Oak?

[dreadnut]

Question: why don't they (generally speaking) make guitars from oak? It's hard, it has a nice grain, they use ash, why not oak?

Understand, a woodworker I ain't, I only appreciate fine woods from the consumer viewpoint.

 

[yettoblaster]

I believe oak HAS been used by some luthiers and made good guitars.

It may be harder to "work" than the usually preferred stuff, or be harder to dry. I dunno.

 

[Dr. Spivey]

I've read on AGF that oak is hard to bend and likes to crack, so not all builders are willing to work with it.

 

[204084]

anyone ever notice how much Keith Richards looks like Zappa?...just saying...

 

[Dr. Spivey]

anyone ever notice how much Keith Richards looks like Zappa?...just saying...

We've warped your mind already? :lol: :lol:

 

[Nigel Wickwire]

Question: why don't they (generally speaking) make guitars from oak? It's hard, it has a nice grain, they use ash, why not oak?

Understand, a woodworker I ain't, I only appreciate fine woods from the consumer viewpoint.

Sometime back, in Wood and Steel magazine somebody asked Bob Taylor that same question, more or less. I'm paraphrasing here, but his answer was, 'you can build a guitar from oak, or most any other wood. It would sound just fine. The reason that Taylor doesn't, or anyone else for that matter, is economics. The guitar buying public mostly wants to see mahogany or rosewood guitars with spruce tops. No one would buy an Oak guitar.'

He used the infamous Taylor Pallet guitar to illustrate his point:
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/archive/older/archive/pallet.html

~nw

 

[Default]

Oak splits like crazy. I would think if it was musical instrument grade, it would have been used already.

Seriously, can you imagine an oak Les Paul? You'd need a backbrace!

 

[Brad Little]

I think that oak was not uncommon in the late 19th-early 20th century. I recall seeing a number of oak parlor guitars (mostly) from that era.
Brad

 

[evenkeel]

I agree with Nigel. Oak has been used, as has other non-traditional woods like cherry. The buying public has decided acoustic guitars should be made of spruce and rosewood or mahogany so that's the woods the builders use.

 

[cjd-player]

The reason that Taylor doesn't, or anyone else for that matter, is economics. The guitar buying public mostly wants to see mahogany or rosewood guitars with spruce tops. No one would buy an Oak guitar.'

He used the infamous Taylor Pallet guitar to illustrate his point:
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/archive/older/archive/pallet.html

~nw

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