Step 1 - Sourcing Wood

[TerribleTim68]

Hey gang, so I've been snooping around trying to find a quality source for wood. The first issue I'm running up against is sourcing a piece long enough for a neck-thru bass build. Apparently Warmoth will not sell anything outside what is on their website, which is only bolt-on lengths. I've poked around on StewMac and LMII and I don't see anything over 36" length (and even then there was only 1 choice).

Question #1: How long of a piece am I looking for to do a neck-thru multiscale? Headstock would most likely be carved from same piece. I'm guessing we're talking something in the neighborhood of 48"? I say that because I know a couple of my current basses require cases that long, plus I'll need to allow for some extra on both ends to get carved off as things come together.

A couple people mentioned in my other thread to check with local cabinet shops. Have you guys had much success there for pieces this long?

I did find a place called "Edensaw" that has a location near me. The website looks like they cater to boat builders and high end furniture builders, not a lot about guitar building shown. Has anyone dealt with them?

Are there other sources that you can point me to that would be cheaper than the typical Ebay gougers?

 

[James Collins]

I'm interested also in this answer.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Most suppliers of "cabinet wood" or "furniture wood" or "boat wood" don't have anything shorter than 6 or 8 feet, so really not a problem. Go, call, look. "luthier wood" is a magical price multiplier that bears no relationship to the actual quality of the wood in most cases.

Buy 10 foot boards and get two out of them if 8 foot boards and 4 feet don't suit your neck-length ambitions for getting two from one stick. If they won't cut it in half for free, bring a hand-saw if fitting it in your vehicle will be a problem otherwise.

 

[TerribleTim68]

... "luthier wood" is a magical price multiplier that bears no relationship to the actual quality of the wood in most cases...

So what exactly am I looking for here? I know there's a moisture content that needs to be achieved, but no clue what that is. I've also heard people stating that it has to be dried and held at some moisture content for a given number of years. So what are the parameters that really matter?

 

[vanderbe]

PM Mr. Majestic on TalkBass. He may have some thoughts. He’s a great guy.
Majestic Wood Supply

 

[mapleglo]

I buy almost all of my wood from these guys. They will have what ever size you want, and will cut to your specs.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I buy almost all of my wood from these guys. They will have what ever size you want, and will cut to your specs.

That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks!

 

[Arie X]

i like the MC to be in the range of 3 to 5%

regardless of where you source this stuff the grain's gotta be right. if you are doing quatersawn; no more than 3 deg's off quarter with minimal runout (preferred, but if you have extra stock it can be cut out)

if going slab sawn it needs to be cut correctly? but other then that i don't know because i never use slab sawn neck wood and totally ignore it.

 

[Arie X]

I buy almost all of my wood from these guys. They will have what ever size you want, and will cut to your specs.

good source. nice and dry in az -thx

 

[Freekmagnet]

Depending on where you live, most metropolitan areas have a good hardwood supplier. 48” of 5/4 - 6/4 sounds like a good place to start. If you’re doing a neck-through (which I have not done myself) you might want to think about laminating the neck.

With just a precursory glance at the Edensaw web site, it looks like they carry all the right stuff. They have maple, ash, walnut, poplar, alder, mahogany, etc. Depends on their prices, but they’ll be for sure waaaaay less expensive that StewMac or Warmoth.

I buy all my wood locally at Invalid Link Removed in Oxnard, CA.

 

[TerribleTim68]

... If you’re doing a neck-through (which I have not done myself) you might want to think about laminating the neck...

Yeah, for sure want to do a laminate. Partly for the look too.

 

[Arie X]

laminating certainly makes grain orientation & condition an easier choice.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I've ordered from Gilmer Wood company before, for a 34" scale neck-through, you'd need at least a 48" long piece, assuming its a 6" headstock, you might need more if you are cutting a scarf joint, or are doing a 35" scale. Again, try local suppliers first, what will kill you on any build financially is the "Postage and Handling", which is often just blatant profit padding, Stewmac is particularly egregious in that department, but a lot of suppliers advertise what looks like reasonable prices until you add in the P&H. I bought almost all the lumber for my first build from Gilmer, and all of the second from a local cabinetmaker at about half the cost. Same with tools, an Amazon Prime account is worth it if you don't already have it. The P&H alone without it would have been outrageous. I would absolutely recommend a mult-piece lamination, even if it's just two-piece, it allows you to orient the grain of the pieces to oppose grain movement, and the modern adhesives are so strong they add a lot of stiffness to the neck. You could luck out and find a stable single piece neck blank, but it's a crapshoot. Plus, multi-piece laminate allows you to optimize the best part of each blank, and it looks Cool!
Gilmer Wood Company

 

[TerribleTim68]

... for a 34" scale neck-through, you'd need at least a 48" long piece, assuming its a 6" headstock, you might need more if you are cutting a scarf joint, or are doing a 35" scale...

Hmm, yup, I better get a full size drawing done first! I'm planning a 5-string multiscale, most likely 37" on the low B, 34" on the G. Sounds like I better figure out the headstock length!

... I bought almost all the lumber for my first build from Gilmer, and all of the second from a local cabinetmaker at about half the cost. Same with tools, an Amazon Prime account is worth it if you don't already have it. The P&H alone without it would have been outrageous...

Yup, already got a Prime account. Damn grandkids anyways!

... I would absolutely recommend a mult-piece lamination, even if it's just two-piece, it allows you to orient the grain of the pieces to oppose grain movement, and the modern adhesives are so strong they add a lot of stiffness to the neck. You could luck out and find a stable single piece neck blank, but it's a crapshoot. Plus, multi-piece laminate allows you to optimize the best part of each blank, and it looks Cool!

I really like the aesthetic of a laminate, I'm thinking probably 5 pieces. So a central lam in something, then matching lams on each side of that in a second wood, then matching lams on each side of that in either a 3rd wood or the center wood. I just like the look of a 5-piece lam running up the back of the neck. And since it's gonna be neck-thru I plan to leave that exposed on the back of the body too, so you can visually "see" the neck-thru running that full length.

thanks @Gilmourisgod, Good input!

 

[Fender_Bender]

Where you’re located make sure any maple you buy is hard maple. If you rip full length strips and turn those 90 degrees you’ll have quartersawn material.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

One other note, To CF rod or Not to CF rod, that is the question. I have a Warmoth neck with CF rods, and its the most stable i own, how much can be attributed to the rods I cant say, but ive built two neck throughs with 2 rods either side of a DA trussrod, and they are both very stable. I figure it did no harm at worst, and probably contributes to a stiffer neck. Opinions vary, of course, but i never heard anybody posit that its a bad idea. @Bruce Johnson has done some interesting work with CF TOW fibers as a back strap of sorts you might want to check out.

 

[TerribleTim68]

One other note, To CF rod or Not to CF rod, that is the question. ...

Yeah, I haven't really thought about that par yet because it's down the road. I know some bass manufacturers build the 5 and/or 6 strings with dual truss rods. Some build them with a single truss rod and flank that with the carbon fiber rods. I don't know.....

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I dont see much point in two rods on a 4 or 5 string, maybe a 6...... I dispensed with two SA rods on my Ric clone builds in favor of the aforementioned single DA rod and two CF rods. Two trussrods at the headstock hogs out a lot of wood under the TRC. You can compensate by adding a volute, which i like the look and feel of anyway. Food for thought.......

 

[Rôckhewer]

Have you visited?......
Invalid Link Removed
Crosscut Hardwoods
... in your area... no?
Buy wood from woodsellers.... not Luthier supply houses.
And beware the words ... "Tonewood" or "Mastergrade".

 

[TerribleTim68]

Have you visited?......
Invalid Link Removed
Crosscut Hardwoods
... in your area... no?
...

I have not visited them yet. That was one of the sources I asked about in the OP to see if anyone had dealt with them. The struggle is that they appear to be open the exact same hours when I'm at work. But isn't that the struggle with life in general? We spend our working years trying to find time to get to the stuff we wish we could do, then our retired years wishing we had money to do the stuff we now have time to do.