Curly Redwood

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 5, 2014

I picked up a bunch of top sets of this stuff but I have no experience with it. It looks scary to work with since half of it is end grain. I'm worried about the bridge tearing right out of it. I'm assuming it needs to be thicker and braced more heavily than it's straight grain counterparts but I'm a little shy to even give it a go. Anybody with experience in using curly redwood? TIA.

Jim Hanks · Apr 6, 2014

Funny you should ask - http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...io-and-Curly-Redwood-tenor-nearing-completion

aaronckeim · Apr 6, 2014

Yes, we have used curly redwood a fair bit. It looks and sounds great, but yes, it can be a pain to work with. I even saw another builder have a bridge rip one of those curls right off! We leave it a little thick and add a little bracing and it works fine.
A

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 6, 2014

Jim Hanks said:
Funny you should ask - http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...io-and-Curly-Redwood-tenor-nearing-completion

Thanks. Yeah, it looks nice all right but I'd be more interested in that thread if it were talking about that uke when it is a year or more old. I'm concerned about the problem that Aaron mentioned in the above post. When I checked one of these boards for stiffness it broke under the slightest flexing. By looking at the sides of the panels I think I can plan for the bridge to be in an area where the grain is the straightest and stingiest. i'm thinking of a top thickness of between .080" and .085".

afreiki · Apr 6, 2014

I put my thumb right through 2 (yes two) curly redwood tops. They were lovely up to that point.
Anne

BlackBearUkes · Apr 6, 2014

Wood with that much run out can be dangerous. I would definitely use a string through type bridge with a bridge patch if I were to use it, but I wouldn't use it. Good luck Chuck.

jcalkin · Apr 6, 2014

Chuck, how can you resist that kind of challenge? Its not like you have to sell the first one.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 6, 2014

Some great responses. Thank you all! I think I'm gonna pass. Life is exciting enough without me having to create more drama for myself. I made the same mistake buying a dozen sets of curly lychee I'll never use. I should be content building with boring koa.

Mahalo, Chuck

pakhan · Apr 6, 2014

Sorry guys I emailed Chuck privately but thought I should share my thoughts here too...

My experience comes from steel string guitars. I helped my mentor with one and basically it was designed for minimal load, maximal strength;

short scale length,
smaller body,
careful bridge placement to avoid the edges being placed on the approaching short grain
larger but thinner bridge plate
30% thicker top

On the whole I think you can successfully use it on a uke where the dimensions and scale provide better stability although the thickness would have to be considered carefully... plus the owner should be aware of the sensibilities of curly redwood...

Terence

BR Ukuleles · Apr 6, 2014

I've used it but not a fan of it Chuck. Clients request it for the wow factor. I don't offer it unless it's demanded. Then I'll let them know what I think of it and some still insist.

The sets I've used didn't have the tap tone that I'd want in a top, and that played out in the finished product. Alright, but not great. I'd sum it up as the instrument will look great so people will pick it up to try it, but discerning ones will put it back because it doesn't sound as good as it should.

I've made mine about 20% heavier and all are string through.

NewKid · Apr 6, 2014

I have a custom tenor with a Redwood top and Walnut back and sides. It has a sweet voice but moderate volume compared with my Cedar and Mahogany topped tenors. If I play it by itself for a while I am quite pleased with it. However, if I play either of the other tenors at the same time, the difference in volume and presence is quite noticeable.

So I agree with Allen that it's alright but not great. Jerry Hoffmann of Boat Paddle Ukulele Co. looked inside my Redwood tenor and noticed the heavier bracing. This post helped me understand why and the challenge of working with this top wood.

I was frustrated with the lack of volume before but, now that I understand the reason why, it helps me be more accepting of my Redwood-topped tenor. I do love the beauty of this instrument and it's quite nice to have something a little quieter to play in the early morning.

BlackBearUkes · Apr 6, 2014

Once last thought Chuck. If you wanted to try using the redwood, you could make a double top out it like some classical guitar builders do. I would probably use a stiff piece of spruce on the inside to support the curly redwood and maybe go 40/60 or 50/50, and that way the top could also be average thickness rather than thicker. Just a thought.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Apr 6, 2014

BlackBearUkes said:
Once last thought Chuck. If you wanted to try using the redwood, you could make a double top out it like some classical guitar builders do. I would probably use a stiff piece of spruce on the inside to support the curly redwood and maybe go 40/60 or 50/50, and that way the top could also be average thickness rather than thicker. Just a thought.

That's a very good thought Duane. I've got some very stiff, tight grained redwood i could use underneath it. I'm afraid of compromising the tone by doing so though. Might be worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Chris_H · Apr 6, 2014

I am getting schooled with a Curly Redwood top right now. First, it did form a very slight crack right at the tail block. I was able to repair that with a small epoxy fillet. What is really bothering me though, is that there are a few places along particular grain lines that obviously have voids in them. I did not see this in the raw, nor under the shellac. Now that the lacquer is going on, it is like some unfilled grain pores. I decided to just spray 2 coats of lacquer at a time, then sand it hard with the orbital, trying to stop right before it burns through, filling with lacquer. I know this is wrong, but do not want to strip the whole instrument, I really do not care about it that much. If I were a pro builder, this would be frustrating. I work with wood enough, and fine finishes, to notice little details in wood. This one slipped by. I even looked at another piece of the same wood, raw, and could not see what was causing it. I did not use a magnifying loop. It is pretty, but, 'once bitten, twice shy...'

Kevin Waldron · Apr 7, 2014

Good time to make a lay-up top with red wood, carbon fiber fabric, and perhaps mahogany for the bottom layer. You probably can go slightly thinner with lay-up than normal top. ( vacuum bag... and a good glue like Unibond and a woven carbon fiber fabric)

Blessings,

kevin

Dan Uke · Apr 7, 2014

NewKid said:
So I agree with Allen that it's alright but not great. Jerry Hoffmann of Boat Paddle Ukulele Co. looked inside my Redwood tenor and noticed the heavier bracing. This post helped me understand why and the challenge of working with this top wood.

I was frustrated with the lack of volume before but, now that I understand the reason why, it helps me be more accepting of my Redwood-topped tenor. I do love the beauty of this instrument and it's quite nice to have something a little quieter to play in the early morning.

Don, I thought you had straight grained redwood and not curly?

NewKid · Apr 7, 2014

Hi Daniel, You're right, my redwood top is straight-grained but it's built as Aaron Keim said - a little thicker top and a little more bracing.

coolcow · Apr 7, 2014

BlackBearUkes said:
Once last thought Chuck. If you wanted to try using the redwood, you could make a double top out it like some classical guitar builders do. I would probably use a stiff piece of spruce on the inside to support the curly redwood and maybe go 40/60 or 50/50, and that way the top could also be average thickness rather than thicker. Just a thought.

I have a curly redwood top tenor....The curly redwood top is thin and it has a tight grained redwood under to support it. it looks and sounds good. Hopefully no cracks over the years

by the way....the curly redwood looks beautiful Chuck! hope you'd make a uke with it

hawaii 50 · Apr 7, 2014

I agree with Coolcow....., Chuck...it would make a beautiful MB...but you know best...I know Rick Turner does not like quilted Redwood..easy to break....but if you layer with straight grain Redwood seems to work...it also has a string through bridge so that should help too...

Coolcows uke has deep rich tones and clear highs...I played it and it sounds nice....

but that only my 2 cents...

Kekani · Apr 7, 2014

I have a few pieces that still need to be cut into sets. Just absolutely nice curl (for redwood, that doesn't mean tight, but it does mean definition). I did cut a set that's been sitting a couple of years waiting for the right project.

Just by looking at it, my concerns are the same as Aaron mentioned (pulling out), and my solution would be a string through bridge as Duane mentioned, which I haven't done in years.

That being said, I don't think I want the right project to come along, and I'll do with it what I did with all of MGM's Aquila strings that he left me. Or did I get rid of it already? Can't even remember. . .

Curly Redwood

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