Best body wood for carving/hand-tooling?

[stubhead]

My next guitar appears to need some teeth and some gills, among other things. Maybe, even, ...SCALES....
- though these are the early days...* For what I want to do tonally, my "normal" default wood would be alder. However, among the internet wood-carver cults, poplar is "better" and basswood is to gush for. I can adjust "tone" to work with other woods, it's just caps and pot and resistors, E-Z. Anybody who has actually taken chisel-to-wood please chime up, saddle on and jump in... no dremelers, god what an awful noise. Lot's of burn-out, too (the wood, idz).

*(if you've ever seen those lottery baskets full of ping-pong balls, izt how my brainz werkz 1rzt)

 

[line6man]

Gaboon Ebony with a Lignum Vitae laminate top. :blob7:

 

[mgaut051]

If you must. Mahogany. Only way to go.

 

[swarfrat]

My next guitar appears to need some teeth and some gills, among other things. Maybe, even, ...SCALES....
- though these are the early days...* For what I want to do tonally, my "normal" default wood would be alder. However, among the internet wood-carver cults, poplar is "better" and basswood is to gush for.

Sounds like Basswood would be perfect. Actually and seriously though, I like basswood as a tonewood too. If it carves beautifully and has teeth, gills and scales, sounds perfect.

 

[DustyCat]

I keep telling my old guitar teacher about this site 'cause he's been using the same gear forever..
And now hand carved scales! WOW!
How 'bout some feathers while yer at it!
I can see it now, price increase +10000% for hand carved fire feathers and dragon scales!

 

[Updown]

This person was doing a carved Eagle Strat from scratch, not sure what wood was used.
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=17620.0
But ... haven't seen anything for some time ....
So may-be he slipped with the chisel or carving knife  :doh:  or the Eagle flew the coop  :dontknow:

 

[Eric Banjitar]

Basswood has very little density diference between spring and summer woods.  It is soft and clear and the easiest wood to carve.  Practice with soap, it is even easier.

 

[greywolf]

Mahogony . Lacewood , Basswood  all nice to work with .  The hardest ones for me have been Purpleheart, zebrano and Maple .. all lovely but very hard .