| Author | Message | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 64 Registered: 11-2004 |
I love the different woods Alembic uses to make instruments. Here is why I'm especially fond of maple. For nearly twenty years I've been surrounded by violins made of different cuts of maple, stained the traditional violin colors, and finished with glossy oil varnishes. Rich    | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 65 Registered: 11-2004 |
Sorry, but I didn't get the text to show. The upper left is a honey brown quilted maple violin, upper right is a yellowish flamed maple violin, and the bottom is a viola. I'm not sure exactly how the viola's wood is cut. It kind of goes from quilt to flame. Any wood experts out there who can explain this cut? Rich | ||
| smiley
Junior Username: smiley Post Number: 22 Registered: 10-2004 |
Awesome! I have always thought that the woods used on wood instruments, especially violins are very stunning. I think the flamed maple is my favorite. | ||
| kungfusheriff
Advanced Member Username: kungfusheriff Post Number: 234 Registered: 8-2003 |
Wow. You said a relative built instruments, I believe--are dese dem? If so, thank this person from saving this wood from becoming a Gibson (laughing). | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 68 Registered: 11-2004 |
Thanks, Smiley. I really can't decide which I like best. My Epic is flame. BTW, there is a guitar being built right now (maybe Joey's custom?) with a natural quilt top that is beautiful. Fantastic bookmatch figure. Check it out. KFS, good memory. My father-in-law made 53 between the late 1940s and the late 1990s. The ones shown are from around 1970. Back in those days you could still get 200 year old wood from luthier supply houses. It was very expensive but available. I'm sure Gibson got its share. Hey, maybe the flame one even has a P-bass half brother! Rich | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 610 Registered: 7-2002 |
Funny tou should say that, Rich, since Smiley IS Joey  . It doesn't look to me as if the wood in the Viola is cut any different; what I notice is that it has an arched, presumably carved, back, unlike the top 2 instruments which look like flat backs. That makes the patterns swirl in a different way; it's hard to be sure from the picture but it looks like the two halves are not bookmatched and that the maker went for mixed look, using a less 'quilty' and more 'flamey' part of the wood for half of it. Having both patterns in the same billet is not unheard of. Valentino | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 623 Registered: 3-2004 |
The viewing angle can matter to how the figure shows up. With the viola being arched, and the picture from an angle to begin with, you're not looking at both pieces from anywhere near the same angle. Up near the top of the vola, where I'd expect the arch is less pronounced, the figureing does show more similarity between the two sides. | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 69 Registered: 11-2004 |
Val and Smiley/Joey, Duuhh...er...uh, I knew that. I was just testing you. And you passed, by the way. I took some better shots. I'll live with the glare to have a more straight-on angle of the viola. All the instruments are carved/arched. They are not bookmatched. Bob, you are right, the backs and tops are much flatter by the necks and end pins than they are by the side bouts. I have asked the luthier (his name is Tony Balleck) about the different cuts of wood. Maybe I just don't get it or maybe it's just hard to have a conversation with him. He and his twin will be 92 in February. I would like to understand how the different ways of cutting a log produce quilt, birdseye, and flame figures. Rich (Message edited by richbass939 on December 26, 2004) | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 70 Registered: 11-2004 |
Sorry about the pics. They looked great on the post preview. I don't know what I did that made them not show on the actual post. I'll try to get them to work. Rich (Message edited by richbass939 on December 26, 2004) | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 71 Registered: 11-2004 |
(Message edited by richbass939 on December 26, 2004) | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 1120 Registered: 5-2002 |
From http://www.baconveneer.com/pages/glossary_fig_types.html "“Figure” is a general term referring to the visual surface effects which result from the infinitely varied porous structure of each tree or, in fact, section of each tree. Obviously, the general appearance is affected by the manner in which the log is cut into veneer (i.e. flat cut, quartered, etc.) but the basic cross figure or curl types remain dominant, no matter how the log is cut." "BIRDSEYE - There are many theories concerning the generation of “birdseye” figure or appearance which occurs almost exclusively in Hard Maple (Acer saccharum) growing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and, of much less significance, in a similarly narrow latitude east to the Maritimes. It is said that birds peck the surface (necessarily to the cambium layer) if the trunks of the relatively limited number of “chosen” trees, and to varying degrees, maybe in search of “bugs” or possibly seeking the Sugar Maple sap. These variously scattered irritants to the normal growth layer heal with spotty distortion, are cut across and revealed in the veneer as birdseye figure. Obviously, the more “scattered irritants” the more “spotty distortions”, and therefore the more desirable birdseye effect." "BURL - A burl is a wart like growth, probably caused by some injury to the growth layer. In the process of “healing”, there may be very abnormal growth and accumulation of undeveloped buds to eventually form this burl, which may very in size from a few inches (of no veneer value) to a tremendous, somewhat oval growth weighing as much as two tons. Burls figure results from rotary cutting this growth, and the general appearance is a close arrangement of many small “eyes’ with much distorted grain appearance intermingled. Burls are common mostly to a few species, including Walnut, Myrtle, Redwood (California, that is), Elm (European), Madrone, Ash and Mappa (European Poplar)." "CURLY - Results from distorted growth of fibers in the trunk of the tree that gives a wavy or curly appearance in the veneer." "QUILTED - A very uneven or wavy interlocking contour of the growth rings is evident on the outside of the log as a more or less even but very “bumpy” surface. Rotary or halfround cutting along this surface produces veneer with a quilted effect of continuous seashell overlay surface. It is interesting to note that a very similar condition or appearance is known as quilt in Maple (quilted Maple) Pommele´ in African redwoods and Peanut Figure in Japanese Ash (Tamo)." | ||
| davehouck
Senior Member Username: davehouck Post Number: 1121 Registered: 5-2002 |
See also: http://www.veneeronline.com/../glossary.asp http://www.edensaw.com/f-veneers.htm | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 73 Registered: 11-2004 |
Great websites with great pictures. Thanks, Dave, for the help. I'm going to go back into them when I have some more time and look at all the pictures. I have some good pics of our violins but had some trouble posting them. I think I did the same thing I did for the pics at the top of this thread but they didn't come through. I'll get in touch with Val soon and get it straightened out. Rich | ||
| richbass939
Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 78 Registered: 11-2004 |
Another pic try. ARRGGGH. (Message edited by richbass939 on December 29, 2004) |
