Poplar wood - curling direction

[Mac Walker]

I've started using poplar for solid body electrics (Music Man style bass more specifically), and one of the things I've noticed is that the wood curls in the opposite direction relative to "normally grained" woods.

 

For example, maple and ash when cut will curl in a direction opposite the circular end grain direction.  But when the heartwood face is relieved during surface planing, poplar seems like it wants to curl inwards.  Am i crazy here, or is this the experience of others?

 

Thanks.....

[Russell Vance]

Hmmm, Rob, "solid body electric guitars are.. a slab of wood......the electronics and skill are the critical part" - spoken by a true acoustic guitar maker. I wish.

But, yes, Alder is a street tree and swamp ash was a weed - fortunately they were in the right place at the right time for the Fender config. However, Gibson was obviously thinking out side the box when they settled on Honduras Mahogany/maple cap - I'd hate to hear Slash playing with a Poplar Les Paul.

[Rob Mercure]

Russ,

Well, I'll admit I was being a tad "defensive" about some of my favorite woods 'round here as this area is truly dominated by yellow poplars - have a nice one in my yard - as well as sassafras (I've enjoyed sassafras tea in the spring since I was around 5 years old when my mother introduced me to it and told me how to harvest the outer root bark.) Actually, I got the term "slab of wood" from an article on Les Paul in book on guitars - he used the term and I stole it - so it's hard to argue with the man who practically invented 'em. But while the electronics are important there is much skill and craft in achieving a good standing balance, a good neck that's easily playable, and a combination of body/neck wood characteristics that give you the sound you desire. With that said the Danelectro MOT covered particle board guitars are considered collectable and some like their sound while electric guitars have been made totally of plastic and metal and almost infinite combinations of various materials. It all still breaks down to the time and effort and education you're willing to put into the instrument but I've seen many very playable solid body instruments made by crafters who could never put together a decent acoustic guitar so IMHO there's "more" to acoustic construction than electric.

Rob