Tommy's Tonewoods - African Blackwood - Dalbergia Melanoxylon
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- čas přidán 27. 01. 2021
- I absolutely love African Blackwood for its glassy tap tone, gorgeous colouration and grain. Although quite tricky to work with it produces some almighty acoustic guitars!
- Hudba
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Sounds so good! Thank you for providing this Exquisite demonstration truly mind-blowing sound.
I enjoyed that! Have an African Blackwood guitar paired with a Sinker Redwood top. It's quite magical. Looking forward to more videos on tone-woods!
Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed it, I’m going to try and do an episode every weekday 🙌
Been looking at the Lowden 50 series with that combo. Just trying to decide on the size.
and even is you make something other out of this wood is a super material. i personal like the combination of this african blackwood with cooper, and polisch this than. fit super together, special in sunlight when the blackwood have some knots in it than there is this nice caramelcolor to see
Do you ever build an entire guitar with Gaboon ebony? That would be great to get your perspective on a Tommy’s tonewood segment. Great series. Thank you.
I do! Its coming up
Awesome. Can’t wait!11
una pregunta usted venden estas maderas?
One week earlier. McNally Guitars “With that in mind, should we be using it... I guess we have the answer. 😀
Thanks for your comment! My question to Ciaran was somewhat self reflective and serves to highlight my personal conflicts. My question was provocative, and I think Ciaran’s response was spot on. With timbers like this it’s critical to operate within a regulatory framework, to know and trust your suppliers and to make sure you’re confident and knowledgable about the alternatives. My hope for these videos is to provide a useful, interesting resource with a view to exploring tradition but also looking ahead at the tonal landscape of the future. Thanks for watching!
@@TomSandsGuitars thank you for your reply.
Thank you for the content that you so freely give. It is very helpful.
@@mattzimbelman1043 you're very welcome!
Cocobolo in the next episode please!
It's coming!
May i ask, what is the difference between ebony and african blackwood? Thanks.
One is Dalbergia and one is ebony. Dalbergia is resonant and has bell like ringing - Think of it like Bronze bell. Ebony is hard and brittle - think of it like Glass.
I see Maton building with Australian Blackwood, but it's probably not the same. Bummer ABW is so scarce. It really has an extraordinary sound.
Different genus, Acacia Melanoxylon, same genus as Koa. ABW is really wonderful stuff
I have about 2 tonnes of this stuff...but the fine dark one.... and no lisense permit nothing.... open to some ideas
Is Africa Blackwood the substitution of Brazilian Rosewood?
It’s a nice alternative if you can’t get Brazilian but there are other options you could try outside the rosewood family for a similar tonal character.
Nice tones there Tom... beautiful tonewood and a must be favorite - enjoyed that overview - interesting stuff. Is it better paired with a spruce, redwood or cedar?Looking forward to your next episode:)
depends what you mean by better?
Hi Tom, in hindsight, better was the wrong word... I’m glad you came back on this. All three tops would be equally as good depending on the users personal preference... What I was trying to ask was - if you were building a guitar with that particular set of ABW, what would be your choice of top and what outcome would you want to achieve? Or, from an alternative and more personal perspective, I am a fingerstyle player and I like a warmer, sweeter sound with clear, crisp note separation, nicely balanced to provide a good base supporting a clear mid range and crisp trebles. So, would I be looking at a sinker redwood top or a German spruce? Or some other wood combo entirely - if not ABW? :)
@@kevingreene6893 hi Kevin, so this is a tricky one to answer without context. I don’t mean to sound evasive but the only way I’ve found to effectively advise folks on what woods to go for is to use other guitars as a reference so that we can develop a shared vocabulary. We choose Tonewood combinations for many contrasting reasons, coupled with variables such as body size, scale length, bridge positions, voicing etc etc to achieve a desired tone. So, to answer your question as it currently stands would be to answer in somewhat of a vacuum and to leave information on the table. I am always amazed at a Luthier’s ability to draw sounds from a Tonewood which are ‘atypical’. My apologies if this seems to be a cop out! If, for example I was to build a guitar for you, we would start by analysing and assessing guitars I had built and figuring out what elements worked for you as a way of road mapping your guitar. I’ll bear your comments in mind and try to add a little more personal reflection in future videos. I hope that’s helpful!
Cheers Tom, apologies... I appreciate I put you in a tricky position there and I agree with your answer - I genuinely do my friend:) It is not an easy question and understanding my background in guitar playing and the previous /current guitars I own is, most certainly, a key part of there equation. This would indeed help you to develop a more informed understanding of where I am at present and where I would like to be. Perhaps we should formulate an approach and an equation that helps guitar players that want to invest in a bespoke build, by any luthier, to help them - in some respect - to better understand what they are looking for. Just a thought :) Cheers Tom - good chat... keep those videos comin’. K.
Can you please make available me a few seeds of African Blackwood in India
What is the word for it in Swahili?
Wood
Mpingo
because it's relative density is greater than water, it sinks. Likewise a helium balloon has a relative density less than air so rises..."Gravity" is debunked.