Maple but denser?

[Eric Duran]

Hi, I'm a recorder player, and I'm thinking about my next instrument. Particularly the wood.

Are there any woods that have a similar sound quality similar to maple, but are denser for a firmer sound?

Thanks.

[Dave Weir]

Wood lbs hardness stiffness
Ipe 59 3342 25860
Cumaru 66 3540 25,580
Jatoba 50 2350 25100
Bubinga 55 2628 24240
Pao Ferro 57 2713 22460
Purpleheart 57 2713 22460
Wenge 54 2235 22020
Garapa 52 1700 20040
Lyptus 50 1796 18860
Canary 31 2000 18600
Padouk 47 2219 17980
Kayu Kuku 48 1460 17640
Gon. Alves 59 2160 17500
Bocate 58 2200 15580
Merbau 49 1654 15560
Sapele 41 1439 15229
Rock Maple 35 1156 13030

I use this chart for guitar neck woods. I've made necks out of most of them and like them all. I think Ipe would be rally nice. It would weigh about twice Maple. Finishes very smooth. Bright like Maple, but also richer. I think Jatoba would be very bright. Also Goncalo Alves, Lyptus, Cumaru finish very smooth. G.A. has a nice waxy feel. Some of the others like Wenge are open grain. Doesn't seem as good for a recorder, but I really don't know.

[Eric Duran]

Hi, thanks.

Been thinking over what I really meant, and it's maple with more bass.

Does ipe qualify, or would it be another wood?

Thanks for your help!

[Dave Weir]

I feel like with guitar necks, heavier is going to give you stronger lows, and stiffer will give you stronger highs.
Ipe is very rich with both.
It's kind of hard to work. I drill it on a lath with a gun drill and try to minimize any machining.
I think Lyptus or Sapele would be a step in the right direction. Not as hard to work and not too expensive or hard to find.
I don't know how big your blank is, but you can get 2x2 Ipe from advantage lumber for a few dollars a foot. a 2x2 actually a little less than 1.5". Garapa is a little softer and half the price. I think it would be awesome.

[Eric Duran]

Hi, after listening to several videos of native american flutes on youtube, Eucalyptus was what I was looking for! Thanks!

[David King]

I was going to suggest boxwood but I suspect that has been done ad nauseum. I'd be tempted to try olive wood, especially the wild olive from Africa which is much denser than the Mediterranean stuff. Eucalyptus or it's Frankensteined cousin lyptus ought to be very nice and the price is usually right.

[Eric Duran]

If my memory serves me right, boxwoood has a raspy sound that is either loved or hated by recorder players. I happen not to like it myself.

There are a few videos of boxwood recorders being played on Youtube giving an idea of the sound.

[Eric Duran]

Does anyone here have experience with true myrtle (myrtus genus) wood?

[Bill Raymond]

I think pearwood has been used, also. Perhaps a similar wood such as apple would be appropriate.

[Larry Davis]

Yew?

[Michael Lewis]

Would not some acrylized wood be appropriate for a recorder? It seems the moisture in breath would affect the acrylic infused wood less than natural wood. Larry, YOU know about this stuff.

[David King]

English yew is a bit on the toxic side as I found out here recently. Pacific yew would presumably be a little less so.

[Larry Davis]

Hello Michael, sorry for long pause in responding to your question, but don't comb thru the forums like the "old" days.

Yes, acrylic infused woods do make fine wood winds and other instruments as well as fingerboards. It is not subject to moisture changing the bore shape as natural woods can and bores are cut cleaner when drilling requiring much less sanding. Surface does not require "finishing", but sanding and buffing only. I have produced acrylic infused blanks for game, duck and turkey calls and have had a booth at National Wild Turkey Federation convention for years. Turkey trumpet calls are really small instruments so do a Google search for them for appreciation. Oddly, call makers (especially turkey box call guys) get into tone wars rivaling electric bass guys. Many box call makers insist grain direction changes tone. Go figure.

David, unfortunate you had an allergic reaction to yew. Guess someone had to Lucky wood bows and lutes got made over the centuries by less sensitive folks. My nemesis is Ipe.

[David King]

Larry,

I was thinking in terms of putting the wood to the lips and toxic as in poisonous. Am I wrong about that?

[Larry Davis]

Yes. Of course, if one has had any allergic reaction to anything, wood or not it would be silly to continue exposing oneself deliberately. Think coco bolo sensitivity.