Elm for Guitar Body Wood? And other Exotic choices?

[Attica!]

I recently saw a Luthier use Elm as Tonewood for a guitar body and I wondered what people make of this unusual tonewood?

This made me curious about other woods as well. Anyone got any unusual/rare woods they like to use?

Also, when you use exotic woods for your neck - such as Rosewood, Pau Ferro, Padouk - is it ok to use these in 1 pieces? (With a separate Fingerboard obviously). Or does it twist like that maple neck in that other thread?

[WezV]

it all depends on the specific piece of wood.


generally elm  isnt known for its stability - but if you find a piece and the grain suggests it could work, and after a while settling in it seems dimensionally stable then its worth giving it a go

same with the neck woods, yes they can work and they can be stable - if you get the right piece (which applies just as much to maple as it does to rosewood, pau ferro or paduak)


wood is too variable to be any more specific than that.

...

also, why obviously with a separate fingerboard?   1-piece rosewood necks with a rear mounted truss rod can be awesome. 

[Attica!]

it all depends on the specific piece of wood.


generally elm  isnt known for its stability - but if you find a piece and the grain suggests it could work, and after a while settling in it seems dimensionally stable then its worth giving it a go

same with the neck woods, yes they can work and they can be stable - if you get the right piece (which applies just as much to maple as it does to rosewood, pau ferro or paduak)


wood is too variable to be any more specific than that.

...

also, why obviously with a separate fingerboard?   1-piece rosewood necks with a rear mounted truss rod can be awesome.  

I was meaning that I was only talking about the neck back, as to the figerboard. And when I said 1-piece, I was meaning compared to say a 3-piece neck.

I'm just going throughall different ideas at the moment regarding wood choices. I originally started out with a Mahogany neck with Maple Vaneers. I think i'm going to do my homework and try and ask as many people on what they think of certain wood choice. I mean £2000+ is a lot to pay for a guitar you may not like!