Bog Oak for Acoustic guitars - Is it any good?

MichaelWatts

Hello everyone

I recently uploaded this video featuring a bog oak instrument by Jamie Swannell out in Ely

https://youtu.be/t66uJfmf8Fc

It seems that bog oak is becoming increasingly popular as a back and sides wood in the hands of British luthiers so I made an accompanying introduction video for this cool and unusual wood - I hope you enjoy it!

https://youtu.be/lthVo5U8BCY

All the best

Michael 

brucegill

Will check this out later! 

Have a Bog Oak / Lutz spruce Lowden F35. Love it. Deep base and very rich, the lutz is good to and very dynamic. Looks amazing too

WindmillGuitars

It's a stunning combination. I have a Bog Oak back and sides jumbo (aka "The Bard") crafted by Balazs Prohaszka (Master builder at Avalon) in stock at the moment and it has incredible tone and feel to it

Epsilon

The sustain on that Swannel is unreal. Sounds almost like it is running through a compressor.

I tried out a nice bog oak Lowden but settled on Redwood/Rosewood in the end. 

GTC

I have a sinker redwood top, bog oak back and sides Avalon S 12 fretter - fantastic guitar with beautiful resonance, timbre and sustain which seems to get better each time I pick it up. Bog oak is a very dense wood with a lovely appearance - and is very heavy (weight-wise) compared with other tonewoods. It usually carries a premium price.

ToneControl

WindmillGuitars said:

It's a stunning combination. I have a Bog Oak back and sides jumbo (aka "The Bard") crafted by Balazs Prohaszka (Master builder at Avalon) in stock at the moment and it has incredible tone and feel to it

wow, looks amazing
I have some Avalons he has made, excellent quality instruments

Mudcrutch

Ben at Crimson guitars builds some great bog wood guitars.

ToneControl

@MichaelWatts - have you visited any of the Northern Ireland luthiers?

MichaelWatts

Epsilon said:

The sustain on that Swannel is unreal. Sounds almost like it is running through a compressor.

I promise it's not! Glad you enjoyed the video though, thank you for watching! 

MichaelWatts

ToneControl said:

@MichaelWatts - have you visited any of the Northern Ireland luthiers?

Not yet! But I'm looking forward to getting over there as soon as possible!

ToneControl

Can I ask how long you keep your nails, and how much do you use them when playing?

MichaelWatts

Yes indeed - I'm actually working on a video on that topic and will share here when it's ready!

ToneControl

MichaelWatts said:

Yes indeed - I'm actually working on a video on that topic and will share here when it's ready!

Excellent, share some nail maintenance tips please

drofluf

ToneControl said:

MichaelWatts said:

Yes indeed - I'm actually working on a video on that topic and will share here when it's ready!

Excellent, share some nail maintenance tips please

This place is in danger of turning into mumsnet   

ToneControl

drofluf said:

ToneControl said:

MichaelWatts said:

Yes indeed - I'm actually working on a video on that topic and will share here when it's ready!

Excellent, share some nail maintenance tips please

This place is in danger of turning into mumsnet   

In my house I've called it guitarmums for years

Moleman

I’m pretty sure that Irish luthier, Chris Larkin was using Bog Oak in his electric instruments way back in the 1980’s.

GRBaldwin

I've got an Avalon A7-Oak custom in Bog Oak with a Sinker Redwood top and it's delicious! The Sinker has taken a while to open up I've gotta say and with it being just less than a year old I think it'll open up more, but it's definitely sounding pretty sweet at the moment anyway. It's got quite a vintage'y wooden tone to my ears, almost like a Mahogany with more upper harmonic content going on. Anyway, that's probably nonsense talk but It's a great guitar is what I'm trying to get across.

 

Moominpapa

@GRBaldwin ; Holy cow - that's a looker! 

GRBaldwin

Moominpapa said:

@GRBaldwin ; Holy cow - that's a looker! 

You're not wrong! Avalon make incredible guitars and are seriously underrated. They're still small so it's a really personal experience that you get and they can customise like no other company of that ilk. Balázs Prohaszkha is definitely one of the top luthiers in the whole of the world in my opinion. His customised carving and inlay work if you wanted it doing is insane!

DavidR

Can anyone tell us about the specific characteristics of bog oak. I get it's old wood that's been submerged but how is it good? Also that it looks very very nice.

 Not being negative but just want to know. How e.g. is it better tonally than heat treated/torrefied spruce? Woodier? Brighter? different? And, if so, in what way.

ToneControl

DavidR said:

Can anyone tell us about the specific characteristics of bog oak. I get it's old wood that's been submerged but how is it good? Also that it looks very very nice.

 Not being negative but just want to know. How e.g. is it better tonally than heat treated/torrefied spruce? Woodier? Brighter? different? And, if so, in what way.

it's back and sides wood, to be compared with Rosewoods AFAIK