Hemlock Soundboard?

[Ken W]

There are many old hemlock bleacher seats available as schools in our area replace their old wooden gym bleachers with newer aluminum ones. Many of the old bleachers are 10 inches wide, 10-12 feet long, and perfectly quarter sawn. Have any of you used hemlock for uke soundboards with good results? Just wondering if it is worth scraping all of the old chewing gum off the bleachers to give it a try.

 

[bbycrts]

There are many old hemlock bleacher seats available as schools in our area replace their old wooden gym bleachers with newer aluminum ones. Many of the old bleachers are 10 inches wide, 10-12 feet long, and perfectly quarter sawn. Have any of you used hemlock for uke soundboards with good results? Just wondering if it is worth scraping all of the old chewing gum off the bleachers to give it a try.

Brad Donaldson's initial Youthalele prototype was built largely of hemlock and it sounded great - give it a try!

 

[David Newton]

Be informed by history and tradition. Look around and see how many other instruments are made with Hemlock sound boards.
It's not like you've discovered a new wood.
That being said, good practices can make just about any wood work.

 

[ksquine]

I've only seen hemlock used as a top once on a guitar. Seemed to function ok as a top....made sound, provided a place for the bridge to sit. If you can get it for free then give it a try and see how you like it. I wouldn't invest in a truck load of it though.

 

[Ken W]

I wouldn't invest in a truck load of it though.

Nope...it's free. I think I'll give it a try.

 

[Rick Turner]

Just don't drink the stuff...

 

[bbycrts]

Be informed by history and tradition. Look around and see how many other instruments are made with Hemlock sound boards.
It's not like you've discovered a new wood.
That being said, good practices can make just about any wood work.

True...true. But history and tradition didn't exactly build with mango and yew and sycamore - there are a lot of nontraditional woods that people are trying out these days, sometimes with great results. Building with a nontraditional wood as an experiment or exercise in alternate woods is a great thing...

 

[Allen]

I'd give it a go in a heartbeat just to see and hear the results.

And if it's free, then I'd grab as much as I could reasonably store for any use that might come along.

 

[ksquine]

I'd give it a go in a heartbeat just to see and hear the results.

And if it's free, then I'd grab as much as I could reasonably store for any use that might come along.

Do you really want wood that's been in contact with so many people's butts??

 

[new wave ukulele]

Just don't drink the stuff...

Socrates last words: "I drank what?"

 

[Rick Turner]

I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be just fine and maybe even truly excellent top material. Ukes are pretty forgiving when it comes to wood choices if you build well and build appropriately to the wood itself.

 

[Wildestcat]

Another mystery solved...

We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61

I always wondered what he was on about!

 

[Ken W]

This is what I ended up with after a bit of resawing and a few trips through the sander. The board with the nasty red paint is the bleacher seat in its original form.

 

[saltytri]

It's not like hemlock hasn't been used before:

Of course, your hemlock may not be what we call hemlock in Oregon. So feel free to send me some and I'll be happy to let you know if it will work! :drool:

 

[bbycrts]

This is what I ended up with after a bit of resawing and a few trips through the sander. The board with the nasty red paint is the bleacher seat in its original form.

Wow - you can't get much more quartersawn than that! That stuff looks great - I hope it sounds as good.

 

[Les Nelson]

woods

Hi Guys. I am a new boy just started my second Tenor uk and so I am using what wood there is in my shop (home workshop), my first try is mostly a learning curve, sound board Beech, sides Oak, back Oak, I have lots of Pine in stock ( realy old stuff) so made a neck from that as a trial, it looks so nice I am keeping it , fret board Mahogany ( table top), I lost most of the "waist" curve but liked the shape so "went with it" , MK two will stay in the former for a week, I know the first one is not finished but as there is a lot of waiting time I decided to start MK two, curving the sides was OK but on the MK 2 I soaked the wood over night, seemed to "go" better, I play a Uk/Banjo so I am OK with playing, cant wait to get my first instrument strung and give it a go, have ordered Aquila Nylgut strings, Had to build a drum sander to fit my milling machine ,it is excelent, Miller? I am a retired design engineer so all my machines have to be multi purpose. Keep on struming. Les PS comments welcome

 

[bluenathan]

My understanding is hemlock sounds similar in tonal characteristics to mahogany. I have a cousin who made an acoustic out of hemlock. He said the only negative was that hemlock is hard to paint. The wood absorbs it unevenly
Nate
Sightlines

 

[Ukakuka]

This is what I ended up with after a bit of resawing and a few trips through the sander. The board with the nasty red paint is the bleacher seat in its original form.

I scored some nice quarter sawn hemlock and used it for the soundboard on my first soprano (which I swore I’d never lower myself to play) but, I love the sound so much I can’t seem to put the darn thing down.







Get as much as you can!

 

[John Colter]

"wood that's been in contact with so many people's butts"

It could be idea for the back side.

John Colter

ps It looks great - I'd use it.