Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
- J.F. Custom
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Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Hi All.
Well, I was re-sawing some fingerboards, bridges and headplate veneers yesterday and was just stunned by how outrageously beautiful timber can be. For me, the never ending variety of grain, colour, texture and figure is a huge source of inspiration for my work. Timber is 'art' in and of itself. Personally, I feel we as Luthiers put that art to it's best possible use too - outside of a tree that is. I guess this is how artists in the more traditional sense, feel about their mediums as well. All timber is beautiful but sometimes it is simply awe inspiring. I thought perhaps we could start a gallery of sorts just for inspiration and appreciation of the materials we work with. So how about some pictures peoples? It doesn't have to be in your possession, perhaps being something you've seen online and downloaded instead, raw stock, finished items - it doesn't matter. Just a gallery of what this world is offering in the way of wood. I'm sure Mr Spittle could fill this gallery himself... and he is welcome to! But I'll kick it off with the pieces that inspired me yesterday...
Some Cocobolo and Birds-Eye Bocote Headplate Veneers, probably two full size and a uke per bookmatch for size reference.
Some Spalted Bocote and Amboyna Burl Headplate Veneers.
And some highly figured Qld. Maple, it's like that I have not seen for years. An electric drop top set.
Anyone else?
Cheers,
Jeremy.
Well, I was re-sawing some fingerboards, bridges and headplate veneers yesterday and was just stunned by how outrageously beautiful timber can be. For me, the never ending variety of grain, colour, texture and figure is a huge source of inspiration for my work. Timber is 'art' in and of itself. Personally, I feel we as Luthiers put that art to it's best possible use too - outside of a tree that is. I guess this is how artists in the more traditional sense, feel about their mediums as well. All timber is beautiful but sometimes it is simply awe inspiring. I thought perhaps we could start a gallery of sorts just for inspiration and appreciation of the materials we work with. So how about some pictures peoples? It doesn't have to be in your possession, perhaps being something you've seen online and downloaded instead, raw stock, finished items - it doesn't matter. Just a gallery of what this world is offering in the way of wood. I'm sure Mr Spittle could fill this gallery himself... and he is welcome to! But I'll kick it off with the pieces that inspired me yesterday...
Some Cocobolo and Birds-Eye Bocote Headplate Veneers, probably two full size and a uke per bookmatch for size reference.
Some Spalted Bocote and Amboyna Burl Headplate Veneers.
And some highly figured Qld. Maple, it's like that I have not seen for years. An electric drop top set.
Anyone else?
Cheers,
Jeremy.
- DarwinStrings
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Yesus Rice! as my Baltic mate says. I have nothing like that but do have a few local bits still attached to the tree and will post them once I get them off if they turn out that pretty.
Jim
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
- sebastiaan56
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Beautiful timber is our main advantage. If we don't bugger it up, we look like geniuses. I found this Warwick bass yesterday. The timber is Madrone. This one is especially beautiful and interesting, a natural sunburst.


"Were you drying your nails or waving me good bye?" Tom Waits
Bill
Bill
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Very nice Jeremy, i got a couple here to use on headstocks, not as figured as those you've got there but i'm sure they'll do the trick. therse pics show burl of, eucalypt, walnut and American red maple.
Cheers Rod.
Cheers Rod.
Like I said before the crash, " Hit the bloody thing, it won't hit ya back
www.octiganguitars.com
www.octiganguitars.com
- J.F. Custom
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Hey Jim - Love to see what you rip up when you do. What species have you got your eye on?
Bill - that Madrone Burl is stunning. I've seen several Warwick basses with beautiful timber - I am fond of their 'Thumb Bass' design in the right timber...
Hi Rod. Those are every bit as stunning, just different and some nice scores too as it would seem they are yours. Must keep my eye out for some figured Walnut like that.
Here are two that sadly, don't belong to me... if only. Saved from the net along the way somewhere because they are amazing.
This chunk of Bubinga would keep you going for a while...
And this is a reasonably decent hunk of Maple too...
Cheers,
Jeremy.
Bill - that Madrone Burl is stunning. I've seen several Warwick basses with beautiful timber - I am fond of their 'Thumb Bass' design in the right timber...
Hi Rod. Those are every bit as stunning, just different and some nice scores too as it would seem they are yours. Must keep my eye out for some figured Walnut like that.
Here are two that sadly, don't belong to me... if only. Saved from the net along the way somewhere because they are amazing.
This chunk of Bubinga would keep you going for a while...
And this is a reasonably decent hunk of Maple too...

Cheers,
Jeremy.
- DarwinStrings
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
I have my eye on a couple of Euc burls on a mates property (they may end up a bit to gum veiny) and have been searching for burls on that Acacia I used on the Tele type acoustic. Am also on a promise of a knarly EIR that has to come down sooner or later.J.F. Custom wrote:Hey Jim - Love to see what you rip up when you do. What species have you got your eye on?
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
- John Steele
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Wow, lots of great looking stuff there.
This is some walnut I found when I first moved here many years ago. Some gunstock company felled a HUGE walnut.
I grabbed some of what was left over. Lots of bowls and boxes. I use this for pick guards and headstock veneers.
This is some walnut I found when I first moved here many years ago. Some gunstock company felled a HUGE walnut.
I grabbed some of what was left over. Lots of bowls and boxes. I use this for pick guards and headstock veneers.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it"
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration

I like cocobolo

Cheers
Kim
Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Here's a BRW headplate worth a look, very wet with metho.
- DarwinStrings
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
This is a local from Kim's state, Eucalyptus vasticola burl.
Jim
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
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- Myrtle
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
This won't be used in a musical instrument, but it's a nice slab of red ironbark that's will become our kitchen dining table. It's about 1900x700x40, and only just fitted in the back of our car for the trip home - the front passenger seat had to be folded forward and my wife had to sit in the back alongside the slab...

- DarwinStrings
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
"She's a good sport your missus", quote from I think a VB add from the 80/90's.
You almost got me to drag out a bark to bark figured red gum slab I have Nick, it's about 1150 x 2100 and 50mm thick. But I put it in the too hard basket just for a photo.
Nice bit of chainsaw figure in your slab there, it should look great under finish.
Jim
You almost got me to drag out a bark to bark figured red gum slab I have Nick, it's about 1150 x 2100 and 50mm thick. But I put it in the too hard basket just for a photo.
Nice bit of chainsaw figure in your slab there, it should look great under finish.
Jim
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield
Jim Schofield
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Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
Here is another image of Euc. Vasticola
[url]http://www.australiantonewoods.com[/url]
Re: Wild Wood Gallery - Inspiration
I think I've got a couple of slabs of that one Tim.
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