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Has anyone done anything with the cypress that grows along the west coast of the US. They often plant it by graveyards. It grows fairly large. The wood has the color of alaskan yellow cedar. I picked up some the other day from a tree service. Looks like it might make decent tops and bracing.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com

I think I saw a thread on lester devoe/s flamenco gtr website abt using monterrey cypress for flamencos, I believe it is similiar to the one grown in spain and mediterranean countries,In spain, think they are used for coffins.

As I remember, Alaskan yellow cedar is a strain of cyprus. The man to ask is Shane.

Bob

LMI has carried it in the past...
http://www.shoplmi.com/products/mostly- ... ey-cypress

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Lance Peck

Monterrey Cypress ( Cupressus macrocarpa) is a Cypress species and looks very similar to Spanish Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) in looks and working qualities but each cypress has its own distinctive smell and in general Monterrey Cypress loses its scent much faster than Spanish Cypress.

Port Orford Cedar, a common name for Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a wood that looks much whiter than either monterrey or Spanish cypress and is starting to gain popularity as a wood for tops. It from a distance can look like a spruce but is much finer grain and is a cypress.

Alaskan Yellow Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) is a common name for Yellow Cypress which is also a cypress and has a strong scent but it can smell more medicinal than other cypress species. It more yellow than white color and is also used for flamenco guitars. It has been used by some as a top wood but mostly because it is more split resistant but because of its color is less used than Port Orford Cedar.

For braces one of the advantages of cypress is high weight to longitudinal strength as well as adding a pleasant scent if the braces are left unfinished. I have only used them for cross braces as I build classicals so others will have to weigh in on use for other braces.

I really like Alaskan Yellow cypress, and it´s still possible to find it cheap. Strangely enough, there are Mediterranean cypresses everywhere around here, but they´re hard to find at big enough sizes for tonewood, and the wood tends to be very knotty - so it´s much more expensive than its cousin coming from the other side of the world.
Alaskan yellow cedar is a bizarre fellow, though, from a botanical perspective. It has been put in the Cupressus genus, then went to Chamaecyparis, then returned to Cupressus, and now experts argue if it should have its own genus (Callitropsis). Its phenotype is simillar to the false cypresses, but genetically they´re closer to the true cypresses, making it the most boreal of the cypresses. Sorry for going into this length accumulation of trivial facts - one of my interests is the classification of Cupressaceae, go figure...

Shawn, thanks for the info - i think i´ll use some nootka for braces.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Hey Mike,
Ken Franklin made a Ukulele out of some. It looked and sounded great. I have a fair amount of the stuff. I sent a back and side set to Michael Collins. Might ask if he ever made anything out of it. What I have is Mendocino Cypress which is the same species as Monterey but the people who cut the stuff say there is a difference in color and texture. More from growing conditions as anything else I would suspect. All of the stuff I have handled if from a good tree is wonderful wood.
L.

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

I haven't checked into this forum in a while and this is really interesting. I was recently in New Zealand and saw landscaping ties sold labeled as Macrocarpa. A web search told me Macrocarpa is the NZ trade name for Monterrey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa). It's apparently grown throughout NZ as a wind break and can grow much larger there than it its native California The planks I looked at had no real odor (compared to yellow cedar which you can smell from quite a distance) and were more tan in colour. Perhaps they were treated with preservative.

I'm fascinated by alternative guitar materials. Any of our Kiwi members used Macrocarpa for back and sides? I understand there are several varieties. I'm curious how Macrocarpa would work for flamenco guitars compared to cypresses from the Northern hemisphere. Maybe a cheaper tonewood option?

Jake.

I'm pretty sure Brian Burns uses it for at least some of his flamencos. He'll certainly know the wood properties. Give him a call.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Alaska Yellow Cedar makes a nice flamenco guitar (and probably any other guitar you want), but it is usually very plain visually, and lacks the character that you may usually want to see in backs and sides. Mediterranean Cypress totally annihilates it on that front.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Hmm, out of curiosity, exactly how big do they get in NZ? I'm a native Californian, and actually grew up in Monterey. They can actually get pretty monstrous here in their native environment. 3 feet diameter trunks aren't terribly uncommon, though around 2 feet is typical, IIRC. I'd love to see the Giant Mutant NZ version...

I've seen 5 feet diameters up here in northern california.

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Michael F Smith
Goat Rock Ukulele
http://goatrockukulele.com