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| Who loves EIR? http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=41180 |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:55 am ] |
| Post subject: | Who loves EIR? |
Sure, maybe some find EIR to be too "plain and boring" because just about every single guitar makers and manufacturers use them, but the wood is so nice to work with! It bends so well one said you could practically bend it into a cutaway cold and it would not break (although I do have a junk EIR side that I got from another luthier that her apprentice broke. No idea what happened there). The wood looks pretty good, smells ok, and isn't too difficult to plane or cut. It's also fairly stable too. The set I got practically wants to bend... And to top it all, it's pretty cheap, anywhere from 60-100 dollars depending on grade from LMI, and could get it cheaper from Allied or others as well as local manufacturers if you don't mind using the Indonesian stuff. As for sound I can't comment... as 90% of the sound comes from the soundboard anyways. It is being sustainably harvested from India from what I read meaning it won't go the way of BRW. Who else here loves EIR? |
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| Author: | B. Howard [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 4:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I like it myself. I like working with it but I also like the way it sounds. There it's s reason so many factory guitars are made from Sitka/EIR. Because it is a good sounding combo. And yes the pricing thing helps too. |
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I've only ever used it once for backs and sides. I have to say I am not crazy about it but it's probably because it is used so much. But it's good enough, looks good and as you say is easy to work with though takes a lot to pore fill. |
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| Author: | Goodin [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 8:57 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I love it. I think it looks great, easy to work, cheap, sounds great. What's not to like?! |
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| Author: | David LaPlante [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 9:59 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Hauser loved it, Fleta loved it, Romanillos (Jose' and Liam) loves it, Martin loves it, so who am I not to?! I think the worm will turn when it's no longer available in nice wide, dark straight grained and quartered stock.......people always want what they can't have.........meanwhile I've been laying in a supply for the long term. Attachment: LaPlante#95finish.jpg
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| Author: | mqbernardo [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I'd just improve the smell.. |
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| Author: | Jim Watts [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I think it's one of the best woods available and believe it's underrated because it's so readily available. |
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| Author: | runamuck [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I agree with Jim Watts and others. That some don't like it is due to psychological reasons for the most part. It's also due to psychological reasons that many are so enamoured with some pretty crappy looking, flat-sawn Brazilian. |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I think from the site the luthier said (I forgot which one) that if it weren't for the legendary/psychological status of BRW, no one would use the stuff. By the way Bubinga is another underrated tonewood... it's cheaper than EIR (according to LMI that is, for what it's worth) but it's not too hard to bend although slightly harder to sand/cut/plane. It actually looks so good that it blows even the prettiest EIR away, and we're talking about plain (not figured) Bubinga. I guess I should change the title of this thread into "most underrated tonewood"... |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Bubinga is OK, but a bit dry on the sonics side. Does not give the same quality of sound that you can get from EIR, IMO. Not saying it's bad, just not as complex. |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:56 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
that's subjective though... because I've built bubinga guitar that sounded great, however I don't know good compared to what... I suspect you may be hard pressed to tell in a double blind listening test... |
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| Author: | quentinjazz [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I love IER, the smell... wow! I could plane it forever! |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Sometimes I wish everyone from India smells like EIR... |
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| Author: | Joe Beaver [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I like it also. Funny thing is the best is the plain looking straight grained quarter sawn stuff, just like BRW use to be before the supply ran out. Now everyone wants the highly figured stump cut stuff. My favorite these days are cocobolo and pau ferro and of course EIR |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I will probably never work with Cocobolo... I don't need allergies. |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I don't even know how luthiers manage to accumulate a huge stash of wood... my stash consists of some soundboards and low grade wood, barely enough to build 2 guitars. |
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
runamuck wrote: I agree with Jim Watts and others. That some don't like it is due to psychological reasons for the most part. It's also due to psychological reasons that many are so enamoured with some pretty crappy looking, flat-sawn Brazilian. That is probably true. In fact in my first post I admitted it's true for me. It's ubiquitous and hence sort of waters it down a bit. Of course I'm of the opinion that it matters not for tone hardly at all. |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Tai Fu wrote: that's subjective though... because I've built bubinga guitar that sounded great, however I don't know good compared to what... I suspect you may be hard pressed to tell in a double blind listening test... The comment was based on my experience with the two different woods in guitars I have built. |
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| Author: | B. Howard [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Todd Stock wrote: It's exactly the same thing with mahogany...so common that no one in their right mind would build a custom guitar with the stuff. no one ever said I was in my right mind...... Attachment: IMG_4331.JPG
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| Author: | Pmaj7 [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Brian, that is awesome! Looks like some kind of mural. And nice job on the book match!! |
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| Author: | Pmaj7 [ Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Tai Fu wrote: I don't even know how luthiers manage to accumulate a huge stash of wood... my stash consists of some soundboards and low grade wood, barely enough to build 2 guitars. Tai, sounds like you got a case of the "guitar buildin' blues". Proceed directly to ukulele and play C Am7 G7. |
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| Author: | Darryl Young [ Wed Aug 21, 2013 1:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
It seems classical strings have a warmth of their own and and lack sparkling highs (overtones)......so maybe that is why no one wants a classical guitar with Mahoagony back/sides and instead have a preference for rosewood. Adds a bit of sparkle to the tone. Steel strings have much stronger overtones and pair well with mahogany. Of course they sound good with rosewood as well so it seems you have more choices for back wood with a steel string guitar. |
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| Author: | David LaPlante [ Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:16 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
I would agree with Daryl in that the denser woods are far more sought after than something like mahogany for the classical guitar where a bright singing treble is the response that is the hardest to achieve. African Blackwood is considered by some to be the ultimate closely followed by Brazilian, Indian and the many other rosewoods. Cypress is a wonderful traditional choice and the denser of the sets can be quite similar to Indian rosewood in response. Maple (the "bird's eye" variety) is the least dense of the acceptable choices (for me anyway) and requires different thicknessing (as all the choices do to some extent) to achieve the mass which works best with my approach. Maple is currently my favorite partly due to it's visual interest, nice contrast with darker trim materials and ease of polishing (no pores!). |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:19 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
Maple is just a pain to bend... |
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| Author: | David LaPlante [ Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:21 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Who loves EIR? |
...........The curly stuff for sure but not the "bird's eye"............ Attachment: Laplante#96Completeside.jpg Attachment: Laplante#102FinishedBackful.jpg
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