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Thread: Really stupidly high quality wood...

  1. #1

    Really stupidly high quality wood...

    So I share my shop with an aspiring guitar builder and he is building guitars that sound and look fantastic. He would like to find really highly curly maple, clairo walnut, high quality exotics, etc. for some of his work.

    Is there a place that one can readily buy spectacular lumber in small quantities?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Elmodel, Ga.
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    798
    Woodcraft and Rockler are two that I occasionally buy from when I need smaller quantities, but be forewarned, the prices are much higher when buying smaller pieces. Also, the shipping can be a factor. Rockler has free shipping for orders over $35 so that helps a bit. Woodcraft has good sales occasionally with specials on shipping. Regardless, prices can be 3 to 4 times higher per BF buying smaller. I've actually saved money driving 300 plus miles to pick up wood from woodworking supply stores to hand pick wood for a project because shipping cost were so high. I usually buy in larger pieces though.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Hachet View Post
    So I share my shop with an aspiring guitar builder and he is building guitars that sound and look fantastic. He would like to find really highly curly maple, clairo walnut, high quality exotics, etc. for some of his work.

    Is there a place that one can readily buy spectacular lumber in small quantities?
    where are you located?

  4. #4
    Luthiers Mercantile International
    Old World Tonewood
    RC Tonewoods
    West Penn Hardwoods
    Hibdon Hardwood
    A. Hix Tonewood
    Colonial Tonewoods

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
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    12,298
    http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and...ecks_and_Wood/

    Click on the type of instrument to see the wood they offer. Not cheap. When I see the prices it almost makes me want to sell some of my stock. Almost.

    JKJ

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
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    3,655
    Don Parker's list is very good. I've used Hearne and Hearne in PA in addition to several of those listed. I've also found spectacular boards on ebay-- mostly by communicating with sellers of individual boards that were close to what I wanted if they weren't showing exactly what I was looking for. Talarico also has some very nice, highly figured wood. Years ago LMI was excellent for sitka spruce, I haven't bought any in quite a while.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kansas City
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    Bell Forest Products is good source for curly maple. Don't know if they pre-cut for guitar sets.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Harold Balzonia View Post
    where are you located?

    Columbus Ohio!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Don Parker View Post
    Luthiers Mercantile International
    Old World Tonewood
    RC Tonewoods
    West Penn Hardwoods
    Hibdon Hardwood
    A. Hix Tonewood
    Colonial Tonewoods

    Thanks, this should be helpful.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    Bell Forest Products is good source for curly maple. Don't know if they pre-cut for guitar sets.

    I can cut anything I need, I own the mother of all home band saws...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
    Posts
    1,033
    Hearne Hardwoods (http://hearnehardwoods.com/) might be another to consider. They have tons of specialty wood for projects like this and they do sell individual boards.

  12. #12
    I make dirt out of woodworking tools.

  13. #13
    I gave the list earlier. Another thing to mention: An acoustic guitar turns out better if most of the pieces of wood that are used to make it are quartersawn. The more vertical the grain is, the better. That's why I would recommend buying from suppliers who cater to luthiers. They obtain and cut the wood so as to yield what guitar makers need.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Silicon Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,048
    Global Wood Source is local to me, so I occasionally wander through drooling over their selection. They seem to specialize in guitar body wood.

    Since seeing is so important, I'm not sure they're as good for your friend, nor am I sure how competitively priced they are. (They collect stickers & posters from luthiers & guitarists that have been customers & I'm not sure they're missing any from the west coast. I'm neither a luthier nor a guitarist and the Santa Cruz Guitars was the biggest company I recognized, but I'm sure there were smaller more prestigious luthiers too.)

  15. #15
    I get most of my guitar wood by carefully picking through the piles at the local woodworking stores..

    A lot of woodworkers and cabinet makers want flat sawn wood because its easier to match in large projects than quartersawn.. And while they may appreciate the beauty of a really unique piece of wood - the trouble becomes matching it... And so it gets left behind for somebody like me..

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