Ash as a neck wood?

Kalimna

Greetings folks,
A question for those who build necks - would you consider ash a suitable timber?
I have a fair bit of QS rippled ash still, with fairly straight grain. Not really wide enough to make a bookmatched top, but plenty to make necks with, if suitable.
I know its not one of the standard species, but is there any reason beyond density that i shoujdnt use it?

Cheers,
Adam

Funkfingers

Ash is notorious for tearing.

If you are making a one-piece "F" style neck with integral fingerboard, a truss rod skunk strip and clear finish, there would be nowhere to hide any cock-ups.

octatonic

Wouldn't be my first choice, especially lighter ash.
It is quite porous so finishing it will be interesting and time consuming.

Would you consider laminating the neck with Ash and something else?

Kalimna

Ive worked ash before, and Im happy with controlling tearout and finishing issues, but I certainly understand your advice.
Laminating would be an option, but id want to make full use if the 'ripple'.

Cheers,
Adam

Funkfingers

Kalimna said:

Not really wide enough to make a bookmatched top

Are the blanks wide enough to form the "wings" on a through neck guitar or bass guitar?

Also, completely out of left field, would the blanks be wide enough to attempt a Chapman Stick or Warr touchboard type instrument?

ICBM

If it’s thick enough I’d be inclined to make a multi-piece body instead. Three-piece bodies can look very nice if the seams are symmetrically spaced, and are arguably structurally better than two-piece. 

Kalimna

Here (hopefully) is a photo of the plank (slightly buried!) of ash in question. It is 2" thick along its length, approx 92" long. Due to the way it has been milled, it is almost trapezoidal in cross-section, and the narrowest part of the smaller side is about 5", tapering out to about 10". So there is a lot of wood there. I have another 3 planks, wider but not as clean. The ripple can be made out as near-parallel lines - they arent saw marks.

I think i could have a go at all the suggestions so far...

https://i.imgur.com/ssZ6TMg.jpg

There are a couple other pieces interest too, some hornbeam, bubinga and laburnum probably wide enough for a 2-piece acoustic set...

Cheers,
Adam

Funkfingers

Roasted ash is currently fashionable. Do you have facilities to do this?

IMHO, the rippled wood would look impressive on a Firebird, Thunderbird or Alembic-inspired through-neck instrument.

Kalimna

I will be using another piece as a carved top for a double-neck, so a through-neck could certainly be on the cards as I have never tried building one before.

Other than a domestic oven, I have no roasting capacity

Cheers for the suggestion tho!

Adam

Gassage

A  number of points;

1. Ash is notorious for spilitting and twisting when drying itself.

2. Re above, the cut that you'd make is key- as different cuts shrink in different directions.

3. THis tells you how it shrinks and should help you

Kalimna

Thanks Gassage - as it happens, the planks have all been cut on the quarter, as near-as-damnit, along their length, so hopefully warpage will be minimal. I do have some spare CF rods from my bass and uke builds which *may* help with any residual instability....

Adam