Ted Davis cut some osage in the early-1980's and built several guitars with it. He wrote an article for the GAL which was entitled 'Appalachian Gold'. At that time, I was a proponent of black locust, which is similar (though it is a bit less hard and dense). Both woods have the best tap tone of any domestic hardwood I have cut.
I initially used locust and osage for bridgeplates and braces, but in the mid-1990's I built a few black locust guitars. Fresh-cut locust has a pale greenish-yellow hue, but it quickly ages to a golden brown. For the most part, I have stained the wood with walnut stain.
|