jch4v Posted September 26, 2004 Report Share Posted September 26, 2004 Hey Guys, I want to start carving my own bodies and have decided on a mahogany telecaseter. Where is the best and cheapest place to buy a slab of mahogany. I have checked ebay and a lot of the links on the project guitar website. I don't care if it is one piece or not.... THanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted September 26, 2004 Report Share Posted September 26, 2004 Where do you live? I ask, because I've been able to find mahogany locally for about $6 a board foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jch4v Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 jeez really? I live in Staunton, Virginia. I have never really bought wood before. I am not sure if I should be looking for one big slab or a bunch of little pieces to glue together? I haven't really tried calling lumber yards because I don't want to sound like a total idiot. I am not really sure what to ask for! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I built some basses out in charlottesville va for dammann basses- we never had a shortage of mahogany- now they dry all their own wood- but all ou have to do is look in around in your area- you will not look like an idiot evne if you do not know exactly what you need or are looking for- they should be able to hepl you out now matter what your level of knowledge.\\ peace, Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Generally, what you'll want to ask for is 8/4 (that's 2" thick) mahogany, S2S (surfaced two sides) unless you have a planer, in which case you can surface it yourself. Two pieces will generally do it for a good body. You'l need to know your body design so you know what length and width to ask for. If you have a jointer, you can joint the edges and glue together the pieces; otherwise, ask them how much it would cost to have the edges jointed when you buy it. Calculating boardfeet is easy: length x width x thickness / 144, all in inches. That way you know what you're looking to spend for the wood. I hope that covers it; feel free to ask any other questions you need to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerryL Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 If you're gonna make a Tele and don't mind buying a blank from a good company, Try USA Custom Guitars. In the raw material section of the site they have Mahogany Blanks for like 60 bucks I think. That's IF you don't have any luck with the sawmill. They're more than sufficient for a tele body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jch4v Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Thanks for all these responses. I am going to try to find some lumber yards in Charlottesville today. Only a few more questions. What is a joiner? I can clamp the pieces of wood together to glue them right? I don't need any other special tools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jch4v Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 One more... whats a planer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 (edited) A planer is a tool that uses a rotating blade to thickness wood. You feed your board through, and take off about 1/8" of wood at a time. http://web.mawebcenters.com/drentals/image...POWERPLANER.jpg A jointer is similar. It uses a rotating blade coming up out of a table, and the table has a 90 degree wall. You guide you wood on edge across the blade and against the side wall, thus creating a perfectly flat, square edge. You need to have these edges in order to clamp and glue wood. http://schools.shorelineschools.org/kellog...ech/jointer.jpg But, as Drak said, you shouldn't need to have any jointing done because you can probably get a 1-piece blank, and any planing necessary can probably be done at the lumberyard. Good luck! Edited September 27, 2004 by skibum5545 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hurt Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 may want to try this guy on ebay not sure if he is a forum member but I have purchased some nice mahgony from him before very resonabily priced. member8887464 this is his ebay name here is a pic of some stuff I got really cheap.mahogany hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I have also bought from the above ebay person quite a while back. Great to work with and reasonable prices. There are also a lot of other ebayers selling one piece mahogany blanks. Check with "bigdguitars" - a forum member here on PG, he sells wood also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Please correct me if I'm wrong, and I don't mean any disrespect, but it sounds like you may not have much woodworking experience if you don't know what a jointer and a planer are used for. If so, there are many books you can purchase that will help you select the proper tools and supplies to use to make your guitar. I like Melvyn Hiscock's book, Make Your Own Electric Guitar, and Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide. Melvyn will help you build the guitar, Dan will help you set it up. Again, you haven't told us much about your woodworking experience, but I cannot stress enough how important is power tool safety. Also, before you purchase $60 worth of fine mahogany, you might want to pick up some poplar or oak from the Home Depot or a real lumberyard and try building a couple of prototypes first. It's a lot better than crying over a nice piece of wood that you laid down some serious money on. Welcome to the Project Guitar forum and don't ever hesitate to ask questions if you need some help with something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Drak, Where do you buy your wood in MD or do you? I am in Nova and am still looking for places around here. By the way I have a super 90 and a vintage plus on order from HD for my mahog tele (shape-only). Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Maybe I was a bit unclear on my last post. Yes, I know how to use a phonebook, and yes, I have found many local places to by wood, but I thought this forum was for helping each other (sharing info). I am sorry that I asked if you had any suggestions. I thought that based on all of your posts, opinions, and experience that you might have a few places that you have had good luck. Stupid me. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skr4ped Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 This link might help you: http://www.woodfinder.com/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hurt Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Hey whoof don't let that get you down, a lot of the more experienced guys here seem to be taking that attitude. Not all of us here share that same ideology. I think the veterans get tired of answering that same questions and forget what it is like to use the SEARCH function that never seems to work too well. It may just be me, but this forum was set up to help eachother, just because you had to go through a bunch of trail and error to get where you are you should have paved the path along the way not leave the path the way you found it. I know we newbies should learn from experience and mistakes, but if I know something whether you ask me once or 1,000,000 times I would still give you the answer to help you not to make my mistakes. Nothing personal to you Drak, it has become clear that many of the more experienced builders here forget what it was like to get started. Sorry Mods if I violated a rule just trying to help another discouraged newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 If a baby begs and begs his daddy for a dozen candy bars to eat all at once, then, since you hate your dad because he denied you those same candy bars when you begged for them when you were a child, you would then give that baby a dozen candy bars. Now THAT makes a lot of sense, huh? PS, don't even bother to reply to this, I'm done here, I'm sure someone will hold your hand to lead you to the wood of paradise that awaits you right around the corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hurt Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Not quite sure what that was suppose to be, but Whoof don't sweat it we are here for you. I even have a snickers with your name on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Your hardwood dealers ARE around, you just have to find them. I took a swing by my closest exotic hardwoods dealer and the exotics section has gotten smaller and smaller the last few times I went there. The exotics used to take up two large racks, and a number of shelves housed turning blanks. It seems moldings and crownings are taking over, leaving about half a rack of Cedar, Walnut, Aspen, and then one tiny section with Bloodwood, Ipe and Chekota(sp?) and other exotics, and the shelves housing the turning blanks and small ends are gone. I was dissapointed, though I did come away with a 1" x 4" x 56" board of solidly flamed Walnut for some future small project like jewellery boxes. The next closest store is in the next town, about a half hour drive, and it's of the same chain, so that store could be thinning down it's exotics section too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jch4v Posted September 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 Hey, I hope you guys aren't all pissed that I started this thread? Yesterday on your advice, I called around 20 (I am not exaggerating) lumber yards, sawmills and hardwood dealers. Almost all of them did not have any mahogany. I ended up being put in contact with a locall organ builder that has told me he would rough cut me a board of mahogany. There was one other hit, but I don't think they have any of the right thickness. The thickness seems to be a problem. I told the organ builder guy I only needed a small quantity, and I got the feeling that if I was looking for a lot of it, he wouldn't have it. The reason I am not too gung-ho about buying it online is that the shipping really jacks up the price. The organ guy said his is really nicely figured and he is going to sell it to me for like $60. There is one wood supplier that I have seen online but the blanks are $100. Anyway, I am totally willing to "do the work". I just wanted someone to point me in the right direction... and hey, if one of you guys live near me, I don't see anything wrong with asking what place you went to for your wood. It shouldn't be this BIG secret on where to get wood just because I am not experienced. I don't really have that much wood working experience. I am not looking to build a "perfect" guitar either. I just think this stuff is fun. I am taking it slow and just trying to be creative. Thanks for your help! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 To all, thanks for the responses. Once again, I have done most of the research on my own - I have been to talk with several local dealers as well as several on the internet. I have even used woodfinder.com and have it bookmarked. Once again, my main thrust was to find out if there were dealers that people in the DC metro area felt were better to work with on any number of fronts whether it be cost, selection, attitude of the salesman. In no way have I asked someone to do all the work for me (hold [my] hand to lead [me] to the wood of paradise that awaits [me] right around the corner.) If people do not have the desire to share that information, however silly I think that is, that is fine. Yes, all of the hints that were given are good for someone looking for the first time, and yes I feel that hand holding is not required. However, I am a bit suprised at the attitudes sometimes conveyed on this board. Oh well - inspite of this thread, I will continue to read this thread in hopes of picking up more tips on what to do and what not to do. I have learned a lot from all of the members here both new and experienced. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdog Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 WOW!!!! This sure has been a fun thread to read. All these guys are saying is... "knowledge is knowing where to find it". Yeah, nice mahogany is tough to find, but the bigger heartbreak is mangling a beautiful piece of wood because you don't have all the skills needed to build the instrument. Here is my one time only offer........1 Honduras Mahogany body blank 2x14x22 for 37.50+UPS shipping.......I am not a dealer......I just have a great stash of wood......I'm in PA, so shipping in the Northeast should not be huge $$$$$. Email me if interested.....I don't want a hundred e-mails and a gazzillion questions....if you want a body blank, I have 'em. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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