Hugo Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Hi, in another threat, I found this link. It say's, amongst other things, that you can build a neck using new wood from the building supply store / DIY store. Is this a good option? It's a hell lot cheaper then from the tone wood shop. I also would like to make a neck through body, so it will be a little longer than the regular neck. Any comments? Cheers, Hugo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arseneau Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 The main problem with hardwood from the building supply store is that it generally has lots of knots and other imperfections in it. And you definitely do NOT want to use a piece of wood with knots in it for a neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted February 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 True, but the builing supply shop across the street here has beautifull wood, for making windowsills. Good looking, straight, no knots, but new. If the 'new' bit isn't a problem, I'll get myself a nice set. Cheers, Hugo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiggz Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 the timber is probably too green for the building of a guitar, also it depends what kind of timber it is as to whether it is suitable for a neck. eg if it is oak the guitar will be neck heavy, if it is pine it may well warp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted February 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 (edited) It's two (outer) strips of merantie (what's that in English?) and 1 (inner) strip of maple, for a neck-through-body. And yes, it's fresh wood, hence my question. Cheers, Hugo Edited February 13, 2006 by Hugo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassman Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Do not use wood that is no properly dried. Generally speaking, wood needs about 1 year per inch of thickness to properly air dry. Even when I buy wood that should be properly dried I still let it acclimatize to my house for quite some time before I use it. If you want to save some money on wood, then buy some "fresh" wood right now for a guitar you will build next year, or the year after. If you want to build a guitar now, or in the next few months thenn buy more expensive wood that is already cured properly. Using "fresh" wood for a guitar, will probably lead to an unplayable guitar, either twisted or cracked. Do not waste time effort or money in this manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 +1 The kiln dried wood from a lumber yard is fine to use, provided you select it carefully and allow time for it to stabilise - think a few months at least. If you can't wait that long, buy from a reputable tonewood supplier - they are aware of the importance of properly dried timber, and will process and store their wood accordingly. Even so, you should give wood aroud a week (minimum) to acclimitise to the environment it will be used in, since the humidity of your home/workshop may be different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug Posted February 13, 2006 Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Setch hit the nail on the head. Dried and stabilized wood will yield the best results. Air drying is dependant on the temperature and humidity of the area it's sored in too. After years of building furniture and periodically experimenting with woods that I air dried, and was very carefull about it too, it always surprised me how much some pieces shifted, cracked or shrunk during the next 3 or 4 years. For safety sake I stick with methodically dried stock for necks. That link showing how to glue bent boards is a really good rule of thumb by the way. -Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Meranti = Phillipine mahogany, which has a somewhat dubious rep for necks. Where are you in NL? there are several hardwood places that have perfectly good wood for building guitars (I got most of my neck and body stock from the Amsterdamsche Fijnhouthandel, simple because, well, unfigured wood? Not worth the shipping expenses). Almost all commercially sold wood is kiln dried, but exactly how dry, how, and when depends on the yard. A good one should be able to tell you how it was dried, how long it's been since it was dried, etc. Most of the wood I use is kiln dried (except the spruce tops for acoustic, actually), and most of it is at least 4-5 years old. Most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitey Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 sorry to bump in lol but the drying of woods makes sense for necks,but what about a veneer? i recently spotted a buckeye burl veneer,big enough to fit on the bass i'm making,and 3/8 thick.but its not been dried.would this be important? and i'm planning on using tung oil as the finish.will the water be able to evaporate or is it sealed in? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 sorry to bump in lol but the drying of woods makes sense for necks,but what about a veneer? i recently spotted a buckeye burl veneer,big enough to fit on the bass i'm making,and 3/8 thick.but its not been dried.would this be important? and i'm planning on using tung oil as the finish.will the water be able to evaporate or is it sealed in? thanks You need to stabalize any burl before use. It can be touchy enough without shrinkage. You should look at some of the threads relating to using burl and spalted woods. As far as buying "Lumber" v.s. select instrument grade wood. Wood is wood. However if you buy instrument grade it has been sorted from the lumber pile for its desirable propertise, and should be dried to the point that it is stable. Your lumber yard will have some pieces or parts of boards that are perfect canditates for use(but it will be a small percentage of the best stock they offer). As far as drying. Kiln dried lumber is good and well seasoned air dried is good. Short of using a moiture meter you will not know how dry the wood actually is. I have purchased kiln dried that has been 6-8% range and some that tested in the 14-16% range. Most of the time it is less than 10%(it is a pretty safe bet). Air dried tends to be a wild card. Sometimes 6-8% but I have ran across 20%+. With air dried you are really counting on the word of the seller and their ability to dry the wood properly. My advise is to select lumber from a yard if you know what to look for, and at least invest in an inexpensive moisture meter to give you an idea of ruffly what you are buying. Also buy a simple humidity meter for you workshop so that you can monitor your work space(assuming that is where you will store your material). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted February 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Uh, I don't know if it's just me, but I get the feeling I should stick with proper tone-wood and not try the timbershop... Cheers, Hugo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Uh, I don't know if it's just me, but I get the feeling I should stick with proper tone-wood and not try the timbershop... Cheers, Hugo For the first few, that's probably a good idea. Once you get a feel for what you need, what good wood is, shopping at the lumber yard is a very good idea. If you don't have much experience handling hardwoods, it's probably not the best of plans. If you're around somewhere when I am, I don't mind sifting through piles of wood with ya. No, really. It's all the fun of selecting wood without the pesky paying for it at the end! (Well, ok, not ALL the fun. You don't get to do the building thing...) Mattia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Uh, I don't know if it's just me, but I get the feeling I should stick with proper tone-wood and not try the timbershop... Cheers, Hugo It really is not a bad idea to select your own material. It is the best way to go actually, and "proper tone wood" is just wood. Knowing and understanding what to look for as well as being more in touch with the real differences in materials is a large part of building. Also knowing how to prep and stabalize wood is an important part of building. So not only do you get to save money by selecting material, but you can choose exactly what you want. I hope my mesage above didn't give the impression you should not by from a lumber dealer. With some quick research and chatting with dealers. You should plenty knowledgable and able to find real nice material. After you look through enough material you are bound to find some figured treasures also. It can really be fun. If you really don't want to spend the time or learn how to do this, you can pay the person who knows what to look for their knowledge(and that is why instrument grade wood is expensive), but you still have to know how to handle the wood after you buy it. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugo Posted February 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 If you're around somewhere when I am, I don't mind sifting through piles of wood with ya. No, really. It's all the fun of selecting wood without the pesky paying for it at the end! I'm certainly up for that! If you know where and when, I'll try to join you. BTW, I'll PM you my e-mail address, that's easier than the PM system, I think. Cheers, Hugo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundAt11 Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 I think a simpler method, if you can't afford to order really nice wood (say Maple, Mahogany, or Limba) online for your neck-thru is to check out local furniture or cabinet shops. See if you can buy scrap pieces (or if they'll give them to you). If you can get several 1/2" or 3/4" wide strips together, you can glue up a nice multi-piece laminate neck that should be quite stable, look cool, and not cost much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 16, 2006 Report Share Posted February 16, 2006 I think a simpler method, if you can't afford to order really nice wood (say Maple, Mahogany, or Limba) online for your neck-thru is to check out local furniture or cabinet shops. See if you can buy scrap pieces (or if they'll give them to you). If you can get several 1/2" or 3/4" wide strips together, you can glue up a nice multi-piece laminate neck that should be quite stable, look cool, and not cost much. Well, he's in NL, and I've not seen very many cabinet or furniture stores here. Hardwood furniture that's not antique isn't as popular over here, for whatever reason, and certainly not as common. As a side note, plain, white limba (which doesn't have a whole lot of character, but I still find attractive in its own understated way) and African mahoganies are really quite affordable. I'm going to pick up a pair of white limba boards I selected a week ago pretty soon, and, after having them planed for me and including the 19% sales tax, I'll end up with a cost of about 24 dollars per body blank (2-piece). African mahogany (khaya) is only slightly more expensive here. Honduran's about 3 times the price, and since the CITES restrictions on South American wood, harder and harder to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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