available at the time so the figure is not as great as the guitar, and this is the least figured part of the plank. I used that because I knew I was a novice cuemaker and wanted to keep the better parts for another time. Sorry these aren't better photos.
 

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Better Photos...

Here are some better photos, forgive me I'm new to posting photos...
 

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