Some seemingly strange questions...

[Mike Recchione]

I'm kind of in "analysis paralysis" mode for my next build, and am going around and around trying to decide what to build next. I have some large billets of mystery wood that a friend gave me, that have been air drying for a good 10 years now, and I've been thinking of putting them to use for some carved-body acoustic instruments. By "carved body", I mean instruments whose bodies (sometimes along with their necks) were traditionally carved out of a single billet of wood, rather than made using bent staves or sides. (though many of them are currently made by bending staves or sides...)

Right now, I'd like to make:

- A tzouras (a 3/4 scale bouzouki-like instrument, with a 600mm scale length and a smaller body than a bouzouki)
- A baglamas

and a Puerto Rican cuatro.

I have a couple of questions, and was wondering if anyone here might have some experience.

1) How thick should the back and sides of a carved-body instrument be? I've played a Puerto Rican cuatro that was made the traditional way, and it was pretty heavy, so I'm assuming that they don't take it down to 1/8" or less... But how thick?

2) I've only ever seen a tzouras on YouTube, and can't find plans anywhere. Does anyone know where there might be some? I know how long the scale length is, and I know the body looks much smaller than a bouzouki body, but it's hard to guage the actual size by just looking at YouTube (Sometimes the pictures have nothing else to use for context, and other times there are guys holding them, but I have no idea how big the guys are...). Otherwise, I guess I'll just guess...

3) As I said, I have "mystery wood" billets. It might be basswood, might be something similar. Traditionally, the baglamas and tzouras were carved out of mulberry, and the cuatro was carved from laurel. I'm certain that what I have is neither of those. How much difference would the wood make? I've made a "cigar box baglamas", and it sounds pretty good, but not as loud as I'd like. Whatever I make will have a "real" top (not just the cigar box top), so I assume it would be better...

Does anyone know how a tzouras or the baglamas tops should be braced? (I was going to just generalize from the bouzouki, but these things have really small bodies, so that might not be appropriate...)

Thanks, and sorry for all the flaky questions!

[Chris Fournier]

Only you can really answer your questions. What I can tell you is that there is no point in using mystery woods in a musical instrument. A musical instrument takes many hours to build and needs to sound a certain way. Using woods that really aren't suitable just kill the instrument and cheapen your project.

Gonna commit to an instrument build? Use the best materials you can afford and get your hands on.

[Mike Recchione]

Thanks for the reply, Chris. I do get what you're saying regarding the materials. I located one site in Bulgaria that sells a tzouras, and they gave the size of the bowl on theirs. I get the impression there's a lot of individual variation. The baglamas was traditionally made out of mulberry, if the maker could get it. But they were often made out of anything they could find. I have no idea where I'd find mulberry wood commercially... I'm in Northern NJ...

[John K Jordan]

I do get what you're saying regarding the materials.

If you are not aware of it, the US forest products lab will ID up to five samples of wood per year without charge for any US citizen. Their web site has the sample submission requirements. The sample can be tiny. The time I sent them a sample it took a few weeks to get the answer.

JKJ

[Matt Lau]

I'm not too knowledgeable as a builder (especially those instruments. yikes!), however I'll give my $2 (due to inflation).

1. For the quatro, contact William Cumpiano. He's cuban, and very enthusiastic about those instruments. He may give you good measurements.
I think he wrote a plan for GAL.
2. For mulberry, I'd look at the wood-data base for some similar substitute...maybe black locust or osage orange?
Mullberry was used in some chinese/japanese instruments too, so I got interested in it a while back (before deciding I like guitars better).
You should contact Dave Maize for wood. He's a respected instrument builder, and has good rep in the community.
He'll get oddball wood from the arborists and salvage them from being landfill. The wood is cut right, aged right, and graded properly.
http://www.maizeguitars.com/woods/index.htm
From my limited experience (with guitars/mandolins/ukuleles)-- YES, the wood makes a difference. Get a good top. Get a dense/stiff back and sides. Make it right, and you'll have a sonic cannon. Using basswood for the back and sides will result in a fairly muffled tone, and questionable longevity (not very strong). Basswood makes excellent liners though (if you want to isolate the top/back from the sides).

3. You sound like an enthusiast. Can you ask one of your friends to email you an interior shot? Alternatively, if you know a luthier that specializes in teh instrument--ask him/her. Most luthier's are pretty open about their bracing, especially if you're of no threat to them economically.