mdw3332 Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Found this today for $40. It's Crotch Walnut and it is 10 X 20 X 1. I'm going to have it resawn and use it bookmatched on something. The color is a little more even than the pics show. I had sprayed in with Naptha and it was drying fast. Any advice? I first thought of a thin-line Tele, but I already have one of them. Thinking of maybe a hollow body/thinline Strat? Suggestions are welcome. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budman68 Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Gorgeous! Ahhhhhh the possibilities lol! Dave-> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Marty, who did you buy that from? A lot of times w/ nice Claro Walnut that goes cheap, it's not dry yet and you cannot use it until it is. Sometimes a few years. Did they say how long it has been drying? It's a really beautiful piece, and I hope it's dry. Figured Claro Walnut will bend and twist like mad while it's drying. All that 'high-test' figure in the wood is applying powerful forces and stresses within the piece while it's drying, and will often warp, twist, and bend the piece by the time it's done drying out...several years. Once it's dry, then you can plane her flat once again and go from there. I'm not sure I would do something hollow with it, it might wind up cupping or something. Claro is funny like that. Beautiful to be sure, but she's a tricky animal. How do I know so much? It happened to me! I bought a really nice piece off the 'bay once, and when we resawed it in half, it was still soaking wet inside. Then I watched it warp like mad over the next year. I have also made a guitar topper out of crotch Walnut, but it was from a reputable source and it was nice and dry and it worked great. BUT, the crotch figure was so dark when I applied finish to it, I wound up bleaching then re-dying it a nice reddish color, it was almost black in some areas, the crotch was so dark... The wet piece I bought was from B & D Hardwoods. Not downing them, they don't know what you're gonna use it for, and turners like wet wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Drak, Wow, thanks once again for probably saving me from a terrible fate. I thought about that and the one thing I noticed that it seemed to soak up naptha much more quickly than other woods I have used. Does that mean anything? The good thing is that I bought it from a very big, very reputable hardwood dealer here locally. I shop there a lot and on of the managers has become a friend (he sold me this one) and he builds guitars and knows just about everything about wood. I'll call him Monday and I know he will give me a straight answer. BTW - is $40 cheap for this? I don't know - it was an impulse buy as I had been thinking about doing this type of project and I love walnut. Also liked working with the Lacewood and doing chambers. Thanks for the heads up. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 If you bought it from a reputable source and the guy builds guitars too, I'd think you're pretty safe, but it can't hurt to ask anyway. In that case, SCORE! PS, $40.00 would be below e-Bay cost, but for a local buy, that's realistic. I prefer to buy my wood locally too when I can find what I want, it's almost always cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Drak, I just need to set up a automatic e-mail to thank you every few days - save me some time. I agree about buying locally - this place has a great selection, knowledgable people and it's close. I also have made friends with a couple of the managers at the local Rockler's. I built a Tele for one of them and he gave me one of their top of the line router tables. I also get some pretty nice discounts. Incidentally, the place I bought the walnut is Austin's in Santa Ana, CA. I'd recommend it highly to anyone in the area. BTW - congrats on GOTM. Well deserved. Duke Snider used to be my hero, but you're the man now. I'll keep you posted. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 I thought about that and the one thing I noticed that it seemed to soak up naptha much more quickly than other woods I have used. Does that mean anything? I have a cool piece of claro walnut too. I noticed it seems to be quite 'end-grainish', this may be why yours soaks up so much naptha...plus walnut is porous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Lex, thanks - I'll let you guys know. Damn, I want to start doing something with it. Oh well, I guess if the other projects don't keep me busy, my wife will find something for me to do. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Hey guys, It was about 90 here today and the Santa Anas were up. (Those are the hot dry winds that come in from the desert) I left the walnut out all day so it should be OK now - right? How about a hair dryer? A big Fan? Wrap it in sponges? OK, I'll be patient. I wanna start cutting and stuff! Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 My son just suggested the microwave. How long should I nuke it??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 OK, here's the new walnut. It has been resawn but not yet glued up. This pic is of it dry. I think this is too nice for me to mess up, shall I just send it to Drak now? Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 Starting to look like a real guitar. Got all the routing done with no injuries to me or the wood. I cut the neck for Strat neck I have - think I will mod the headstock. The other day the guy came for our annual termite inspection and I was working on this. He asked what I was making and I showed him. He said "Is that going to be a "real guitar?" I can only hope so. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 That's a gorgeous piece of wood. Nice guitar, too... though the F-hole looks a little odd. I can't wait to see that beauty finished! The figuring is just stunning! I *love* walnut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 Jeezus Marty, you're freaking even ME out with that The controls aren't exactly where I prefer 'em, but that's just an individual thing, I'm sure they're where YOU want 'em tho. It's gonna be a killuh. PS, that wood is downright scary. I hope you thank that guy at the wood shop. ...and I LOVE gold hardware Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbkim Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 ...though the F-hole looks a little odd. I can't wait to see that beauty finished! The figuring is just stunning! I *love* walnut. Look kinda like an I-hole . Ya, I want to see it finished too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 edit: never mind, i see the picture now dont know why it didnt show up first time... lovely looking guitar though... cant wait to see it finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanKirk Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 That does look sweet. I think black pickup rings would be cool but I may think differently after seeing a finish on it. I can't wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 There's a guy on the bay who sells wooden mounting rings. I'd check those out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 wooooooww.... AMAZING. I wonder... what tone will a walnut semihollow have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 Guys, thanks for all the feedback. Actually I think that this wood is so nice that even I can't completely screw it up. About your comments: Darren & nyj - yeah, the f-hole isn't what I wanted. I routed it and then tried to clean it up a little and it got away from me. Oh well. Any ideas on improving it? I don't want to go much bigger and remove anymore of that wood. Drak - thanks much - from the master that is high praise indeed. It's funny that you mentioned the controls - I have done 7 ot 8 bodies and don'th think I've really ever gotten the controls where I think they look perfect. And you were right about the walnut still moving. After I had it resawn, it bowed a bit. I wet it and clamped it for a couple of days and once I glued it onto the base it seems fine. BTW the bottom is 2 pieces of 16 1/2" wide peruvian walnut - got 4 feet of it for $28. VanKirk and LCG - those arent the pickup rings I will use, they just happened to be on the pups that I took out of an old $25 Hondo LP. The pups are Super 70's. The wooden rings sounds like a cool idea - I have made them before but never used them. Skibum - I have no idea - although something along the lines of a Rickenbacker 360 would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 26, 2004 Report Share Posted March 26, 2004 I like the f-hole, it looks individualistic, I wouldn't change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renablistic Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 i also like the f-hole. It suits teh body well, and OMFG!!! That is gonna be one nice guitar!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 very sharp indeed, i am actually in awe that you can crank out that nice of a guitar in little time when i been working on one for about a month and a bit and just got the body cut out, sanded, truss rod in neck and fingerboard glued on, ohh well, its my first and i dont wanna make it look bad. Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLS Posted March 27, 2004 Report Share Posted March 27, 2004 Wow, thats an awesome guitar. And that walnut looks killer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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