Some friends of mine are fixing to have to remove a very nice Southern Magnolia tree from their property. I could quite easily have all of the wood that I want.

Has anyone ever heard of someone using Magnolia for a solid body guitar?

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Before they cut it down, you could smack it real hard with a baseball bat, to see if you get any sustain. Obviously, I don't know, just kidding.

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Here is what I can tell you about Southern Magnolia (Magnolia Grandiflora ) ( Magnoliacea )
This wood is used for furniture, interior joinery, turnery, kitchen cabinets, also used as decorative veneers. It's a medium density wood, is easy to work with tools but sanding is a bit more difficult. It planes well which means it doesn't chip and splinter when planed, not a nice result when playing with finish wood.

As far as cutting I would say you are going to need at least 35 in long logs which you'll have to quarter saw for your baulks. but if you can get your logs cut in about 6 foot lenghts. That will get you 3 bodies length per board. You will need to kiln dry this or in other words someplace like a barn where air can circulate see this video..... Look up Fine Woodworking website for kiln drying, it's not difficult.

Cold or hot is not as important as not having rapid changes of humidity which is what you get if wood is dried outdoors just under a roof...

I'd go for it, but be aware that you will not be able to use this wood until at least next year sometimes..You could also get a local mill to quarter saw your baulks, they need to be 2-1/8" thick so that upon shrinkage they don't become less than 1-7/8"...

Good Luck...

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Hi Oneal: I'm browsing on my phone in a tea break so I'm not placed to make a thorough search, but at a quick glance on the net I can't find a useful photo of magnolia wood grain. Maybe someone else can help. However, from foggy memory I have an idea the grain is pretty boring. You may want to ask yourself if it's worth a lot of effort to get probably a small amount of usable timber.

On the other hand, it can be fun to use the timber of a tree you knew personally (I've done it several times), so just to give you more options I'll suggest a couple of alternatives to what 53magnatone has said.

I suspect you might have a tough time finding a sawmill who will quarter saw a trunk for you because it is a really tiresome job for them - and if they'll do it at all they'll charge through the nose for it. If you have a mill nearby it is usually OK to have them slab saw a trunk though, and if you do that then go for significantly thicker planks than 53 described, to allow for cupping during drying. And remember that even if you have it slab sawn the middle plank will still be quarter sawn by default, so that's nice.

And supposing you can't find anyone to kiln dry it for you it is perfectly easy, though slow, to season the timber yourself the old-fashioned way - ultimately the best route to good, stable tonewood. You simply stack your planks one on top of another with inch gaps between them made by spacers to let air get at the side grain. You must seal the end grain with paraffin wax or just household paint. Leave it outdoors beneath a roof to keep the rain off but let the air get around it. Leave it for a minimum of five years, so that in the summer it loses moisture and in the winter takes it up again - that's what the word "seasoning" means. Gradually the tensions within the grain will work themselves out and the wood will stabilise. Eventually you bring it indoors to a warmer, drier environment for a few months and then again to the workshop for another six months or so and, presto, it's ready to go.

A lot of time but no work or expense. I do it this way, and that's how master instrument makers do it to this day. Very satisfying end result.

Or just buy some nice wood from a timber supplier.

Good luck - C

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53,

Who can I get to CNC a Strat or Tele body from the wood blanks?

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Ceri,

I am not sure if it will be worth it. But the wood is free. I have a dry enclosed barn I can store it in. And hope to God I live for some time well into the future. I think I will go ahead and mark the tree, and get them to cut me a nice 5 or 6 foot chunk starting about 1 or 2 feet from the roots. Take it to the barn and lay it sideways on some bricks. Then study up on how to proceed. Thanks for all you notes on the process. I live in the country and the chief industry her is timber. Finding someone with a portable mill will not be hard.


Its going to come down to how pretty the wood is and how workable it would be on a CNC machine. Who can I get to cut a Strat or Tele body?

Attached are some of a few pics and data of magnolia I found. Perhaps yes, perhaps no. I would like a wood I can leave in the natural, with just a clear coat finsh.

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/southern-magnolia/

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I did not try that, but I did put my ear up to the trunk on a windy day. The Mids are quite superior, the highs are lightly tempered and bottom is great. I think it will make a good blues axe.

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To be perfectly honest, it will cost you more than it's worth to get that kind of work..
Let's not put the cart before the horse, you have a year at least before you can do anything with the lumber so plenty of time to research from build threads here and other Forums, pick up a few tools and generally see what you need for tools. You'd be amazed at the minimal tools needed to do this, you must have friends who are wood workers or at least know someone if that is a big part of economics in your neck of the woods.
There must be someone building instruments nearby, bend their ear, most people are receptive to Newbies wanting to dabble in this...For the long run...

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From photo's and a book I have on Woods " Woods Identification and Use " by Terry Porter, ( ISBN-13:978-1-86108-436-1 ) It resembles Poplar and if I was to have a clear finish on wood that is somewhat mellow as far as grain definition, I would consider a Mary Kaye translucent blonde finish, looks like a bit of an Opaque White.

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