Honeysuckle wood for a guitar?

[Polar_man]

Okay, so i freeken love the look of honeysuckle wood. And this guy gave me A LOT. like two 100x100x1600mm blocky slabs.

It may not even be the proper name of the wood but that is what it is written down as by the original supplier, but it looks like the headstock below:

Another pic:

But the pieces i have have slightly larger patterns to the grain making it look almost like leopard print.

Now for the questions i want answered:

1) If this were to become the neck of a guitar is there anything i/the luthier should know about this wood? (its going to be a 9 string btw: (no buildpics or woodpics) http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...s/238316-getting-custom-need-help-design.html)

2) How would it look as a bookmatched top on a guitar, on a scale of one to Wyld Stallyns?

3) Does anyone know if i'd be easy for the luthier to do that two tone stain/dye thing where you would apply one colour to the wood then sand it back and apply another colour to make the grain really pop?

 

[AwDeOh]

I've never heard of it down my way, we only have the vine type shrubs with the white flowers. Found this:

Just to put this out there (honeysuckle as bow wood) in Archery - Primitive Bows Forum

I'm not sure whether it's a good or bad thing that the poster used it to make a bow. He said it's a hardwood, but given that you want to use it for a neck.. I'd be wanting some more concrete information, especially a species name that you can research. However, it does look like the grain and colour would be a complementary match for a maple neck. The example you posted of the acoustic guitar back has that really nice soft maple tone to match it.

If it's seasoned properly, I don't see any problem using it for a bookmatched top, TBH I think it'd look very nice. So long as it takes dye okay, there won't be any hassles with with a two-tone, it's a simple process. I'd love to see what Skervesen come up with, there have been a few stunning pieces popping up on their Facebook page recently and in NGDs here.

 

[Polar_man]

Its going to be a Skervesen imitation custom xD I feel a little bad about not going to the true professionals on this one...

But maybe in the distant future

I did some reasearch and it turns out this stuff is from a 'New Zealand Honeysuckle Tree' ( Knightia excelsa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Still i have no idea about this wood as a neck. I might try to contact the guy that made the guitars pictured above.

 

[UnderTheSign]

Here ya go. Rewarewa : NZWOOD
It seems pretty usable though going by what's said there (and in the bowyer posts linked above), I'd make sure the wood is seasoned well and apply a hard finish (ie. not an oil) to prevent warpage as much as possible.

 

[AwDeOh]

Haha.. I didn't pay attention to the name so I forgot you were a fellow Kiwi I've never heard of it (or the maori name Rewarewa), always been a bit hesitant to get too involved with native woods here since they can be tied up in export restrictions, like Kauri is.

Before starting, try get a lend of a moisture meter to check whether it's seasoned, you want around 10% before you start. If you're still going with the bolt on design in your thread, I'd say go for it. You're only risking the neck if the wood does indeed have problems. But that said, I just read that it was used alongside Kauri in boatbuilding, so you're probably dealing with a pretty strong species.

Aesthetically, I think you're looking at a pretty awesome choice of wood for a neck. If you're still interested in making a top out of it, that piece won't be wide enough for a two piece. You could call Gibson Veneer in Waitakere, they have Rewarewa veneer (along with a ton of other great stuff).

Gibson Veneer and Plywood - Natural Timber Veneers

 

[vansinn]

^ the referred info seems to indicate that only the heartwood might have issues, so I don't see why oil an finish wouldn't work well.

I never heard of it before, sounds interesting. Also nice that it's both strong and easily machinable (as some hard woods are known to be notoriously savvy on tools).

 

[UnderTheSign]

^ the referred info seems to indicate that only the heartwood might have issues, so I don't see why oil an finish wouldn't work well.

I never heard of it before, sounds interesting. Also nice that it's both strong and easily machinable (as some hard woods are known to be notoriously savvy on tools).

"The timber rays cause it to have high tangential shrinkage of 10.2% from green to 12 percent moisture content, and radial shrinkage of 4.1%"
Doesn't say it's just the heartwood, just says the heartwood is non-durable.

Also, found in a linked pdf:
Rewarewa is hard to dry with severe distortion (considerable tangential
shrinkage) and cracking, but when dry it is heavy, hard and very wear-
resistant. It should be worked with the grain, and can be planed, turned
and sanded with ease, although it has a tendency to tear and does not hold
a good edge.
The timber is attractive, with a grain similar to silky oak (with which it can be
confused) and plane, especially on quarter-sawn surfaces. The dry sap-
wood is a silvery pink-brown, while the heart-wood has a red speckled
colour ranging from dark pink through to richer red with an interesting
beautiful figure. The figure can be too flamboyant for large pieces, which
may be a reason why it has been popular for inlay, strips, and other
ornamental woodwork since cabinet-making commenced in New Zealand.
It also has good acoustic qualities, making it suitable for making musical
instruments, and is also often used for hand-tool handles. It is difficult to
season without cracking distortion and tends to move after turning. It tends to
be tricky to work and challenging to the turner, but takes a good finish.

The idea of it moving significantly does make me want to suggest something other than an oil finish.

 

[Polar_man]

Woah, thanks for all the excellent advice guys Man I love this site. I think i would be pretty keen to just bite the bullet and have it. The potential risks seem to fall short of the potential success at hand.

Yay

nay?

 

[AwDeOh]

One vote for yay, pending confirmation that the wood is seasoned properly. You should be able to get a timber importer/supplier to check, anyone that deals with bulk wood normally has a meter.

I'm really interested to see how this goes, and how the neck performs in the long term. It's always awesome seeing lesser known woods get some time in the spotlight.