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Building locally

dwizum

dwizum

Dec 21, 2018
6,375
14,278
#1
This topic has come up from time to time in build threads and elsewhere, but it's been on my mind so much lately that I wanted to start a new thread.

I've built a handful of instruments using locally harvested lumber, which is rewarding for me. I like the connection to the environment and the sense of cohesiveness. I hadn't really thought about it beyond using local wood, but then I recently had someone ask me if it was possible to make an instrument that was (in their words) "100% New York State" and it got me thinking - how realistic is it to build an instrument that is, literally, 100% sourced from my home state?

Wood is easy. All kinds to choose from. New York makes things easy for hardware too, since there are plenty of pickup makers here, D'addario is out on Long Island, Hipshot is right in the middle of the state, and we have Jescar for fretwire. I hadn't realized Jescar and D'addario were New York based until I started looking at this idea more closely, it almost feels like cheating to have both of them in my state. I normally use abalone for fret position markers but that could be replaced with wood markers, or even local shell. Ultimately, it would be pretty easy to build a bass or guitar from 100% raw materials from New York and parts manufactured in New York.

How about the rest of you? Is this style of building even on your radar? If so, what are your local sources? I know a few of the regulars are making their own hardware, which is super cool.

What about designs inspired by locality? Besides building with stuff bought locally, how about an instrument that's somehow connected to local culture or icons?
 
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#5
I buy most of my lumber from a local hardwood supplier, where I can pick out the boards myself. For practical economics, the get their lumber from the west coast. My walnut, maple and poplar (tulipwood) comes from California, Oregon, Washington State area.

My ebony fingerboards come from Africa via LMII.
 
#6
MPU said:
I doubt you can find pots, jacks and capasitor made locally.
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I'm guessing that may be true but you never know. There's a capacitor manufacturer right in my hometown (Knowles Capacitors)! I'm friends with a couple people that work there. I wonder if Switchcraft still makes anything here in the states. Or CTS or Bourns pots?

And for my own purposes at least, I'd think there needs to be some cutoff - like, if you buy a preamp from Aguilar and it comes with pots, that counts as local, even if the pots were made somewhere else.
 
#8
dwizum said:
I'm guessing that may be true but you never know. There's a capacitor manufacturer right in my hometown (Knowles Capacitors)! I'm friends with a couple people that work there. I wonder if Switchcraft still makes anything here in the states. Or CTS or Bourns pots?

And for my own purposes at least, I'd think there needs to be some cutoff - like, if you buy a preamp from Aguilar and it comes with pots, that counts as local, even if the pots were made somewhere else.
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You can absolutely find vintage ones that were made there. Current production, not sure. Vishay has a plant in Poestenkill, but I don't know what they make there currently. A whole slew of suppliers to IBM in the Johnsonville area, GE in Schenectady, etc... Moog in T-burg, but not for decades now.

As for Vermont, well, I have very local wood cut off my own property, sawn and dried right there. I suppose I could do marble inlays, though the reality of the stone market is that I could probably get imported stone cheaper than local unless I wanted to go harvest a chunk from a road cut and process it myself (not unthinkable.) And Vishay had or has a plant in Bennington that made tantalum caps, which are pretty much not something you'd use in a bass. Suppose I could get a local battery (Energizer) if making an active bass, and include a can of Mace to fend off the overly aggressive fans without even leaving the county (just one town up.) :roflmao:

I'm a fan of jacks from Liechtenstein, personally. :)
 
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#9
deff said:
Hipshot is in NY, right. I think somewhere near Albany. I've heard great things about Manlius PAFs but never anything about bass pickups. I lived in Manlius when I was a kid. Some apt neat the Swan pond. I saw my first Godzilla movie at the Manlius Theater.
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Hey, small world! I live just off rt 92 over towards Caz, I remember going to movies at that theater as a kid too. And I see you're located in Gloucester now, my family has been going to Gloucester for summer vacations my whole life!

I don't see any bass pickups on the Manlius website but I just emailed the guy. I build guitars too so I'll probably put some of their pickups in my next guitar at least.
 
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#10
dwizum said:
Hey, small world! I live just off rt 92 over towards Caz, I remember going to movies at that theater as a kid too. And I see you're located in Gloucester now, my family has been going to Gloucester for summer vacations my whole life!

I don't see any bass pickups on the Manlius website but I just emailed the guy. I build guitars too so I'll probably put some of their pickups in my next guitar at least.
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Next time you come to town let me know. I grew up in Cazenovia. My friend Hank still works at the Brae Loch. It was an interesting place to grow up. Did a lot of fishing.
 
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#13
There's some gorgeous mesquite that grows all over the place here... (Phoenix)... and acacia etc...
... brown woods. Nothing I would call exotic.
I've built some cool furniture from local woods, but for some reason, don't really have a desire to build basses with it.
Kinda off topic... but..
This piece, a butterfly hidden leaf pub table... was from a mesquite tree that was previously in the backyard of a youngster named Stephen Spielberg (same one) ... @ his boyhood home in Scottsdale. :cool:
Butter fly hidden leaf.jpg
 
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#15
I'm all over using local, found, repurposed and recycled things. I'm lucky that I live in an area with lots of old growth coastal forests and so lots of local wood production. Plus the cities around here are a staunchly British origin, so there are a variety of English woods that had been planted everywhere and get harvested in small amounts. Lots of fruit woods, walnut, etc. Plus there is a lot of boat building around here so the suppliers all carry a wide variety of woods, adhesives, finishes and hardware.

But things manufactured locally? Nothing, except some small time pickup makers. I'm more focused on the materials used and their source than the hardware. I feel like the effort is made when I reuse or repurpose something too. :thumbsup:
 
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#17
I’d like to make a body from wood found here in North Dakota, but I don’t know much about which types of woods found locally would be suitable. Possibly maple.

Love the idea and you probably live in one of the best states in the US to make it happen.
 
#19
I started making electric guitars and basses from only native Tasmanian timbers back in the 1970's and still mainly use the local Blackwood, Myrtle, Mountain Ash, Celery Top Pine and Sassafrass. If I was only making acoustic instruments I could source everything except string within the state. As with peopel in a lot of other places, pots and capacitors would be a problem and while I could make, or have made, my own bridges, some other hardware (machine heads/tuners) might be a problem.

Even if every single part isn't locally sourced, there's a special satisfaction in using what is available in your own area/state.
 
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