Agathis and bass wood are easy to machine, hard woods like alder and mahagony are harder to machine, in a strat there is a lot of machining involved so a softer wood make life easier for the manufacturer, however the guitars wont hold up as long for the user imo, which is why you see so many starter guitars made of agathis and basswood. I am not a botanist, so i really cant say much more. And pjh, i have heard some great guitars made from pine. What is actually wrong with agathis wood being used on. Bindang, borneo kauri, dakua makadre, damar, damar minyak, indian agathis, kauri, kauri pine, menghilan, tolong. Agathis australis, commonly known by its maori name kauri, is a coniferous tree of araucariaceae in the genus agathis, found north of 38s in the northern districts of new zealands north island. Agathis moorei is a mediumsized evergreen tree with a rounded crown that grows up to 30 m in height and 60120 cm in diameter. Wood database and searchable library woodworkers source. When you get past the novelty, its basically just an oldgrowth softwood. Usually it is the builder, not the wood that makes a poor guitar. Agathis robusta is a slowgrowing but longlived large evergreen conifer that can reach a height of 25 30 metres, exceptionally to 43 metres.
Unlike any other material, the design properties for wood members depends. There are 178 suppliers who sells agathis plywood on, mainly located in asia. Not that anyone can tell the difference on an electric guitar. I would say it can even be used in lower end intermediate level instruments. Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide by. Reddit has thousands of vibrant communities with people that share your interests. The wood is used because it is inexpensive not cheap cheap as in crappy. The worlds most extensive database on commercial wood species. Elsewhere some are grown as ornamental plants in warm areas or in greenhouses. His guitar tech went to a music store and purchased a current gibson bucker and the tone didnt change. Alternatively, find out whats trending across all of reddit on rpopular. Agathis robusta is an evergreen tree growing to 45 m 147ft 8in. Agathis is a relatively small genus, with only 21 known species. Many of the agathis species can make fine guitars, acoustic and electric.
Guitar body wood test alder vs agathis hi all, i did a tap test on two guitar bodies. It does not have a prominant grain pattern which is why most agathis basses are painted with a solid color. It has an ovalshaped cone up to 15 cm long and 12 cm diameter that disintegrate at maturity to release the winged seeds. Ancient kauri is simply a name for kauri trees agathis australis that have been.
Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen. Agathis is often referred to as commercial grade mahogany as its tonal properties closely represent those of mahogany but fall short of true mahogany. My squier p bass has a body made from it, and with an sd quarter pound basslines pup can sound anything from very dark, to quite spanky, depending on how i set my amps eq. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you. The wood database may be accessed from the wood tab of the section sets spreadsheet by clicking in the shape field and then clicking, or by clicking the shape database button on the advanced tab of the ribbon and then clicking the wood tab of the shape database dialog wood materialshape selection. Agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The first 47 pages are a wellwritten education about wood, covering basics of wood structure, comprehensive details about wood anatomy, ways to identify a type of wood even a list of woods that fluoresce. They grow mainly in the southern hemisphere, including southeast asia, areas of the western pacific, and australasia agathis is a relatively small genus, with only 21 known species. Mature agathis can become quite large, reaching feet about 40 m in height and 10 feet about 3. I saw an interview with dickie betts once where he stated, that in a 59 lp he had a paf go bad on the road. I think the tone on this particulal guitar is due to the density of yhe wood. Agathis is a genus of evergreen, coniferous trees, the kauri.
The top countries of suppliers are ukraine, china, and vietnam, from which the percentage of. Poor quality agathis is really nothing but firewood. The top countries of suppliers are ukraine, china, and vietnam, from which the percentage of agathis plywood supply is 1%, 96%, and 2% respectively. Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide all that makes the wood database unique, distilled into one potent book. Wood is so variable, that two pieces from the same tree can sound quite different. The database was created by eric meier, who originally began compiling specs on different types of wood for his own personal use, to use as a guide in selecting the appropriate wood for projects.
The species is hermaphrodite has both male and female organs. The numerical data covers all key qualities in both english and metric units. Now, what are the disadvantages of an agathis body. Dakua ek rakam ke coniferous perr hai jiske south west pacific ocean ke island me, jaise ki fiji, vanuatu, santa cruz islands, aur solomon islands, me pawa jaae hai. Ancient kauri agathis australis why people love it. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the jurassic and cretaceous periods, but now largely restricted to the southern hemisphere except for a number of extant malesian agathis.
Pulled up from bogs in new zealand, kauri is thousands of years old, making it the oldest wood on the market why its overrated. Guitar tone woods a tone guide for guitar tone woods. Agathis australis can attain heights of 40 to 50 metres and trunk diameters big enough to rival californian sequoias at over 5 metres. Identifying and using hundreds of woods worldwide by eric meier 20151010 by the wood database. Agathis, the genus of the dammar pines, species of pinelike plants of the family araucariaceae. It can grow in semishade light woodland or no shade. I have a guitar with an agathis body and a maple cap that sounds fine. Nepalese alder alnus nepalensis alder, nepalese alnus nepalensis. Agathis simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Welcome to miller wood trade publications for proper viewing, please rotate your device. There were some cheap guitars made from agathis body such as esp ltd, and squier whats wrong with that as for me, i cant afford for expensive and better guitarss as i own an ltd m50 with agathis. Agathis species range from the philippines to australia and new zealand.
Unlike basswood, which tends to soften any highs, alder retains many more, but also gives room. Aug 24, 2011 agathis is a general name for any number of different far eastern hard woods. Pulled up from bogs in new zealand, kauri is thousands of years old, making it the oldest wood on the market. The largest kauri trees did not attain as much height or girth at ground level but contain more timber in their cylindrical trunks than comparable sequoias with their tapering stems. Agathis macrophylla also agathis silbae known as pacific kauri, is a coniferous tree native to the islands of the southwestern pacific ocean in tropical humid lowlands and lower montane regions, notably in fiji, vanuatu, the santa cruz islands, and the solomon islands. Agathis robusta queensland kauri pfaf plant database. Some squire basses are made with agathis, but since squires may be given a sunburst finish a very thin veneer of a grained wood will be glued to the front and back so that that option is available. Use our exclusive database to search for species by appearance. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The specific epithet is the latin word for strong or robust in reference to the vigorous growth of the tree. Agathis moorei is an evergreen tree growing to 25 m 82ft by 7 m 23ft at a medium rate. Carlton mclendon inc, or the man who quite literally wrote the book on wood collecting, alan curtis.
The genus agathis, commonly known as kauri or dammar, forms a relatively small genera of 21 species of evergreen trees in the very ancient araucariaceae family of conifers. With 40 actual wood specimens in popular use, descriptions of grain, color and texture, how to identify trees by their leaves, fruit, and bark, and much more, this is a small encyclopedia for woodworkers, carpenters, hobbyists, dealers, architects, craftsmen, nature lovers, teachers, or anyone with the urge to learn about wood. Either there have been craftoriented books filled with. Agathis is a general name for any number of different far eastern hard woods. Shipping currently not available to canada or australia. I bought this book because of eric meiers great wood database website. These larger rings and sections add to its strength, and the complexity of the tones. Jan 30, 2008 agathis guitar bodywood what is agathis closest to in terms of wood. New zealand kauri the wood database lumber identification. A wide variety of agathis plywood options are available to you, such as outdoor. Several species yield hard resins or gums including kauri copal, manila copal, and dammar resin used primarily in making varnishes and other. What wood is that a manual of wood identification studio. Softwoods araucariaceae agathis australis common names. Amazons choice recommends highly rated, wellpriced products available to ship immediately.
Compare various species against one another by key characteristics. The title of this book could not be more explicit or apt. Almaciga, almaciga daminara, bindang, borneo kauri, dakua makadre, damar, damar minyak, indian agathis, kauri, kauri pine, menghilan, tolong. The leaves are usually 56 cm long and 812 mm broad and in decussate opposite pairs.
Body woods alder similar to basswood, alder is lightweight with soft tight pores. They grow mainly in the southern hemisphere, including southeast asia, areas of the western pacific, and australasia. The resins obtained from agathis borneensis, agathis dammara, agathis lanceolata, agathis macrophylla and agathis philippinensis are the most important commercially, but all members of the genus yield usuable quantities. The woodworkers resource for practical information and research for all things wood. The pacific kauri is one of the largest and fastest growing species in its genus, and is important in forestry. David wood has 77 books on goodreads with 31729 ratings. Agathis is a softwood, coming from a coniferous tree spruce, pine, etc, unlike mahogany which comes from a deciduous tree hardwood. Books on the subject of wood usage and identification have all come from one of two very opposite poles. The common name most commonly used is an adaption of the maori name of kauri for the new zealand species, agathis australis in australia this plant is called a dammar pine. Wood database and searchable library working properties for. They are now found only in small areas of the southern hemisphere. The book is every bit as good a reference as i expected.
It may dent easily when it is unfinished but since most inexpensive guitars have bullet proof poly finishes it is a non issue. Worldwide woods, ranked by hardness over 500 woods arranged into eight geographic regions and ranked by janka hardnessall on one 24. Agathis moorei pacific kauri, moore kauri pfaf plant database. Jul 19, 2015 agathis properly selected and treated can definitely be used as a tone wood. All that makes the wood database unique, distilled into one potent book. Jan 14, 2010 i have a guitar with an agathis body and a maple cap that sounds fine. The crown is dense, but often small in forestgrown trees, becoming more elongate when trees grow in the open.
Agathis has a worldwide reputation as a quality wood but like so many of the fine species throughout the world, it too has been used to near exhaustion. Since agathis trees grows in the far east, it is primarily used in lower end guitars and other stringed instruments. Best not to worry about the wood, but focus on the quality of sound of the guitar. Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Many low priced poorly constructed guitars use agathis wood as it is inexpensive, easy to attain, and easy to work with. The pacific kauri is one of the largest and fastest growing species in its.