Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler birdseye maple

does anyone own a pair of birdseye maple speakers? any pics???

No...but I have birdseye maple on my Wolfgang guitar neck...I love the look of birdseye.

I've got the Taylor, concert size with a cutaway - Book matched blond curly maple on the back. Truly a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship. Sad that it's basically covered when I play it.

I just love the look of maple - it's such a lustrous and detail grained wood. Birdseye, especially lends a certain instant air of classiness to anything made of it.

I'd love to see the birdseye on some speakers too. I would worry, however, that it might look to busy on a grand scale. Better for car interiors or accent furniture.

i got a buffet and china cabinet passed down to me from my grandparents when they had to move closer to medical care. it was obvious when we got it, that it had been painted and varnished over several times. my wife and i began the task of totally stripping the two pieces to see what we had to work with underneath all the years of cover-up and damage. what we found was extremely interesting.

on both pieces, the sides and tops were made of oak.. nothing surprising there. we had taken all the doors and drawers off the pieces, so we hadnt even started on those yet. we cleaned up the main bodies, and then started on the doors and drawers. my wife was the first to realize, as we were stripping and sanding away, that the door she was working on was birdseye maple. i didnt believe her at first, but as she continued to clean, it was obvious it was birds eye. as was mine.. we quickly started grabbing each door/drawer one at a time and cleaned a small part to ensure it all matched, and it did. we have no idea why these pieces were made with oak bodies, and birdseye maple doors/drawers?? we are fairly positive they are original, and even if they wernt, who would use birds eye maple as replacaments?? i found out from my granny, that they bought the furniture set used in 1941. she said it was already painted when they got it, and that my papaw had put one coat of brown paint and a varnish on it in the 60's. that seems like a stupid thing to do these days, but apparently it was very common back then. anyway, i have nothing else to go on, and i just think its a neat story.

BTW- the doors/drawers look spectacular. we have sanded off all the paint, and just put a light urethane coat. in the sunlight, the birds eye almost looks like it has gold flakes in it.. and although the contrast against the oak is kinda odd, the overall look is very impressive.

just thought i would share.

bigjohn

so.......let's see some pics BigJohn! You can't expect us to take your word for it now can you!?!

Wow. That's pretty cool stuff. Yeah, I wanna see pictures!

Pics! Pics! Pics! Pics! Pics!

I too have a Taylor...614ce...love the quilt back. Wish I could find time to play....these days... was my worst fear when I left school...and is proving true...

good grief, we could start up a CSNY group!
i've got a martin hd-28lsv and a martin 000-28EC

Hehe...that Martin sorta clashes with your name..."metalaaron"??

i do not have a digital camera, or a scanner for regular pics. my father-in-law has one that i was gonna use once i got my HT set up so i could post pics. he is out of town, but i will talk to him when he gets back this weekend and see if i can get the camera to take some pics of the furniture. if not, then i will take some when i get my HT set up, and 'BUMP' this thread so ya'll can see what i am talking about.

BTW- i couldnt afford a martin, so i got the knock-off sigma d-28. they are made by martin guitar co, but just a little easier on the pocket book. i have done a side-by side test to a real martin D-28, and mine is close. the look and build quality are equal, but the real deal had a sweeter/richer tone. but hey, what are ya gonna do.. i was broke at the time.. STILL AM..

bigjohn

doesn't mean i don't own an electric

bigjohn,

You win the "most long-winded poster" award! I suppose that leading a slower-paced, small town life leaves more room for yammering on about stuff, eh?

Hehe...I figured as much. I have two main electrics...Ibanez JPM..which I'm getting ready to sell...because...it sits in its case getting no play...and my peavey wolfgang stoptail.

BigJohn... I sure don't want you to be jealous..but for some reason...they're showing me at the addict level...and I only have 40 something posts...hehe!!!!

8man- here, this list might clear that up..

peter- its funny.. i am actually usually a watcher, i dont speak a whole lot. but when i have something to say, it just keeps coming.

sorry, when the conversation went to guitars, i had to pipe in, again.. there is a company out of canada that makes guitars called 'SEAGULL GUITARS'. i am currently trying to buy one cheap..

bigjohn

seagulls are nice. i was torn between a seagull and a larrivee at one time.

Ahhhh...hehe.... guess I should stop posting...since... 300 is an awfully lofty goal!!!!

its not too hard.. it only took me 3 months..

it amazes me that some of these guys have 1,500, 1,800, and i think a few guys have over 2,000 posts. i could hit that, sometime in the year 2006.(dont hold me to that)

bigjohn

I imagine that you'll hit it by late 2004. Peter and I have only been on a little more than a year. He's the record holder at around 2600 posts, and I've got 1500 some odd.

Sea Gulls are nice. A buddy of mine played a Sea Gull, and it had a nice matte finish on the front. It had great low end, and well defined mids. My only problem with it was the action. Once it was played for about a week, and the strings got a little old, it became a little painful to play.

The Taylors, on the other hand, have awesome action. Nice and low, with little to no fret buzz. Great highs, but not much low on the 640 CE.

BTW - since we into guitars... I also play a Fender Telecaster, white pick gaurd. It's a solid 2 inches of Ash. After playing a 2 hour show, your back aches. On the upside, you could toss it downa fligth of stairs, and only have to worry abotu your stair being damaged. It's a real cockroach. It, too, has a nice low action...

pickard-

i dont even own an electric. i mainly just play chords and rhythm, and just play alone, so never really felt the urge to get an electric. i cant solo very well at all, but i can lay rhythm track with the best of 'em..

i used to go play with my buddies alot a few years back. he would let me borrow his gibson SG, running thru his marshall big stack, and i would just bang away. that thing was like a tank with strings. big, heavy, loud, and it could blow your head off.. he now lives in austin playing in a couple of bands.. and he still plays the SG..

bigjohn

I know virtually nothing about guitars. I am astounded by the artistry of people who play them well, and in awe of the craftsmanship of instrument builders.

The Pacific Northwest has a vibrant community of instrument builders, and my alma mater, Pacific Lutheran University is regularly the site for the convention of the Guild of American Luthiers. I do not know the percentage of Lutheran Luthiers.

Tacoma Guitars is in my hometown, and apparently makes nice and innovative instruments.

Warmouth Guitar Products is the leading manufacturer of Fender replacement necks, and has loads of other interesting stuff. They are located in Puyallup, my current place of residence (which is just a few miles towards Mount Rainier from Tacoma).

The craftsmanship is astounding on guitars. Not only must the isntrument be braced properly for strength, but the woods must all match or "meet up" tonally to produce the sounds that they do. If you thought that speaker selection was hard, try buying a guitar. Between the eye-candy factor, guitars all sound so distinctively different - and they all feel and play differently too.

My Taylor is drastically different from the Martins that I also demoed. The Taylor was bright and crisp, a little "thin" maybe, but the playability was very high, and the string "separation" (the ability to distinguish one string from another when playing chords) was awesome. Compare that to the Martin, which has a thicker neck (more like a Gibson Les Paul), a bigger, rounder sound, just a playable, but notably "muddier" or "darker" when playing chords. It's very much like speaker tastes - "laid back" vs. "up front" etc. Neither are "better," but they are different.


On a side note - I, too, unfortunately, do not find as much tmie to play my guitars. I moved into a real small apartment after college, went to law school, and foudn basically no time to play (except when I'd do a show at a bar, which was once in the bluest moon). I'm looking forward to moving into my new place in the City (Dupont Circle) in a short time. The place is much bigger, and I hope to be able to keep my stuff out and more accessible than it is now.

anyone have some old material they don't want? sheet music, books, etc.

Tacoma makes a great guitar.

Unique bridge.

^billy

1964 Martin D28. One of the last made of Brazilian rosewood. 1965 Martin D12-20. The first year they were made. I'm the original owner of both.

beautiful boxes, Jack.

^billy

Thanks Billy. Wish I could still play them. Arthritis. I still love them though.

WOW, jack.. really nice.. i wanted a martin soooo bad when i purchased, just too much money for me at the time.

i am currently trying to convince a guy here in town to sell me his seagull, and i am always on the lookout for a martin D-41.. i like all the fancy stuff on it.

bigjohn

In reply to:

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WOW, jack.. really nice.. i wanted a martin soooo bad when i purchased, just too much money for me at the time.

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Chuckle! I've got the original receipt for the D12-20.

1 Martin 12 String Guitar S#203220 -- $290.00
1 hardshell case -------------------- $ 60.00
Subtotal ---------------------------- $350.00
Tax --------------------------------- $ 10.50
Total ------------------------------- $360.50

As I remember, the D28 was $25 to $30 more.

In reply to:

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i am currently trying to convince a guy here in town to sell me his seagull, and i am always on the lookout for a martin D-41.. i like all the fancy stuff on it.

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I'd love to have a D41, but would kill for a D45, or almost anything pre WW II.

Jack,

Those boxes are just too sweet...and the thought of you only dropping $350 for them (even though that was a while back - still) it's just amazing. Every once in a while, I'll hit Guitar Center during lunch and futz around with some $1K USED Martin...If I could pick like McTell I might drop the dough.

I assume you play the 12 string? Very nice, indeed. You are a god among mortals.

^billy

and he has the receipt! JHFC!

Well, I used to play them both. Unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis has brought that to a halt. Just another of life's little curveballs.

im sorry to hear that jack.. i really am.. i can understand that bond you would have with an instrument that you have had for 40 years. i still have, and play, my first guitar, my mom bought it for me in '86. it has been delegated as my 'lake' guit-fiddle, so it dont matter if it gets banged around a bit.. oh, BTW, guitars float, just in case you were curious. found that out the hard way when i let a drunk cowboy play my guitar on a moving boat.. BIG MISTAKE.. but, the guitar, and the cowboy, dried out just fine, and all is well. luckily, it had a fresh coat of polish, and the water beaded right up, and wiped of.. although i couldnt sing for a few days, being that i had my heart stuck in my throat.. scared the hell out of me.

bigjohn

Hey since you can't play either of them, howsabout I take 'em off your hands when I drop by in June?

But seriously, I've been meaning to get back into playing guitar. I'm self-taught and got to the point where I wasn't making much progress any more, so I stopped. Time for lessons, I guess.

From the movie "Fat Chance." Well......wait.......no, nevermind. If you have to save up for a $300 grill, you couldn't come close to $5500 for two guitars.

If I weren't trying to save up for a downpayment on a house, then I'd have the grill I want right now instead of socking away all available spare funds.

But $5500? I'll get back to you on that.

In reply to:

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But $5500? I'll get back to you on that.

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I'm NOT holding my breath!

(P.S., They're not for sale, anyway )

after this thread started, i had to get some pics...

2003 HD-28LSV on left
1996 000-28EC on right

i just picked up the EC and i'm not sure that i'll keep it

http://img64.photobucket.com/albums/v196/metalaaron/Picture_052.jpg

looks like a fine musical family portrait.

Oh Man! That HD-28 is beautiful. And Look how nicely the finish on the 000 has aged.

A few years ago (just stopped to think and it was 15 to 20 years ago. My! How time flies), I took my D-28 to the Martin factory to have the action lowered. (If you've never been there, you should go. They give tours) When I picked it up, I mentioned to the tech that maybe someday in the near future I'd have the guitar refinished, get rid of that yucky, old-looking, orange color, and get back to that beautiful white spruce top. I thought the guy was gonna have a coronary on the spot. He said "look how long it's taken that finish to age to that beautiful patina. You get that refinished and you'll lose half the value of the guitar." I said "But what about the little nicks and scratches (very few, really), and the spot on the back where my belt buckle has rubbed off the finish"? He said "Those are considered 'character marks' and, in moderation, have Little or no effect on the value of the guitar." Needless to say, that "yucky, old-looking, orange color" has become that "beauriful, aged, patina."

The moral? Take care of your guitar. Use a good polish, and keep it clean. Keep it in it's case when your not playing it. I know you love to have it out so you can look at it, but accidents do happen. But, by all means PLAY IT, and ENJOY IT. They are wonderful things, and provide endless joy, to you and others. And finally, NEVER refinish it.

I've had a Seagull S6+ Cedar for almost 4 years. It's the same as the S6 with the back and sides stained dark to look more conventional. Only $300 US brand new. I had 2 friends who are accomplished players and collectors with me and they were not gonna let me leave the store without buying it. Every one we tried was good, but they weren't all the same. The one I got sounded the best, hands down. I've never had a problem with the action on mine, which has been a problem for me on some Guilds and Martins.

thanks

i keep them in the cases. took them out for the pics
the 000 uses aged toner. if i had a good camera, you could see that the top really almost looks like a flame top.
the only problem is that i think my hd sounds a lot better.
the 000 is smaller and easier to sit in my lap at the computer desk.

Another good reason to keep them in the case...is to help prevent them from drying out -- get a humidifier. This winter was so bad...that my Taylor dried out big time ...in it's case...with a cheap humidifier... The frets started hanging over the neck...it was terrible. They had to stick it in a big humidifier room and bombard it with moisture. I now have two humidifiers in that case.

metalaaron-

i really like the look of the 000.. that real curvy, sexy, classical style.. its a nice change from the standard dreadnought. real beautiful guitars man.

bigjohn

i have a room humidifier, but i'm worried that it won't do the job.
what humidifiers do you use in your case???

thanks dude

again, i wish i could get a good picture of the top.

Actually...I think if you have a "good" room humidifier...and you monitor the humidity levels in the room, then you're ok. I have a planet waves and another brand...but can't remember the name. I'll check that for you tomorrow. I also have a digital barometer/thermometer in my case. Of course...I have a washburn...that sits out in the open...and gets knocked around by my dog's tail too...hehe. But the Taylor gets babied.

I live in Cleveland. LACK of humidity is NOT a problem here.

same here ajax.. humidity in west texas, not a prob.

heck, sometimes i take them out just to wipe off the excess water on them..

bigjohn

During the winter...you might be surprised...at least in Cleveland...by just how dry it gets. I'm not that familiar with your climate, but I live in Maryland, and this past winter was especially brutal -- with regards to dry air. It was amazing how quickly it sucked the moisture out of the wood. I wouldn't be as concerned during the other seasons...but definitely...think about the winter months...especially if you use a fireplace of any kind in your home. That can really dry out the air.

i'll state the obvious. if you have hot air heat a whole house humidifier can be installed onto the duct work. more than one furnace, use two, but please don't go to depot to buy it, go to a heating supply store.
dan

No, I wouldn't be surprised how dry it gets in the winter (inside the house - because of forced air heating). However, I have a humidistat, and this winter it never dropped out of the comfort zone (roughly 35% to 50% humidity). When it does, I have a humidifier that I use. I didn't use it at all this winter.

35% to 50% humidity is dry for us, and our wooden doors do dry out and close properly. When my sister visits (she lives in Pleasanton, CA, one valley over from SF, and in a dry climate) she constantly whimpers about the humidity, even when it's in the comfort zone. Right now, inside, it is 68.7 degrees, 60% humidity, all windows closed. We have a relatively humid climate. UGH!

Ouch, with a brother that used to work in HVAC and myself having lived in two houses that formerly had working humidifiers piggy-backed onto furnaces - a word of caution - they're tough to keep from molding and they rust ductwork making it nearly impossible to clean.

This place I've got 3 runs of "tin" to replace due to that farking thing. Get a guitar humidor!

Bren R.

aprilaire are the best in my opinion, and no i don't sell them. no standing water, they drain into a condensate pump after cycling.
dan

The molding issue was my intuitive reflex when I saw those at home depot. The idea of having moist air in my HVAC system seemed like a mold/mildew nightmare. Use a guitar case humidifier...or a room humidifier...or both. Or better yet...build a room size humidor...then you can keep all your guitars out on display....

Though I will defer to twodan on advancements in the industry... bro's been out of it for 8 years and there is always a chance of new technology - perhaps different ductwork materials?

Bren R.

I DO love this forum. This thread began with speaker finish; worked it's way through guitars; and now we're into HVAC. And, it's remained interesting, fun, and free of personal insults.

eightmanvt,like twodan said check out aprilaire humidifiers,they have a panel system that leaves no standing water in the pan like drum systems do, and they come with a humidistat to control the humidity level, they work very good...ron

That does sound like an improvement, but...again, intuitively...even the thought of moisture laden air circulating through the ducting -- just still seems like a golden opportunity for mold. I'll probably either just continue using my case units...or if this coming winter gets bad again...get a room unit. Thanks for the tip though...I will check it out.