Tasmanian Tonewoods For For That Perfect Tone.

Tasmanian Tonewoods for your Custom Build Stringed Musical Instrument Requirements.

According to Australian Guitar Maker Gary Rizzolo (known as the Wizard) Tasmanian Tonewoods offer, a resonance not found in any other species.

Please Scroll down for information on Tasmanian Tonewood species.

Tasmanian Tonewoods Are World Renown for there sound velocity & excellent density.

BLACKHEARTED SASSAFRASS

Blackhearted Sassafras. Botanical Name: Atherosperma Moschatum.

Black Hearted Sassafras is a beautifull tonewood known for its well rounded open sound and clear treble response.

Of all the Tasmanian Timbers Sassafras has the most dynamic colouring with distinctive golden tones, dark browns, black and even green streaking running through the wood. Few woods on the market can match the striking colour contrasts found in this species.Tonally in the range of the Mahoganies and walnuts with the characteristics of both good balance across the range, Easy to work bend and finish, light and strong. Expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs.

TASMANIAN BLACKWOOD

Tasmanian Blackwood. Botanical Name: Acacia Melanoxylon.

Tasmanian Blackwood is one of the most highly valued tonewoods. A distant cousin of Hawii Koa. But in the words of a lot of luthiers Tasmanian Blackwood has more density  and has a better tap tone than Koa. Blackwood produces a beautiful lustre, fiddleback and quilted available on a small scale, the variety of tonings range from light golden browns to deep browns, sometimes a reddish tint and occasionally showing black streaks. Stable and easy to work, acoustically it has warm woody tones similar to that of Mahogany and the brightness of Rosewood. Blackwood is an all around excellent tonewood well suited for various playing styles. Blackwood also makes an excellent Soundboard.

TASMANIAN MYRTLE MYRTLE BURL

Tasmanian Myrtle. Botanical Name: Nothofagus Cunninghamii.

Myrtle is known for its strength, volume, and balance.

Myrtle is a striking wood with rich reds, browns and almost orange tones, the colour is vibrant combining subtle variations in tone with the texture and sheen of wavy and fiddleback features to produce a surface alive with character and individuality. Myrtle produces beautiful Burl and is becoming a highly sought after tonewood for acoustic and solid body electric guitars. Bends well, easy to work and finishes to a high luster, Robust tap tone.Known for it's wide tonal range and warm overtones, superb tonewood.

TASMANIAN MOUNTAIN ASH MOUNTAIN ASH BURL

Tasmanian Mountain Ash. Botanical Name: Eucalyptus Regnans.

Can be highly figured and Fiddleback, takes a stain well. Has warm and clear tones, great clarity like a cross between Mahogany and Maple. It's use has been limited to the Australian builders, but it makes beautiful sounding backs and sides, and necks. beautiful to work with, very stable and very strong, as well as been lightweight. Excellent for drop tops and solid body guitars.

SHE OAK

She Oak. Botanical name: Casuarina

Is one of most spectacular woods in the world dark reds to orange purples and can be highly figured -Lace She Oak looks like an explosion of splendor with layers of figure and colours swirling in all directions. Tonally in the range of Koa & Mahogany. Shows strong medullary rays. Dry density. 720Kg/M3.

She oak is a very stable timber bends and glues well and accepts a finish well - take care when sanding use a light touch so you do not produce red marks on the wood surface.

JARRAH. Eucalyptus Marginmate.

Jarrah makes a loud instrument very dense timber with strong midrange tone quality according to luthiers that favour this species is not dissimilar to Indian Rosewood colour range from deep red to a light pink wide figure range Curl/ fiddleback to a black fleck marking that is quite bold.

It is strongly advised due to the high percentage of short grain tha a steel slat and thermal blanket should be used during side bending to prevent any fracturing. Jarrah glues and finishes well.

AUSTRALIAN RED GUM (NSW)

Botanical name: Eucalyptus Camaldulensis. Red gum is a very unstable timber reacting to ambient temperature changes due to high water intake since they mainly grow in swampy areas and river banks our red gums are selectivly harvested old growth trees growing on hillsides that have less water intake and are fully quarter sawn so are much more stable beatiful colour tonewood.

Soundboard Tonewoods

TASMANIAN HUON PINE

Tasmanian Huon Pine. Botanical Name: Lagarostrob so you do not produceos Franklinii.

An ancient native conifer, huon pine has been dated at over two thousand years of age making this species one of the oldest living trees on the planet. Beautiful golden yellow colour, fine grain and easy to work. Huon Pine being softer and heavier than spruce it makes quieter guitars but has a very rich sustained sound. Steel string guitars with a smaller body tend to sound bigger.

KING BILLY PINE

King Billy Pine. Botanical Name: Athrotaxis selaginoides.

It has extremely beautiful coloured wood, with the sapwood being yellow and the heartwood a reddish pink to brown with impressive growth rings of distinct colouring a pliable timber easily worked, it's physical properties is comparable to Western Red Cedar.

TASMANIAN CELERY TOP PINE

Tasmanian Celery Top Pine. Botanical Name: Phyllocladus  Aspleniifolius.

Native Conifer, because of it's stability, durability & appearance celery top is highly prized. Pale white to yellow when first cut and obtains a golden hue with age. A light but very dense timber, fine grain and easily worked. Gary Rizzolo of Rizzologuitars has used it with great success.

Data bibliography

Density and unit shrinkage data; Illic J, Boldand D, McDonald M, Downes G and Balekmore P. (2000) Wood Density Phase 1 - State of Knowledge. Technical report no. 18. Australian Greenhouse Office

MOE values; Bootle (2004)

Sound velocity data - Gottstein fellowship report Australian tonewoods (2008)
http://www.gottsteintrust.org/media/AMorrow.pdf

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Examples of Tasmanian exotic tonewoods below.

Tasmanian Blackhearted Sassafras	Tasmanian Compression Blackwood
Fiddleback Blackwood	Tasmanian Myrtle	Tasmanian Fiddleback Mountain Ash
Tasmanian Highly Figured Myrtle Burl	Tasmanian Highly Figured Blackwood	Tasmanian Musk
Tasmanian Musk Burl	Tasmanian Blackhearted Sassafras	Discover Tasmanian Blackwood
Tasmanian Blackhearted Sassafras	Tasmanian Blackhearted Sassafras	Tasmanian Teardrop Eucalyptus

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