Whats A Good Wood Thats Cheap?

[Daniel Sorbera]

Basicly I'm looking for a cheap wood thats easy too work and of a decent weight. I don't wan't too have too fill any grain {shudder}. I will be diong a solid color so I don't care if it doen't have any cool grain patterns or figureing. Would making it out of ceder be a bad idea? I can get a one peice perfectly quartersawn blank for like $50.

Also I wan't a bright tone. What kind of tone would basswood have?

Edited May 11, 2005 by Godin SD

[marksound]

Cedar bad. Alder or basswood good.

[Daniel Sorbera]

Can you steer me in the direction of some basswood?

Isint basswood the wood used for carving? Wouldn't it be very soft? Do you have too fill the grain of alder?

Edited May 11, 2005 by Godin SD

[TenderSurrender]

Basswood is a very nice wood

Bc - Rich use them on there lower end guitars and also there signatures

(my KKV is made out of basswood and has amazing tone)

Basswood is also fairly easy to work with, my custom guitar is being made out of basswood

~~ Slain Angel ~~

[guitman32]

Basswood is good, so is alder. I, personally, would go with alder. Body sized blanks are readily available from Stewmac and LMI. I dont know why, but I tend to lean towards alder guitars over basswood.

No, you do not need to fill the grain in most alder...you can go straight to sanding sealer.

[Scott Rosenberger]

Poplar

[Daniel Sorbera]

Poplar

←

My godin has a maple center with poplar wings (it's a 3 peice body) and I like the poplar.

I might go with either poplar or alder.

Or mabye I'll see if I can find some silver leaf maple cheap.

Edited May 11, 2005 by Godin SD

[TenderSurrender]

Poplar

←

My godin has a maple center with poplar wings (it's a 3 peice body) and I like the poplar.

I might go with either poplar or alder.

Or mabye I'll see if I can find some silver leaf maple cheap.

←

Im still yet to see your godin pictures

I must admit i also like alder bodys!!

Good luck with your project Godin

~~ Slain Angel ~~

[mledbetter]

Sometimes you have to do some grain fill with poplar.. but it shouldn't be a problem. My problem with basswood (and it could be the variety i used) is it fuzzes up horribly Trying to cut body contours on a basswood body I was making, there were some patches that i sanded, scraped, planed, etc.. and they still would not get smooth. It is for carving and is VERY soft. You're more stable with alder. All three of those choices are most attributed to something in between maple and mahogany.. Not totally middy, but if you want some real sparkle you could cap it with maple.. Would make the face harder too.

Man, going from wenge to alder, your tools won't nnow what to do

[Daniel Sorbera]

Here is some pics slain angel

It has a two peice figured maple veneer on the top that that is so well matched that at first I coudn't tell it was two peice. But upon closer inspection I saw that I was two peice. It covers up nicely the fact that it is a 3 peice body. You can see from the back that it is a 3 peice body because It's transparant blue. I don't think I have any pictures of the back but I'll try too get some up if you wan't too see it...

lower bout

full

upper bout full

upper bout detail

I think I will either go with alder or go down too my local hardwoods store and see if they have any maple. I would prefer the maple if I can get some good stuff. But my friend has a strat with alder and I like that so well have too see. Basicly I'll just see what I can get the best deal on.

Man, going from wenge to alder, your tools won't nnow what to do smile.gif

I LOVE it and I HATE it at the same time It's hard as a **** too work and finish but man does it look GOOD.

A quick update here, I finally got all the hardware on for a "test fit" and I was plesently surprised too find that it balanced PERFECTLY and looks freakin good on me

Shoudn't be too long now before you see it in GOTM.

Edited May 11, 2005 by Godin SD

[TenderSurrender]

Thanks Godin shes buetifal!!

I wish i could finish like that...

Cant wait to see how this project turns out godin!!

~~ Slain Angel ~~

[marksound]

Alder body blanks from Carvin

[fryovanni]

Alder is a good choice. It is a very stable wood, and tonally seems to be very consistent tonal. Plus it is easy to get and affordable.

Peace, Rich

[Devon Headen]

I'm a bit late for this thread I think, but I'd either go for soft maple or alder.

[mrdevoe]

If you have the capacity and are willing to thickness plane and join wood, buy whichever of the suggested woods you can get locally for cheap. Where I live, enough Alder for an electric costs me $20 Canadian dollars ($15 or $16 USD) compared to the $50 or $60 + shipping that Stewart MacDonald and others charge for a blank.

[Maiden69]

Yeap, go to a local lumber, or cabinet maker like Wes has mentioned so many times. Alder will be my choice over poplar anytime.

Are you scared of the grain from the last guitar you had problems filling it? Mahogany grain is very easy to fill, and I would get that one over alder anyday too!

[fryovanni]

mrdevoe is right you should be able to get Alder for less than $50. A body takes about 4 bd. ft. (before you factor unusable or wasted area so try to pick as totally usable a piece as you can). You can pay $4-$6.5 per. bd ft depending on how good of a grade you purchase. If you have a jointer that will help out a lot, but you can take your time and sand it to get a good fit. If the wood is too thick you may need to plane it (or really warped, but I would try not to buy warped pieces). Then you will need to finish the surfaces with a sander or by hand sanding. It is rewarding to do everything from scatch.

Side Note: Not to defend Stews pricing, but you have to remember the tools,materials and time it takes to prepare a body does have a cost. A lot of people don't care to spend that much time or invest in larger equipment to be able to prep body's fast enough to make it worth their time.

Peace, Rich

[westhemann]

you said "bright"

that rules out basswood and rules in alder

[Daniel Sorbera]

Yeap, go to a local lumber, or cabinet maker like Wes has mentioned so many times.  Alder will be my choice over poplar anytime. 

Are you scared of the grain from the last guitar you had problems filling it?  Mahogany grain is very easy to fill, and I would get that one over alder anyday too!

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Too anweser your question, The only reason I'm going with a cheap wood where you don't really have too fill the grain is I'm doing a solid color so I don't really care how it looks. I just wan't ease of use.

I Know for sure I'm going with either maple or alder.

[bluespresence]

Looks like most of us are in agreement on Maple, Poplar or Alder.

Go to a local supplier. I buy all three and it ends up costing me from $9 - $15 per body blank (2 piece) depending on the price of wood that day and how easy the guy is to talk to (read talk down in price). Once I told the guy I was buying for guitars he got all friendly and started telling stories. The longer he talked the lower the prices got! Don't rule out the poplar....Fender ised it for years in strats and in their basses. I bought some real nice clear poplar that was on the low end of the price range ($9 per body blank). I made a strat out of it that sounded pretty darn nice but I would give most of the credit to the pickups I used in it not necessarily the wood alone. I also made an experimental bass body that I put different pickups in to see if I like them.....unfortunately that body met it's demise in a terrible ATV vs bass body accident I should have slowed down before I pulled into the garage