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THE WONDERS OF WOOD

5/20/2021

1 Comment

 
'Ancient wood lives again in musical instruments.  Here is California Redwood that has been part of a New York 'City water tank for probably 100 years, It will now be re-purposed as marvelous sound boards for many of my future ukuleles.  Just received these pieces from my friend Jon on the East Coast.  Traded for some nice Maple and Spruce.
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Count the growth rings, each one marks a year of  growth and imagine this tree might have been ten feet wide.
How old was it when it was felled and sawn into water tank staves?

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Bill's soundboard is Western Red Cedar that I cut from a log floating in Lake Whatcom fifty years ago.  The log was about five feet wide.  I counted the growth rings.  320 years in 8 3/4 inches. The tree must have been 1,000 years old when it was felled.
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But the glory is that both of these woods sing the most beautiful song.  They ring like bells when tapped and produce the best ukuleles that I have made.  The wood still lives.
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Here is Olga's tenor with is curly Koa binding now installed.

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And here is Bill's tenor with fiddleback maple binding.
1 Comment
Tony Turley
5/25/2021 01:30:55 pm

Beautiful work as always, Brian. I just took possession of some old wood myself recently, 100+ year old wormy American Chestnut that is being fashioned into the neck for a Kasha Baritone I'm just starting. Combined with a body of all American Sycamore with Black Walnut trim, I'm hoping it will be a beautiful as well as sonorous instrument.

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