Spalted wood

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6stringconvert

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Personally I'm not so keen on the look, but looks aside, is there any reduction in strength and integrity when used for a uke? I'm familiar with spalted yew, and this seriously looses strength when spalting.

6sc
 
I'm sure you'll get feedback here, but better responses in the Uke Building/Luthiers Lounge . . .
 
I'm a woodturner for almost 13 years, and I used to collect all my own logs for this purpose usually from tree trimmers, and Norfolk Pine, Avocado, and Mango wood were some that spalted quite readily. In fact unspalted they were very plain and unspectacular. I would leave these log outdoors out of direct sunlight and over a period of 3 to 6 months depending on species they would form beautiful dark streaks of blue, black orange which gave the rather plain light wood allot more character and beauty. Only problem was if I waited too long they would turn to punky mass of soft fiber. In the initial stages of this fungus infection the wood is still structurally strong but the longer you wait the prettier the colors and patterns but also the weaker the wood gets. I would imagine a unsound piece of spalted wood would be easy to spot when sliced thin for luthier use. Spalted wood has it's health risk for those working with it as the fungus spores in the wood dust if breathed in can cause respiratory illness. :eek:
 
:agree:
Beautiful spalting can be achieved with mango by simply stacking the boards (un stickered), wetting it down, covering it with a tarp, keeping it warm and waiting a few months. Some forms of spalting only affect the pigmentation of the wood while other types cause damage. You should never use wood that is punky for instrument building.
It's common to treat small spalted areas in wood by saturating the area with thin CA.
 
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johncaudrey said:
At a guess, I am guessing laminates may be a better process where spalting occurs. Hence getting the pretty spalting effect without the detrimental effects of damage throughout the wood!
Please correct me if I am wrong!
John
Click to expand...

I had hjeard this and I bought a spalted mango pono that was stunnig even though I was scared that it was going to rot apart. I was told that laminate is a great way to go with spalted but not neccesary.
 
I have almost been tempted recently by a Kala Spalted Maple Soprano, but can't really justify the expense. However I saw this one for sale on a UK website and was a bit surprised at how poor the matching was. Or am I being picky? This is a Ukulele costing over £150.

Ian.

KalaKA-FMCbackbig.jpg


(If you can enlarge the image the matching looks quite bad, UU or Photobucket has reduced the original size).
 
GrumpyOldMan said:
I have almost been tempted recently by a Kala Spalted Maple Soprano, but can't really justify the expense. However I saw this one for sale on a UK website and was a bit surprised at how poor the matching was. Or am I being picky? This is a Ukulele costing over £150.

Ian.

KalaKA-FMCbackbig.jpg


(If you can enlarge the image the matching looks quite bad, UU or Photobucket has reduced the original size).
Click to expand...
Maybe it doesn't match, but it's beautiful. I really like the looks for spalted wood.
 
Lack of symmetry bothers some people more than others. My wife like things to be perfect. I find perfection to be a bit unnatural.

To me, that uke looks fine. The slight slippage gives it character. Anyway, that's the bit you hold against your body while you play it. You ain't gonna be sitting there looking at it, are you?;)

John Colter.
 
Dave Higham said:
Do you mean that the RH side should be a bit lower (or the LH a bit higher?).
As far as the actual spalting goes, you rarely see a match as good as that.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I meant. I reckon there's about 3 or 4mm difference and that would REALLY bug me even though I wouldn't be able to see it whilst playing. Otherwise I agree with everyone else that, yes, it is a beauty.
It's for sale at Forsyths in Manchester if anyone is interested, £152.

Ian.
 
GrumpyOldMan said:
Yes, that's what I meant. I reckon there's about 3 or 4mm difference and that would REALLY bug me even though I wouldn't be able to see it whilst playing. Otherwise I agree with everyone else that, yes, it is a beauty.
It's for sale at Forsyths in Manchester if anyone is interested, £152.

Ian.
Click to expand...

Whenever I see that I think, that would have been a good time to add an accent strip right down the middle.
 
Holy smokes, you guys are picky! That's about as close of a book match as I've ever seen with spalted wood. It's not like book matching grain patterns, that's easy if the wood is quarter sawn and your saw kerf is thin. But spalting ignores grain patterns and goes where ever it wants to.
 
I don't think it's too picky. Here is a link to the page it is on. http://www.forsyths.co.uk/instruments/folk-instruments/ukuleles/kala/ Click on the pic and you will get a much larger pic. I reckon there is as much as 5mm difference and although I am not a luthier I am certain that that wood could have been matched better.
It's immaterial really to me as I have no intention of buying it but a week or two ago I might have done as it was exactly what I wanted then. That's the thing with UAS, what I like one day will be replaced by something else the next day.

Ian.
 
GrumpyOldMan said:
I don't think it's too picky. Here is a link to the page it is on. http://www.forsyths.co.uk/instruments/folk-instruments/ukuleles/kala/ Click on the pic and you will get a much larger pic. I reckon there is as much as 5mm difference and although I am not a luthier I am certain that that wood could have been matched better.
It's immaterial really to me as I have no intention of buying it but a week or two ago I might have done as it was exactly what I wanted then. That's the thing with UAS, what I like one day will be replaced by something else the next day.

Ian.
Click to expand...

I don't think I made my point clear. What I'm saying is that the grain may match, but the spalting may not. Spalting does NOT necessarily follow grain patterns. Book matching the grain of quatersawn wood is easy but spalting may run flat across the grain. I run into the issue all the time. You do the best you can, but matching the grain is primary, matching the spalting is a secondary concern.
 
Lol. To be honest with that Ukulele the first thing I looked at was the Spalting. I never even looked at the grain. Yes I gree that grain does indeed match perfectly (now I've been back for a look!) but if I personally was buying that Uke I would prefer the spalting to match and wouldn't worry too much about the grain. I personally would not buy that Uke with that much difference.

I am not saying it is wrong, just not to my taste.

Ian.
 
I Have a Kala KA FMS. The Spalting on the sides is not very spectacular and almost not there on the back , but the back is a gorgeous Flame maple.
I have been well pleased with it
The one in the pic looks really pretty
 
If I was buying that uke I would love it and hug it and pet it and squeeze it and cuddle it and pick it and strum it and call it George.

I think it's cool lookin' as is.
 
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