Rosewood soundboard?

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Michael Thoner
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Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:22 am

Rosewood soundboard?

Post by Michael Thoner »

If I shave it a little thin, will it work?
johnnparchem
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Re: Rosewood soundboard?

Post by johnnparchem »

If you shave it thin it will not have the stiffness and tone that you want. It is the ratio of stiffness per mass that you want high. Rosewood is too dense (heavy) to make a good sound board. If you thin it to a good stiffness then it will be too heavy, if you thin it farther then it will not be stiff enough. Both cases are bad.
tippie53
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Re: Rosewood soundboard?

Post by tippie53 »

it is weight to strength rosewood fails as a top. If it was good for tops you would see them. The few that I saw were terrible guitars looked nice but sounded thin and weak
John Hall
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president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
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rcnewcomb
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Re: Rosewood soundboard?

Post by rcnewcomb »

I've played a few by different builders and none of the rosewood topped instruments sounded that good -- too "stiff"
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
Michael Thoner
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Re: Rosewood soundboard?

Post by Michael Thoner »

I thought so. My wife wants a dark wood top that matches the rest of the guitar. She pointed at some Indonesian Rosewood that she liked, but I wasn't sure if it would work or not.
johnnparchem
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Re: Rosewood soundboard?

Post by johnnparchem »

Michael Thoner wrote:I thought so. My wife wants a dark wood top that matches the rest of the guitar. She pointed at some Indonesian Rosewood that she liked, but I wasn't sure if it would work or not.
Maybe mahogany with some stain.
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