Lignum Vitae burns like a torch.
The cellular structer is embedded with natural oil,
even when the wood is fully cured.

I sometimes hold a lighter under a pick,
to quickly create a pebbled grip.
The resin is very hard and smooth, when it rehardens.
The shavings seem almost wet, when you drill it or turn it.

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'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

Howdy Ra_,
Have you ever worked with Ironwood?¿ I hear it is real hard.

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

Some call Ironwood lignum vitae.

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Spending that much for a pick might work for a studio person or a home player, but unless you've got a bunch of cash, just "audition" a bunch of fender, dunlop, ernie ball, etc. pics that you can buy at any music store so that you can have a gross of your favorites in the case and a few in your pockets at all times.

I recall my father relating a Hollywood anecdote to me back in the '60's

Dad did some scriptwriting as an independent from the '30's to the '50's,one script he had been hired to rewrite did poorly at the box office.
The producer was really pissed and blamed my Dad who replied"look on the bright side,you could always cut it up and sell it for guitar pics"

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Check out the back on my guitar

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Howdy Carleton,
Thanx for the info. I'm just a simple minded desert rat. You want to follow me around and help me with the complicated stuff :-)

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

You kidding me! Hell,they called me dyslexic which is why I dropped out of high school in 10th grade and went to work in a junkyard!

You have alot on me buddy,believe me!

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Is that Brazilian Rosewood?
They pay quite a premium for that stuff.

Yeah, 'Ironwood' is used for a few species.
Mostly it's the desert woods that you see with that name.

The nastiest stuff I ever encountered,
is something called African Leadwood.
With LV, at least all the oil in the wood helps lube your cutting tools.
Not so, with African Leadwood.
It's like working with a piece of granite.

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'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

Yep, CITES certified.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Howdy Kuan,
I bet you make sure there are coasters on that geetar before you put your beer bottle on it :-)

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

I'm a multi-instrument musician...started out on classical guitar, moved to piano and organ, then bounced to flute, piccolo, bass, xylophone and sometimes drums.

It's a pain being a left-handed musician though...gotta get custom axes.

Here's a pic of my latest acqusition, my left-handed 5-string bass...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Nice quilt.

I've got some of that on my 6 string fretless bass.

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'87 300SDL

dieselbenz

Heh, I've had to change a few habits.

Nice basses G, Ra. What's that, maple?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

12 string guit boxes can be fun, but oh my Ghod...they can sure be a pain to build so they can be tuned anywhere close to proper.

You know how the saddle (the little sliver of plastic, bone, or ivory on the bridge, the part that defines string length) is set at a slant? That's because the different diameter strings react differently in pitch change from being stretched. Since some stretching is required to push the string down to the fretboard, a guitar is unavoidably an approximate device. You can never get one perfectly in tune, just closer and closer to that, depending on how well it is set up.

A 12 string adds more complexity to the mix because you have skinny strings mixed up with fat strings, instead of a gradual progression from skinny to fat like on a 6 string.

People build intricate saddles, thicker than normal, with ridges towards the front or back of the saddle, in an attempt to provide the proper string length so that all of the strings can be happy being pressed up against the same fretboard. The electrics can be a little better in this regard because they can have seperate little adjustable saddles for each string. It's still tough.

And then add to that the extra pull on the neck and soundboard from an extra 6 strings...oh man.

They're almost not worth the trouble but they can sound nice at times.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K