Parts & Supplies?

Join the club, I've been researching tonewood suppliers for months. It requires networking and lots of phone calls. I still haven't found a back that doesn't fetch a ridiculous price. Most tonewoods are harvested for guitar bodies these days so finding quarter-sawn billets big enough for a bass is a real challenge..

 

Truth is lately my priorities have shifted. With a newborn in the house, my shop is ridiculously behind as it is. Throw in some growing pains of our business, my bass build takes a very distant back burner.. Good luck in your search!

 

I have never bought from Alaska but if you're tempted, stay away from "Alaska Tonewoods" - lots of horror stories from luthiers about this supplier :-(

On the other hand, "Alaska Specialty Woods" is a different enterprise altogether and is run by a fellow called Brent Cole. My guitar luthier mates swear by him, he knows how to cut and prepare tonewood, big thumbs up! I notice there's a double bass spruce sets on his main website page.

remember you still have to dry the wood for a while before using it.

 

I got my last two sets from Tepper Tonewoods in Shady Cove, OR. Daryl Molnar (sp?) got his first set from the same source. But I am pretty sure that wiped out the supply. Unless he has made more bass sets since then, that was all he had, in terms of maple. He still had a fair supply of spruce.

International violin Co. says they have bass sets...you might give them a call.

I just had several bass-sets (maple) cut for me, but they are absolutely soaking-wet green, and would not be any good for you at the moment. Besides, I went with slab-cut, just because I could, and you evidently wanted quartersawn. (The only reason I didn't make them one-piece backs is because the guy's saw only could handle 24" wide. )


Good luck on it.

Chet

 

'Got my back set from John Tepper also- great fellow who does cut and stock double bass sets when he can get them. The day I bought this one, he had 12 (!!!!!!) sets just like this, all cut from the same round!

Contact Bruce Harvey at Orcas Island Tonewoods- he is one of the nicest guys in the business. If he does not have what you are after, he'll find another broker that has it.

j.

 

Ah, James! When I selected my two sets he only had five left--but I am delighted to know that I have two sets from the same tree that made your lovely bass a possibility.

 

Chet:

I was wondering that myself, if we got into the same batch! I'll have it out your way in a few months for the Guild of American Luthier's nerdfest in July.

John is a very nice fellow and his woods are incredible. Much of what he does is supplying Paul Reed Smith and a few other large scale custom shops.

j.