How do you like Myrtlewood?

roxhum

roxhum

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I would love to hear from people with experience with myrtlewood as a tone wood and how they like it. I want a myrtle wood uke because it is a local wood for my area but... My understanding is it is in the mid range between mellow and bright and I prefer Mahagony first and Koa second. So your thoughts on myrtlewood...
Thanks
 
My six string myrtle sparkles.
Check out the Mya-Moe website, they have lots of sound samples and Gordon is a Myrtle fan.
 
I'm terrible at describing the sounds of Ukuleles. My Ohana sounds different from my Mahogany and from the Koa. I would say it falls in between the two. It's plucky, deep, sassy~ just love it! I use Southcoast strings on that one, and that might have something to do with it. The Ohana Soprano is larger than any Soprano I've seen, about half an inch deeper. You might want to check it out at Uke Republic.
 
Seemingly irrelevant question, unless it occurs: does myrtlewood stink? Does it have a smell? I think it does, but what are all of your thoughts.
 
Stink? I think Myrtlewood is the same as Laurel and Bay so maybe it smells like a bay leaf that you use for cooking. Interesting question.

Thank you everyone for your replies. Keep 'em coming if you have experience with Myrtle. It isn't as bright as say, spruce is it?
 
This video helped me decide whether to get a Mya-Moe tenor made of myrtle.



My experience is that (as Aaron says at the end of this video) there may be more variety among different brands of ukulele using the same wood than there is among the same brand of ukulele made from different woods, so this video was really helpful for me. My Mya-Moe tenor is brighter than my koa Kamaka tenor, but I attribute a lot of that to differences between the Mya-Moe and Kamaka sounds.

Here's a link to the Mya-Moe "acoustics of wood" page. This page has links to lots of sound samples and the woods are, according to the page, "listed generally in order of warmest (koa) to brightest (all-maple)." More of the spruce tops (with other wood sides and back) are listed closer to maple than to myrtle.

I hope this helps.
 
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It's great stuff, and powder post beetles love it, too...

Got to be careful with cants and logs...
 
Cants are "live edge" slabs. As in "just cut from the de-barked log" in a sawmill on a "head rig". The next steps are often cross cut, edge, and then to rip lengths to maximum width, and finally to resaw down into smaller dimensions. The order of operations after the cants are cut may vary depending on the logs, the sawmill, and the final intended usage.

For a good explanation of sawmill operations, check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawmill

I have a 20 Hp horizontal band resaw in my operation, so I can buy large rough lumber or cants and cut to suit my needs. I can also use the resaw as a small head rig if the log sections are small enough...a maximum of about 8" thick by 13" wide, but that's pushing it, and such chunks of wood are really heavy to handle.
 
Perhaps it is a trade secret, but the thickness/thinness of a ukulele has a difference in the sound it makes. Does it have a flat back or arched? Are strings to the bridge or through the body. Gordon's comparisons are relative to only his ukuleles. Shape and location of sound holes also makes a difference.

Myrtle leaves are very fragrant. The wood has no odor when cut initially, cut into sections or slabbed. I have been hording a piece of gunstock myrtle which is full figured flame from end to end on all four sides. It has been with me since it was cut in 1981. There is still no odor.
 
I have one of Mya Moes Blue Pond Myrtle tenors that I was blessed to buy from a member here. I wrote Gordon asking what he thought of the wood. He wrote back that the Blue Pond Myrtle was so rare he could only get one slab of it from a log that was pulled out of a.. well pond. Had just enough to make 13 ukes from it and was his favorite wood to work with. Sounds and looks great.http://www.myamoeukuleles.com/uketracker.php?trackingNumber=461&submit=Track
 
My custom Brad Donaldson super soprano is myrtle - and it is wonderful. It's topped with Port Orford Cedar, which does have a VERY powerful smell - I feel like I'm in the woods when I play it. The sound is...well, the perfect balance to me. I highly recommend it.
 
bbycrts said:
My custom Brad Donaldson super soprano is myrtle - and it is wonderful. It's topped with Port Orford Cedar, which does have a VERY powerful smell - I feel like I'm in the woods when I play it. The sound is...well, the perfect balance to me. I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...

Hey, maybe that's it! I have a myrtle body, cedar top uke and it stinks like hell. Woodsy yes, but not in a good way. It's oppressive. I thought it was the body, but maybe it's the cedar top. I poured a bottle of woman's perfume in the soundhole, no crap, it was that bad.

Now whenever I play it I smell like my grandma's panty hose.
 
coolkayaker1 said:
Hey, maybe that's it! I have a myrtle body, cedar top uke and it stinks like hell. Woodsy yes, but not in a good way. It's oppressive. I thought it was the body, but maybe it's the cedar top. I poured a bottle of woman's perfume in the soundhole, no crap, it was that bad.

Now whenever I play it I smell like my grandma's panty hose.
Click to expand...

so now we know your fetish!!
 
@ coolkayaker1
Maybe you are allergic to cedar, some people are though generally to the pollen. If it is a serious allergy though, a cedar block for the closet or chest of drawers (used to repel moths) can cause a reaction.

I have a travel guitar with a cedar top, I love to stick my nose in the soundhole when I take it out of the case. I have a classical with a cedar top as well, it has no fragrance but it is sealed. I recently sold my cedar topped soprano, it was sealed as well and also no fragrance.

Re the question, I have a Donaldson custom myrtle spruce topped uke, it is awesome. Lovely both in tone and appearance, and that is with it strung with Aquilas, I expect it to be even better when I get some Southcoasts on it.
 
I have a concert uke made of all myrtle. I find the tone to be sweet and very balanced. Certainly brighter than mahogany and koa, but not brash. Mine is a Mya Moe and it rings like a bell. The sustain is comparable to a KoAloha tenor I used to have.
 
I have a concert pineapple with a solid myrtle top, back, and sides; it was made by the Covered Bridge guys before they came up with the Covered Bridge name. To borrow a phrase from digeridoo2, it rings like a bell. I would describe the tone as "sweet." It's up there with my walnut/spruce Boat Paddle as one of my favourite instruments; I play the Boat Paddle more often, but only because I prefer the soprano scale. The instrument is also gorgeous. Myrtle is a very pretty wood.
 
Kem said:
I have a concert pineapple with a solid myrtle top, back, and sides; it was made by the Covered Bridge guys before they came up with the Covered Bridge name. To borrow a phrase from digeridoo2, it rings like a bell. I would describe the tone as "sweet." It's up there with my walnut/spruce Boat Paddle as one of my favourite instruments; I play the Boat Paddle more often, but only because I prefer the soprano scale. The instrument is also gorgeous. Myrtle is a very pretty wood.
Click to expand...

Mine is by the Covered Bridge guys before the name, too. And, despite the lovely myrtle wood with cedar top, the odor is pungent and overwhelming. And I love cedar, have it in my closet. I'm wondering if wood that is not yet fully aged, is still slightly "green", will have odor. Does yours stink, Kem?
 
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