# Anyone here ever used cherry wood for a solid body?



## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

A friend of mine cut down an old cherry tree a few years ag and gave my this chunk of wood from it:








[/IMG]








[/IMG]

It's been sitting downstairs for a few years, is nice and dry, and quite HEAVY. I saw a Tele that a friend made out of some old maple from his yard. It turned out beautifully, and that got me thinking about this piece of wood. Anybody have any opinions about using it for a guitar body (tone, workability, etc.)? I don't have a Tele in my possession yet, and if it worked, this might be cool. Any thoughts?
-Mikey


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Just a couple of semi-hollow lapsteels and one solid body lapsteel. Very nice wood with which to work. Cuts well, smells nice, doesn't warp much when properly dried, often has a lot of variation in colour and grain, limited shrinkage, reasonably cheap, easy to bend, and the nearest Menonite mill used to always have lots. I've played some nice cherry acoustics that had great tone to my ears.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

I'm doing a carved top tele with cherry as a top wood and alder as a base. The cherry should add a nice touch of top end and sustain.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I love cherry. I have built a lot of stuff with it. It would be beautiful. According to the ' net though .. reviews of electric guitars built out cherry tend to be underwhelming. It is a relatively soft wood so I suspect that the sustain would be less. I have tried to follow a few build threads. 

I say that but Seagull and Norman make acoustic guitars with cherry. Maybe you could get pu's wound so they are really brite?


----------



## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

I'll take the scraps for my smoker. :food-smiley-004:


----------



## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

Sneaky said:


> I'll take the scraps for my smoker. :food-smiley-004:


Hah Hah, there might be lots!
-Mikey


----------



## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

shoretyus said:


> I love cherry. I have built a lot of stuff with it. It would be beautiful. According to the ' net though .. reviews of electric guitars built out cherry tend to be underwhelming. It is a relatively soft wood so I suspect that the sustain would be less. I have tried to follow a few build threads.
> 
> I say that but Seagull and Norman make acoustic guitars with cherry. Maybe you could get pu's wound so they are really brite?


Well, there are many varieties of cherry and while its not as hard and dense as "sugar maple", its certainly harder and denser that something like silver maple.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

LydianGuitars said:


> Well, there are many varieties of cherry and while its not as hard and dense as "sugar maple", its certainly harder and denser that something like silver maple.


Agreed. Here is the density scale... but it doesn't break down maple. 
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wood-density-d_40.html

As I said though I researched a few build threads and the builders tend to be underwhelmed. I have always wanted to try. I actually have a couple of really nice boards that could be a candidate.. but I own too many guitars.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Warmoth does not offer cherry as one of the available woods for any of their guitars so it is obviously not a popular build wood. It would likely be a little on the heavy side unless you cut out a cavity or two but it would likely have a beautiful finish.


----------



## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> Warmoth does not offer cherry as one of the available woods for any of their guitars so it is obviously not a popular build wood. It would likely be a little on the heavy side unless you cut out a cavity or two but it would likely have a beautiful finish.


Do some weight relieving with the router


----------



## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Or go all out and "chamber".chambered body electric guitar - Google Search


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

copperhead said:


> Do some weight relieving with the router


Yes, that's what I meant by "cut out" a cavity or two.


----------

