Archtop Back and sides

[mac007]

Hi
I'm starting a carved Benedetto style archtop and intend getting some spruce top tonewood from a Canadian supplier.
Back and sides are traditionally curly maple but that is prohibitively expensive.
Any comments on using blackwood, Qld silver ash or similar local hardwoods?

Thanks in advance

MK

[kiwigeo]

Blackwood would work.

Rod Octigan is our archtop specialist....Im sure he'll chime in with some advice.

[rocket]

MK, one mistake I made when I first started out was choosing an unproven species for the back and sides, the instrument turned out ok for my first attempt but had a nice crack open up in the back, I should have gone with a regular choice and spent a bit more money on the project.
I do use curly maple for backs and do agree that AAA and AAAA grade is expensive but you can choose AA which is still very good but not as costly.
I also use a lot of Blackwood which can also be expensive depending on the grade and figure /curl, it does have its drawbacks though the main one is finishing off you want a mirror gloss finish a carved Blackwood back is 10 times as much work as a maple back because of the pore filling issue. Silver Wattle is also very nice for back and sides.
That’s about all I can think of, I hope you get as much joy out of your first archtop as I did MK, 15 years and 40 along I still get a thrill out of these instruments.

Cheers
Rod

[mac007]

Thanks Rod,

Do you use Luthiers Merc for the maple?
Carpathian?

chrs Maurice K

[rocket]

Forgot to mention Queensland maple which is another go to for these instruments also Figian mahogany which is plentiful in the size you need, cheaper than most species but still very nice to work and delivers a very nice product, likewise with Queensland Kauri beautiful to carve and also delivers the goods, Celery top, Huon Pine are some others to keep your eye open for, Silly Oak too but carving can expose huge pores.
My second build was Figian Mahogany and Sitka, had a lovely result, playability/ tone etc if you look past the little newbie stuff ups, still have it, not going anywhere!!

[mac007]

Thanks Rod,

As it happens I have a piece of Fijian Mahogany (Matthews Timber) 40mm x 300 which I could split. Was going to make a Tele

[rocket]

Where are you in Melbourne?

[mac007]

Geelong and occaisonly Albert Park

[rocket]

Im in Boronia,
I'd be looking for a billet of at least 50mm to resaw for a back, you'll want an arch of at least 22-23mm on a 17 inch archtop.

Cheers
Rod.

[mac007]

Or if you can tilt your bandsaw to cut into two wedges about 30mm-10mm?
Am I reading this correctly?
If so, you wouldn't need as thick a billet.

A challenging cut though

[rocket]

You could do that but your plates wouldn’t be book matched, although you might get away with it in the case of Figian Mahogany

Rod

[mac007]

Thanks Rod,

I found some 60mm Bunya and Qld maple at a reasonable price so I'll go with your plan A.

That should get me going!

chrs

Maurice