Wood sources?

[Beej]

Sounds enviable to me. My local hardware store has nothing special.

On second thought, that store is only my go-to because it's so damn close, like 5 minutes on bicycle.

Maybe I should give that other place (10 minutes by car) a closer look.

Wait a minute, you have bicycles in the Netherlands?

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Nah, that's just a cover story. Actually they skate everywhere, all the time, and have engineered complex systems to keep the canals frozen so they can, while the waste heat helps grow tulips - unless those are another cover story...

Of course part of the cover story is to call it bicycling when you'd expect there to be no ice.

There are also specially trained teams with actual bicycles who ride around to get into tourist pictures, and keep their attention off the curiously frozen canals.

 

[topper]

A quick search turned up these places both within a half hour of Charlottesville.

Homepage - Colonial Hardwoods
GRIFFITH LUMBER COMPANY

When you become totally obsessed there were several others that looked pretty interesting an hour or 2 out.

Those places are 2-3 hours away, not half an hour.

 

[topper]

Thanks all the tips! Kimball looks great. And they'll definitely be my first stop in the future.

But I decided to roll the dice on a black walnut drop top (already glued) from on eBay. I know it's a gamble, but so is driving a few hours away to hunt for wood. Fingers crossed!

In terms of a router sled, having heard your experiences, I'll put that back on my wish list/to-do list for my makeshift shop. Glad to hear it's worth doing.

 

[BlueRock]

Those places are 2-3 hours away, not half an hour.

Sorry man I had a few browser windows open and I guess I grabbed the wrong ones.
This this is one of the closer ones. C. P. Johnson Lumber
Talk to local furniture and cabinet makers. If nothing else they can give you the scoop on lumber yards and save you a longer drive for nothing.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

You could also try searching lumber on Craigslist or something similar there.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

In case anyone is looking for top sets. I think he has body blanks too. I’ve never dealt with Kimball but he’s supposed to be good.

 

[BassHappy]

In case anyone is looking for top sets. I think he has body blanks too. I’ve never dealt with Kimball but he’s supposed to be good.

Just my opinion, let's not be mislead - the prices at Kimball and their grading system is way off.

Their 4AAA is jokeworthy.

So you know, this is true 5AAA, (exhibition), just ask Paul Reed Smith. You can back it down from here.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Just my opinion, let's not be mislead - the prices at Kimball and their grading system is way off.

Their 4AAA is jokeworthy.

So you know, this is true 5AAA, (exhibition), just ask Paul Reed Smith. You can back it down from here.

View attachment 4883141

Like I said, never dealt with them and I’ve got no dog in the fight. The mods can delete that post if it breaks the rules or offends.

 

[Beej]

Just my opinion, let's not be mislead - the prices at Kimball and their grading system is way off.

Their 4AAA is jokeworthy.

So you know, this is true 5AAA, (exhibition), just ask Paul Reed Smith. You can back it down from here.

View attachment 4883141

A local-ish supplier is the same - he puts things up and calls them 5A and they... well they ain't. When I asked him once he said that he's been using his system for over 20 years and "many other suppliers" have adopted his grading system. I still want to buy fingerboards from him, so I didn't point out that in fact he's completely full of .

 

[RichterScale]

I still want to buy fingerboards from him, so I didn't point out that in fact he's completely full of .

I'm usually the opposite. I tend to point things out before I catch myself doing it.
I realize afterwards that me asking an innocent question or pointing out an error is usually taken as an accusation. I used to not understand why people always reacted so oddly to me and it bugged me.
Now I completely get it,....I just don't really care.
If someone is uninformed and reacts poorly to correction, their ego is bigger than their brain. If they're fulla crap and react poorly to being called out, well, their fulla crap and I have no use for their crap.
Bottom line is, I have no friends and sales people hate me.

 

[BassHappy]

Like I said, never dealt with them and I’ve got no dog in the fight. The mods can delete that post if it breaks the rules or offends.

Hey Matt

With apologies - not really about Kimball at all - no big deal, as mentioned, all of the wood companies seem to be stretching the truth. And I mean all of them. There is no longer any truth in advertising, it's a thing of the past. 4AAA in the PRS world, is 5AAA with a discoloration, or a few blemishes to work around here or there. But my my my - how the standards have changed and deteriorated. Just pointing out - don't be sucked in by inferior quality wood and the unreasonable prices - know the real difference, that was - and remains, my only point.

Thiis is the 5AAA flamed maple that Paul donated for my Les Paul bass replica project. As far as I am concerned, PRS is the gold standard when it comes to fine wood. Easy to tell the difference when it comes right down to it:

The quality and visual appeal of the wood can make or break the project.

 

[BassHappy]

Really great article here:

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And a cool couple of YouTube video:

 

[turindev]

What are some of your favorite sources for wood? Especially for those of us that are amateur/noob/hobbiest luthiers looking for milled, ready-to-use stock?

In particular I'm interested in affordable drop top/lam tops.

It seems like I can find fairly decent body blanks at affordable prices ($60-$75) from a few sources. But affordable drop tops and lam tops are harder to find. I guess there's just more labor involved in producing those.

The spot I have been using lately for surprisingly good tops is American Specialty hardwoods when they have stock. I buy their 2A flame tops for guitars and they are usually pretty spectacular at a good price. There is no guarantee of course, so I use them for prototypes or backs. Here are a few examples, I’m really liking them.

Flame top from a year or two ago

Current build, 1/4” flame top & back

This top & back set are really going to pop with finish on them, I am really impressed.

Here is another shot of that top & back right after milling the blank, figure shows a little better at this angle: