Tasmanian TIGER MYRTLE - Best Australian Acoustic Guitar Tonewood? - Tommy’s Tonewoods

Tommy's Tonewoods presenting an utterly stupendous wood!
What do you get if you mix wood with a fungus... Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle! One of our favourite woods with a very distinct tiger stripe pattern. This striking timber is brought to you all the way from Down Under by Tasmanian Acoustic Tonewood.
We can’t wait to turn this into a Tom Sands Guitar!!

[@Meevious]

Well known members of the _Fagacae_ family include not just beeches, but also oaks and chestnuts. _Nothofagus_ _Cunninghamii_ (named after Allan Cunningham, but, as is usual with botanical names, not discovered by him) is confined to Tasmania and a small part of the opposing Victorian coastline. There are a bunch of other species in the _Nothofagus_ genus, however, ranging across Australia, NZ, New Guinea, New Caledonia and South America (the non-permafrozen parts of what was once Gondwana). Tasmania has 2 species of _Nothofagus,_ the other of which is a much smaller and scragglier alpine species (rather than a tall temperate rainforest tree). _N._ _cunninghamii_ has what's generally considered the best timber of the lot, but some of the NZ and South American species are similar trees, with many of the same timber qualities (but to somewhat lesser degrees). To be clear, "Tiger myrtle" isn't a name for the species, it's a name for that pattern of fungal staining. In Australia, N. cunninghamii is generally just called "myrtle" (kind of ironically, as many of our best known and most common tree genera, such as _Eucalyptus,_ _Corymbia,_ _Melaleuca,_ _Kunzea,_ _Callistemon_ and _Syzygium_ are very closely related to _Myrtus_ species, being in the same subfamily), though the official common name is "myrtle beech". As a _tonewood,_ ordinary, unstained myrtle should theoretically be infinitesimally better, since it has a consistent structure and hasn't been slightly compromised by fungus. The species has a lovely even grain; great for carving.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

This is so interesting, thanks for taking the time to comment. It really is amazing stuff. Would like to chat more with you about Australian timbers as I have some more lined up. Perhaps you could drop me an email? [e-mail] 🙏

[@tadpoleinnit2643]

I used to work in a great big old science lab complex set on multi floors. About 25 years ago they tore out all the huge thick mahogany slab desks that they set up experiments on. That wood at the time was probably about 60 years old. It all got sawn-up to make book shelves in the lab tech's houses, the scraps ended up in the skip. I wonder how much tone wood we threw away? It pains me to think about now when I see Tom handling such tiny dainty slices of wood with such reverence. I could now be rich beyond the dreams of avarice. Instead, I got a really solid hen coop

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Ah man it’s a classic story I hear all the time about Lab counters etc. such a shame!!!

[@jeffmoe2660]

Spectacular!

[@mrcross7951]

Veryy Nice!!!!! Looking forward to your build!!

[@TomSandsGuitars]

🙌🙌🙌

[@touhidhassan9551]

That colore!♥️

[@davidjohnbrassell6016]

Hi Tom, I am 83 years old, currently making a Pau Ferro classical, spruce top, Mulga finger board,have given my 7 grandchildren either a classical or SS model. Will be making two new classicals using all Australian Timbers, I have made two Tiger Myrtle guitars, beautiful timber and easy to work, hope to keep going, I love your videos, never to old to learn something, kind regards,D J Brassell.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Thank you!! Your grandchildren will treasure these instruments for life!

[@BeauHannamGuitars]

Oh those sweet routers in the background!

[@davidconnell3867]

Very cool featured wood! Another idea for your consideration for Tommy’s Tonewoods also from “down under” is Blackheart Sassafras.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Bentley sent me some!!

[@davidconnell3867]

@@TomSandsGuitars Very cool! Can’t wait to hear your impressions of it…..

[@saoirsepaddy]

I would love your take on black hearted sassafras Tommy :) Cheers :)

[@TomSandsGuitars]

I’ve got some!

[@gjl7444]

Back in 2018 George Lowden made a limited number of Tiger Myrtle guitars. They are on KZbin and sound phenomenal. I have used it twice and can't speak highly enough of how beautiful it sounds as much as it looks. Good luck with your builds I'm sure you will create some stunning guitars. 😍

[@TomSandsGuitars]

I can’t wait to build with it, I think I might have someone interested in one of these sets 🤞

[@floriskaspers6006]

I am lucky to have a that lowden model. Its outstanding.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Tom, please excuse my ignorance, but can you please tell, whether the Australian tone woods, like Tiger Myrtle, Tasmanian Blackwood, etc. would be good choices for a »classical guitar«? In classical guitar construction, notoriously was used rosewood (Indian, Brazilian, Honduran, etc.) for back and sides, and even today, rarely anything else is used for the higher end, handmade instruments. Thank you …

[@tadpoleinnit2643]

If you put a satin finish on that Tasmanian Devil Wood would the wood be hard-wearing? Would it lose resonance by using a satin finish? I prefer satin finishes.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Depends on the product, no reason why it would, it could actually improve it quite a bit. Satin finishes are often much thinner. I’m doing one right now which will have no measurable thickness. As for being hard wearing, depends what you’re going to be doing with the instrument? If you just require a finish to inhibit moisture transfer then yes! If you need to be able to hammer in nails with your guitar, then no.

[@Vercz10]

Does the fungus compromise the structure of the wood like spalting?

[@TomSandsGuitars]

I think it probably could do if it went too far, but this feels great.

[@ErgonBill]

I thought it would have been too dense and brittle for tonewood. It burns well though. In the 50s and 60s Tassy Myrtle was commonly used in house construction for architraves, doors, skirtings and quad beading. I've made picture frames from it.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Far from it, think about timbers like African Blackwood, twice as dense, hard and brittle. Interesting to know it’s more common uses! Did you use tiger Myrtle?

[@ErgonBill]

@@TomSandsGuitars No Tom, but I occasionally came across it while splitting firewood - not knowing it's value or dressed beauty. It certainly is spectacular.

[@RickFarris]

Are those worm holes in the first pair you're showing, Tom?

[@TomSandsGuitars]

They’re some kind of big holes yes, but they fall outside of any guitar shape, so all good!

[@Gordon_L]

G'day Tom , I'm here because I went down a rabbit hole of the internet , I have a question for you . Firstly I am not a musician or instrument builder but somehow my interest in trees , timber , chainsaws and tree climbing led me here with a side adventure of longbow making . That last led to mention of a practice of torrefaction / torrefication of timber producing torrefied wood for the change in qualities it gives in bows and musical instruments such as guitars , violins etc . I am brand new to the term . Natural torrefaction takes a lot of time , heat acceleration much less time . Example , a genuine Stradivarius has natural torrefaction because of age which adds to its tonal qualities . Long buildup to a short question , is this something you use / are familiar with in your use of timber to A/ stabilise the timber and B/ change the acoustics of said timber to benefit the final sound ? Last comment , you have some excellent skills and that is something I always like to see in a person , cheers , from Qld .

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Thank you! Yes torrefied timbers ate something we use in acoustic soundboards for the reasons you mention. The difference is quite noticeable. Thanks for the comment!

[@Gordon_L]

@@TomSandsGuitars Thanks Tom , it seems I'm still learning and that's o.k. , Cheers 🙂

[@tadpoleinnit2643]

I reckon he's popping down to HomeBase to source all this wood 😅🤣😂

[@robnic52]

Yes I reckon an acoustic built from melamine chipboard would blow all Tom's other creations away. Be pretty rugged too, ok for street busking in the rain. What could possibly go wrong? 👍

[@tadpoleinnit2643]

@@robnic52 - What about Tupperware? You could busk whilst keeping your perishables crispy fresh.

[@robnic52]

@@tadpoleinnit2643 Genius! Totally weatherproof, tone to die for (or of :) and fresh, crispy perishables. Such an instrument would be priceless.

[@junjiexia301]

All I can see are those routers😍

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Haha! It’s only half of them 🤣

[@architypeone8646]

Why do you have 10 routers on your shelf?

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Set up for individual tasks.

[@radioking]

Never going to fix the reflections without treating the room. Hard reflective surfaces everywhere. Not sure what mic you are using but if it has an omni pattern try switching to a cardiod and pointing at the sound source. JFYI it doesn't sound that distracting to me.

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Yeah I think I’m going to have to put up some panels and switch to a cardiod overhead. Thanks Andy

[@EnigmaNonGrata]

G’day from Wilberforce Australia. I’m not a fan of Tassie Blackwood so I won’t suggest here how we get our wood to go black. But, if you invite most of all of me & a selection of entities identifying as regardless of pronoun, over to share a dram of that Glenfiddich 12 behind you, I’ll tell you a story of how we get tigers &/or other large cats into Myrtle. Fortunately at the present moment we haven’t managed to cross gum trees with male chickens yet!…… We do know though, that for sure that a AAA grade pipe weed top combined with Glenfiddich 12 back & sides would produce the finest of harmonic balance whilst you loose your balance. Such is life, cosi fan tutti……. 😂

[@TomSandsGuitars]

Award for ‘best ever comment’ goes to you sir.

[@ElenaChuckYT]

Bonky donks 🤣🤣🤣

[@TomSandsGuitars]

It’s a legitimate term 🤣