Persimmon market?

[steveo_1]

Does anyone sell persimmon?If so where and what sizes should i saw it?I know it is used in golf club drivers and we have a club factory in Louisville that i need to check with to see how they buy.I have also heard it is used in some guitars. Anybody got any more info or ideas for it,i got some free logs that i would like to get the most i can out of.
                                      Any suggestions appreciated,Steve

[music_boy]

     I'm looking into persimmon for guitars and mandolins. Here in Southern Maryland, I've not seen a persimmon big enough to make a guitar. Maybe a mandolin. Persimmon is in the same family of woods as Ebony, which is a south american? wood used for saddles, and fingerboards on instruments. It's not as hard as the s. amer. variety, but I have read of some u.s.a. builders using the wood for fingerboards with good results. Not sure if building a body out of the wood would be  acceptable only because I haven't heard of it. Again, I think because it does not get big enough around here. I'm getting ready to drop one that is almost dead that is 12 inches diameter. That is big around here. hope the bugs ain't got into it yet.
Hope this helps a little
Rick

[steveo_1]

Thanks for the response Rick i was getting a little discouraged,guess not too many people saw it,or deal with it much.

[MemphisLogger]

Steveo,

Don't be discouraged! I've been sitting on a bunch of Persimmon logs for almost a year now and finally decided what I'm going to do with them :-/ 8)

I'm going to saw them for fretboards and necks and a few for solid bodies. I'm also going to make some toolhandle blanks.

The intention with the guitar parts is to provide a bright tone neck and body on figured-walnut-faced PRS style electrics and maybe fool around with back and sides on acoustics.

Several domestic luthiers have used Persimmon on fretboards and I believe that it has potential as a regularly used wood for this. Using it for the neck itself may be an experiment doomed for failure due to the wood wanting to move too much--we'll see.

As you approch sawing, remember that established wood uses are related to the commercial viability of lumber production. Woods like Magnolia, Persimmon, Dogwood, etc. have great properties but don't occur enough to be considered "commercially viable". My philosophy is to try every species I come across in search of the forgotten.

 ;D    

[Kedwards]

I like persimmon and I think you are correct Scott. The best uses of these very dense "rare" species lie in the specialty uses. Red mulberry, Persimmon, Dogwood are all items I seel on occassion to luthiers and woodwind instrument makers.

[music_boy]

Don't forget too,
     Most woods that are good for musical instruments, usually have a market for various bird calls. I know they use Osage Orange,( a favorite of mine) for duck calls. Keep that in mind. for your persimmon
Rick