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Where to buy wood!?

#61
amg3l said:
I'm pretty sure my dad has a bottle of finish. Another question, should I make or buy a bridge? I was thinking about making a bridge myself but I don't really know how to start. It doesn't seem too hard but I just want to know what you guys usually do.
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With a lot of work you could probably scratch-build a bridge that would work well using only hand tools but it would require some specialized metal working tools, a decent knowledge of metalworking and an awful lot of effort to make something that can easily be bought for fairly cheap and will already have a professionally plated finish. The effort would be reduced substantially if you have metalworking machines (mill, drill press, lathe) but you'd still need to consider some sort of plating when it's complete and you still need to know how to run those machines.

Rather than making your goal of building an instrument even harder by making extra work for yourself, I suggest you just buy a bridge. Used ones show up in the classified ads here on TB often and for good prices.
 
#62
amg3l said:
I'm pretty sure my dad has a bottle of finish. Another question, should I make or buy a bridge? I was thinking about making a bridge myself but I don't really know how to start. It doesn't seem too hard but I just want to know what you guys usually do.
Click to expand...


You could, if you wanted, make an acoustic type bridge or do what Steve Wisknevsky (look up Wishbass) does and use essentially a wedge shaped piece of wood as the bridge and run the strings through the body. Are you asking about making a metal bridge? A couple of the builders here have made them but I don't recall who. Maybe @rudy4444 or @dwizum ?

Edit: attaching a Wishbass picture. Looks like he may be using Corian now but wood would still work. Something harder like your fretboard wood or a cutoff of the Paduk from the body blank.

F9D391AD-7CFC-4445-92E6-5CEC408333D5.png
 
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#63
I've made wood bridges and metal bridges a couple times. The wood bridges I've made were basically acoustic guitar style, and intonation and action were set by changing the shape of the saddle. Easy to make, easy to adjust if you're used to working on acoustic bridges.

Metal bridges can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be. If you have the tools and knowledge to work on wood, you are definitely prepared to work on easy metals like brass or aluminum. For guitars and ukes, I've made a bunch of wraparound post mounted bridges. Literally just a hunk of metal with a couple holes drilled in it, and the top surface filed to create the witness points for the strings. Adjustment for action is via posts, adjustment for intonation is done with the grub screws at either end. Basically, making one of these consists of drilling a few holes in a piece of bar stock, then marking it out and filing the shape. All you need is a way to make accurate holes and some files.

IMG_20210614_161141__01.jpg


I've also done a few bass bridges with typical modern adjustable saddles.

IMG_20210828_121056.jpg


This one is a piece of steel plate with a brass bar for the string anchor, and brass bar for the saddles. Once again, just a drill press and files. A lot more holes on something like this though so it requires a little more work.

Here's one that's made from aluminum. I cheated and bought the saddles, but you could easily make them by sawing off threaded rod and drilling it.

IMG_20220208_121503.jpg


This one is strung through the body. I made an aluminum bar to anchor the ball ends of the strings but you could just use ferrules.

IMG_20220208_121310.jpg
 
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#64
I came late to the thread but I'll repeat what a couple other people have said already. It's really cool that you want to do a project like this. I was about your age when I first got interested in building.

If you like to learn by reading, I'd strongly suggest picking up a copy of this book: https://www.melvynhiscock.com/ it has everything you'll need in terms of advice and information, and it's laid out very well. Getting help on the internet can be an amazing resource, but you'll often find that internet help comes in bits and pieces, and it can be hard to understand what to do when you get 12 different people telling you 12 different answers, and whether or not the answers you're getting for today's question make sense along with the answers you got yesterday for a different question. A good book, on the other hand, will lay out steps that make sense overall as part of a larger process. You should still definitely seek help here, but having a solid reference can be a huge help.
 
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#66
Matt Liebenau said:
You could, if you wanted, make an acoustic type bridge or do what Steve Wisknevsky (look up Wishbass) does and use essentially a wedge shaped piece of wood as the bridge and run the strings through the body. Are you asking about making a metal bridge? A couple of the builders here have made them but I don't recall who. Maybe @rudy4444 or @dwizum ?

Edit: attaching a Wishbass picture. Looks like he may be using Corian now but wood would still work. Something harder like your fretboard wood or a cutoff of the Paduk from the body blank.

View attachment 4711930
Click to expand...
For this type of bridge the strings are fully through the body right? This type of bridge looks pretty easy to make and not too hard to adjust.
 
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#67
amg3l said:
For this type of bridge the strings are fully through the body right? This type of bridge looks pretty easy to make and not too hard to adjust.
Click to expand...


Yes, they go all the way through the body. On the back you'll need either ferrules, like the picture below of to fabricate a plate like Dwizum's picture above. Adjustment is just a file away. :D However, if you go too low, you're making a new bridge and if you want the intonation perfect you'll probably have to use a file to adjust the exact break point of the string over the saddle.

Bass String Ferrules, Chrome, set of 4 - StewMac

E9AE418D-234E-41CD-B3A3-5DE9BBA19F5D.png
 
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#68
Sorry I missed this one, and I haven't read through all the four pages of comments. But "inland empire / riverside county" is a pretty broad area. If it's not too far and you can get your dad to take you, I'd suggest paying a visit to Cherokee Wood Products in Upland. They are a hardwood lumber vendor and woodworking supply store. My guess is you'll not only find the wood you are looking for, but other tools/supplies as well -
Hardwood Lumber | Retail | Wholesale | Flooring
The advantage here is, no shipping fees and you can physically SEE it before paying. :cool:
 
#70
amg3l said:
I could use just a jigsaw right? It'll just be inconvinient having to either buy one or use someone elses.
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Plenty of people have built bodies with a jigsaw. The only issue is that they don't create a very "straight" cut, the blade can tend to flex and cut at a very small angle off to one side or the other. So expect some cleanup to "square up" your side afterwards, but yes it will work. Or...alternatively, make that angle in the cut part of the design. ;)

Look up "Guns & Guitars" on YouTube. Dan has cut hundreds of bodies with a jigsaw.
 

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