What a crazy episode that would be!

Appreciate it!

It’s a big week!

​@@TomSandsGuitars is Tasmanian blackwood as durable as basswood for weather resistence?

Yes , koa Is More rare tonewood

I really need to get some lutz

@@TomSandsGuitars First let me say I love your approach to building, and noticed you have found your own path (after Ervin) which is great. I attended one of Ervin's earlier luthier "voicing/building" classes in Oakland, slept in his shop for a week, it was a blast.....I bought a bunch of Lutz Spruce billets 15+ years ago before it was popular, turned out to be a lucky gamble. Resawed 100+ sets sitting in my wood storage for future use as I stopped building ~10 years ago due to family responsibilities (retirement is close and I will build again). The Lutz I have is spectacular material, better than any other tops I have handled. I am sure that tops like Moon Spruce are great stuff, but doubt it is any better than the Lutz. Anyway, love watching your vids and your guitars sound awesome.

@@ggergg6423 ah amazing! Ervin is an incredible teacher. I’m going to buy some lutz right now!

@@TomSandsGuitars Yeah, he was awesome, loved seeing his jigs too! hope you get some good sets sir!

@@ggergg6423 yes there were definitely some masterful jigs in the shop. Very clever indeed

I imagine so

Now that’s an idea!!

Hey John, drop me an email via the website. I can send over an options list 🙌

I have a guitar with Australian Blackwood top, back, and sides. I sounds great.

If James Kidman is related to Murray Kidman….he knows exactly what he is talking about. I love both Otways and Tassie Blackwood, the Otways stuff always seems a little more richer in the orange/gold hues and the stuff from Tassie has a moreso darker, greyer colouring. Gosh I love them both!!

I've always known it as Blackwood wattle. His piece may well have come from the Otways as you say. I wonder if the countries where it has become invasive are also selling the timber on the global market?

No, it has been known and used for fine furniture and many other things 200 years. Working with it gives you black hands, hence the name.

It burns very easily and turns black. Routing, power sanding etc, it burns, especially the end grain. I dont know if thats where it got its name.

Completely different species, not directly comparable in any way. African Blackwood is a true rosewood, Tasmanian Blackwood is an acacia.

@@TomSandsGuitars Both a dense wood, and similar response?

@@danherrick5785 dense in comparison to?

Is taz blackwood as dense as African. Meaning will it have a similar reflection properties? Or is taz an inferior tone wood?

@@danherrick5785 According to "the wood database" African blackwood is very hard and dense, showing little grain. Its very similar to ebony. Also rare, expensive and restricted. Australian blackwood is half the weight/density of African. They are completely different timbers. By reflection I assume you mean for sides or maybe back. Tone wood? Do you mean tone as reflection or tone as generation? For a top I imagine Australian would be way better as its half the weight. So unless you have a specific reason a top is generally desirable to be light, stiff and strong along the grain. So Sitka Spruce is about 30% lighter than Australian blackwood and Koa. Sitka Spruce as a top should in theory generate more volume as its lighter but still pretty stiff. Heavier timbers should in theory require more energy to vibrate.

Who said anything about African Blackwood?

@@TomSandsGuitars Sorry. It was not for here that I wrote. I bought a Cort Core OC all solid guitar (blackwood). It sounds terrible from the factory. I had to make changes to it and now it sounds really good, different from everything I have. For example, high frequencies have no shine, overtones. I used 2 drilled brass pins for high E and B and now it's much better. Under the saddle pickup kills the sound

I hadn’t heard of that but it sounds like a slightly spurious claim.

Are you talking about electric guitars?