Calling all wood experts

[Frank McNerney]

I know there are A few of you out there who are into wood

My brother in law just had to cut down an old Redwood that was going to fall on his house. I thought I might get a piece of it, dry it out, and maybe have a Santana shape guitar made from it.

So How to go about that? What dimensions should I ask him to cut it.? How do I dry it properly?
What else do I need to know at this early stage?

PS. He also had to cut a huge Douglass Fir - the wood on that is beautiful - bright red and brown and very thick. But I don't know of fir being used for guitar bodies - too soft?

Anyway - thanks for your help

 

[shinksma]

Since PRS doesn't make guitars out of customer-supplied wood any more, any info you get from here is probably not the most valid. Maybe check out some luthier websites, where you could ask a broader base of "experts"? (Not deriding anyone here, just trying to re-direct for maximum effect.)

 

[Greywolf]

Drying Wood at Home | The Wood Database

www.wood-database.com

 

[Greywolf]

For the instruments I build , I let the wood dry for at least a year in a controlled environment. Living in the Southeast , drying outside isn't a good option.

 

[ViperDoc]

There are a few Redwood slab veneers and even some acoustic tops in these forums. I’ve never seen redwood used as a body, but Novo uses pine. Probably not strong enough to survive a tremolo system. If using as a top on mahogany, you can resaw a large billet for bookmatched tops.

 

[dmatthews]

Redwood cedar?
I know there are PRS with redwood tops, but I don't think there are any with redwood bodies.