Bamboo as a guitar wood?

[LiveOVErdrive]

Laminated bamboo is very strong and sturdy, and there's the feel-good perk of using an environmentally friendly option. It doesn't have the corksniffing appeal of more traditional options, but it's viable.

That said, the quality of available laminates varies widely. Species, age, grain, where on the plant your bamboo comes from (lower to the ground is better), moisture content control, proper glue application and finishing, etc. Delamination is very possible in low quality laminates, but a good one should last a very, very long time.



"Grass vs wood" is misleading in two ways: it doesn't lend itself to considering the particular properties of bamboo, and we're talking about a laminate. Strand woven bamboo laminates are harder than oak.

Sure. I mostly just meant they have different structures, so I would assume they have different strength properties in different directions. But I'm far from an expert.

 

[bostjan]

Frankly, I wouldn't care if the material came from a weed or a tree or from seaweed. If it's strong, it's strong. If it's machinable, it's machinable.

 

[IGC]

Frankly, I wouldn't care if the material came from a weed or a tree or from seaweed. If it's strong, it's strong. If it's machinable, it's machinable.

Weed, hemp fiber boards? Hemp fiber board guitars! Sounds like a new thread idea...

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Weed, hemp fiber boards? Hemp fiber board guitars! Sounds like a new thread idea...

Honestly it probably would work, with the right resin. Would be a lot like carbon fiber. In fact it would almost literally BE carbon fiber.

 

[IGC]

Honestly it probably would work, with the right resin. Would be a lot like carbon fiber. In fact it would almost literally BE carbon fiber.

Same only with that natural hemp fiber element.Then bind the fibers together with an all natural resin. Green guitars

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Same only with that natural hemp fiber element.Then bind the fibers together with an all natural resin. Green guitars

I kind of really like this idea. Environmentalism in music.

 

[Humbuck]

The highest end, most austere, cork-sniffing fly rods (for sport fishing) in the world are all bamboo and many vintage bamboo rods are still in use with no splintering issues whatsoever fwiw.

 

[Wolfhorsky]

Bamboo neck with hemp fiber board body. It would be grass neck and grass body

 

[IGC]

Bamboo neck with hemp fiber board body. It would be garss neck and grass body

 

[TuffyKohler]

Bamboo neck with hemp fiber board body. It would be grass neck and grass body

Pretty close. E koa. Sustainable.

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

Pretty close. E koa. Sustainable.

That's pretty cool.

North American maple is pretty sustainable. I'm mostly interested in bamboo to see if it is more stable or lighter.

I want to try laminated cedar or pine or spruce too.

 

[TuffyKohler]

I've had a bamboo board in my shop for awhile now. Had plans on a cigar box guitar for starters. Never got around to using it. Been considering making cutting boards out of it lately.

 

[Humbuck]

I have a bamboo cutting board.

 

[IGC]

My dad used to swat me and my big sister with a bamboo swat stick, it was the worst left welts, we all ways dreaded that thing.

 

[ElRay]

My dad used to swat me and my big sister with a bamboo swat stick, ...

So, in other words, the grass kicked your ass?

 

[IGC]

So, in other words, the grass kicked your ass?

Yes I mowed for like 2 hours today .

 

[Lemonbaby]

The highest end, most austere, cork-sniffing fly rods (for sport fishing) in the world are all bamboo and many vintage bamboo rods are still in use with no splintering issues whatsoever fwiw.

And that's exactly why I see no point in using it as tonewood. It's both quite heavy (700kg/m^3) and extremely elastic. For guitar building, I'd prefer light and stiff.

 

[IGC]

The bamboo fly rod is long, skinny, hollow, and for the most part in its natural state. Could the more refined dense compressed layers similar to bamboo cutting boards be potentially stiffer? It's use in the making of UKE's has been pointed out, so that means you could probably make an acoustic from bamboo and really get the full effect of its tonewood props.

 

[LiveOVErdrive]

The flexibility is an interesting question. Searching around the Internet for differences between maple and bamboo, you mostly find articles about skateboards and snowboards. Interestingly, the skateboard-related articles describe bamboo decks as being more rigid and lighter than maple. And yet the snowboards are apparently very very bendy (though they may have been comparing it to fiberglass or something other than wood).

This one actually does a flex test. Shows it to be really really flexible when it is thin, and rigid when it isn't.
http://www.bamboo-board.com/2012/04/bamboo-plywood/bamboo-versus-maple-plywood-boards

So I guess we'll see.

 

[IGC]

The flexibility is an interesting question. Searching around the Internet for differences between maple and bamboo, you mostly find articles about skateboards and snowboards. Interestingly, the skateboard-related articles describe bamboo decks as being more rigid and lighter than maple. And yet the snowboards are apparently very very bendy (though they may have been comparing it to fiberglass or something other than wood).

This one actually does a flex test. Shows it to be really really flexible when it is thin, and rigid when it isn't.
http://www.bamboo-board.com/2012/04/bamboo-plywood/bamboo-versus-maple-plywood-boards

So I guess we'll see.

Looks like the bamboo deck passed the ollie impossible and foot stomp test- fascinating!