Fun fact- the tap tone raises significantly when it's been bent. After the days of the longbow came to an end, it was considered the prized wood for lutes. It's very rare to find usable pieces as large as the pieces you have here- congratulations, a rare find indeed!
I presented a paper at a Shakespeare conference a few years ago about this wood and its transition from being primarily used for longbows to its use in lutes. Good staves of it were closely guarded for many years, and there was even a tarrif on French wine for a while that required one bowstave be transported over for each barrel of wine. I found anectodal evidence that yew was planted in churchyards as a sort of backup national defence system, because people don't cut trees in churchyards, so the yews were preserved in case of a shortage of bow staves. When gunpowder began to make bows obsolete, the straight-grained trees that would have been reserved for bow staves were freed up for luthiers. This also coincided with larger and larger (hence louder) lute family instruments which were more suited to theatrical performance. Whether this was correlation or causation, I don't know. As a guitar builder, I have been keen to work with yew for a while, but viable sets are rare on this side of the pond. Maybe we can set up a trade: yew for Osage orange?
My journey with that wood started today but sadly won't continue until i'm retired. Thanks for that video because it's really the only one about that subject.
Just received my yew lumber piece and it looks like the sides can be cut nicely so that no knots are in there but the back will have some small knots that are assymetrical. Now we could argue that this is normal for this wood species but i'm not sure if potential buyers would see it this way. Should i leave the knots or cut them out and have a multi piece back? What would you suggest?
Quiet evening Tom... a lot of background there - yes, the tap-tone is somewhat flatter than the others but in the right hands its got potential. Looks nice though! Perhaps a bit of madi would be good or bubinga or bocote- just a thought? Anyways keep ‘em tonewood videos comin’ - cheers. K.
I have in mind for a long time to build a guitar out of yew because i just find it an interesting wood. Not sure how it would fit a flamenco guitar. It would probably be better for a classical guitar. I know it's used on irish harps for the soundbox, so it can't bad for guitars. It is hard, but not as hard as rosewood, so it's hardness should not be a problem. I'm now acquiring a piece of yew and i hope the piece will be usable for a guitar.
Check of Turnstone guitars, they use yew for soundboards, unique sound. The great thing about yew is it’s inverse hardness to elasticity ratio. Super interesting material
@@TomSandsGuitars Because the wood is too heavy for a soundboard and it would not look traditional. I think spruce is still the best tonewood for soundboards. Yew however is something barely known and almost nobody uses it although it should be a good tonewood as it is used on harps.
@@donarmando916 not looking traditional is not a reason not to use something. The average dried weight of Yew is not so much more than something like mahogany which makes a fine guitar. The elastic modulus is also attractive. The has given me an idea to run it through the same tests as I did in the mastergrade video we recently posted.
The whole yew but the false fruit is toxic because of an alkaloid called taxine, reason for which the yew has no parasites or diseases. That's why it lives so long. Because it grows really slow, the wood is very hard and dense reason for which was very sought after for wood sculptures and fancy furniture. Also, I've heard they make great solid body electric guitars. Of course, where I'm from it's illegal to cut down yew trees.
Oh you’re very good at this Tom. Second the video started I thought I’ll have to leave a comment about how those early churches from the Middle Ages just couldn’t shake off the pagan customs(evergreens go back as far as Babylon). There’s supposed to be a nice old grove in Borrowdale? It’s really good that the message has got round that with the right maker, these other materials aren’t seen as something lesser than the traditional?
Fun fact- the tap tone raises significantly when it's been bent. After the days of the longbow came to an end, it was considered the prized wood for lutes. It's very rare to find usable pieces as large as the pieces you have here- congratulations, a rare find indeed!
I presented a paper at a Shakespeare conference a few years ago about this wood and its transition from being primarily used for longbows to its use in lutes. Good staves of it were closely guarded for many years, and there was even a tarrif on French wine for a while that required one bowstave be transported over for each barrel of wine. I found anectodal evidence that yew was planted in churchyards as a sort of backup national defence system, because people don't cut trees in churchyards, so the yews were preserved in case of a shortage of bow staves. When gunpowder began to make bows obsolete, the straight-grained trees that would have been reserved for bow staves were freed up for luthiers. This also coincided with larger and larger (hence louder) lute family instruments which were more suited to theatrical performance. Whether this was correlation or causation, I don't know. As a guitar builder, I have been keen to work with yew for a while, but viable sets are rare on this side of the pond. Maybe we can set up a trade: yew for Osage orange?
My journey with that wood started today but sadly won't continue until i'm retired. Thanks for that video because it's really the only one about that subject.
What do you mean?
Just received my yew lumber piece and it looks like the sides can be cut nicely so that no knots are in there but the back will have some small knots that are assymetrical. Now we could argue that this is normal for this wood species but i'm not sure if potential buyers would see it this way. Should i leave the knots or cut them out and have a multi piece back? What would you suggest?
I would probably leave it as it is and maintain the natural beauty
Quiet evening Tom... a lot of background there - yes, the tap-tone is somewhat flatter than the others but in the right hands its got potential. Looks nice though! Perhaps a bit of madi would be good or bubinga or bocote- just a thought? Anyways keep ‘em tonewood videos comin’ - cheers. K.
you're in luck today!
Nice one Tom - really enjoyed this one - cheers:) K.
I want a yew and neolithic oak guitar with decorative lyre motifs, and a functional cross-bow on the back.
Don’t we all!
I have in mind for a long time to build a guitar out of yew because i just find it an interesting wood. Not sure how it would fit a flamenco guitar. It would probably be better for a classical guitar. I know it's used on irish harps for the soundbox, so it can't bad for guitars. It is hard, but not as hard as rosewood, so it's hardness should not be a problem. I'm now acquiring a piece of yew and i hope the piece will be usable for a guitar.
Check of Turnstone guitars, they use yew for soundboards, unique sound. The great thing about yew is it’s inverse hardness to elasticity ratio. Super interesting material
@@TomSandsGuitars I would not use it for a soundboard, just for back and sides.
@@donarmando916 why not?
@@TomSandsGuitars Because the wood is too heavy for a soundboard and it would not look traditional. I think spruce is still the best tonewood for soundboards. Yew however is something barely known and almost nobody uses it although it should be a good tonewood as it is used on harps.
@@donarmando916 not looking traditional is not a reason not to use something. The average dried weight of Yew is not so much more than something like mahogany which makes a fine guitar. The elastic modulus is also attractive. The has given me an idea to run it through the same tests as I did in the mastergrade video we recently posted.
Came just for "its been awhile since I tapped Yew"
🤣
Nice!
thanks for watching!
The whole yew but the false fruit is toxic because of an alkaloid called taxine, reason for which the yew has no parasites or diseases. That's why it lives so long. Because it grows really slow, the wood is very hard and dense reason for which was very sought after for wood sculptures and fancy furniture. Also, I've heard they make great solid body electric guitars. Of course, where I'm from it's illegal to cut down yew trees.
Oh you’re very good at this Tom. Second the video started I thought I’ll have to leave a comment about how those early churches from the Middle Ages just couldn’t shake off the pagan customs(evergreens go back as far as Babylon). There’s supposed to be a nice old grove in Borrowdale? It’s really good that the message has got round that with the right maker, these other materials aren’t seen as something lesser than the traditional?
There’s a tree at Warwick hall in Cumbria along the road from me which is massive, covers an area of about 20 by 20metres.
I believe so!!
Who thinks pontius pilot was born in Scotland😂😂,ive got branches of this drying in my garage to make bows out of, only 2 yrs left to wait
Look up the ‘Fortingall Yew’ 👍
Putrefaction? Or purification? 😂
Putrefaction.