Official Luthiers Forum!

I have been gathering materials for my next build and build after that only to realize I've been stocking just larger items such as top, back, neck, fingerboard, etc.

Having said, I'm curious where you guys get wood for Bridge plate, neck block, and etc.

Do you order it from Tonewood suppliers like RC Tonewoods, LMII, Allied?
Or do you go to your local lumbar yard and pick up blocks and cut them your self?

One vendor on line sells maple bridge plate for $2 a piece. Is there a big saving if I cut it my self?

Thanks, David

There's usually some advantage to buying small amounts of those kinds of things from local hardwood suppliers. You can often find some things like EIRW turning squares at Woodcraft which will work fine for bridgeplates as well. I've found Brazilian Rosewood turning squares in some places too, and got several bridge blanks / plates out of one of those. But if you don't feel like hunting that stuff down, and prefer to not have to cut it up yourslef, just give one of those vendors a call and ordser them.

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yes, local lumber yard. MacBeath is pricey but they have an enormous selection. Also try White Bros. off High St. in Oakland, and Earth Source in the PALS yard on 20-something St. in W. Oakland. If you consider 20-1 to be a big savings, then there it is, but the value of a maple bridge plate is all in the wood selection and sawing and thicknessing. I would never buy one, since even if the grain selection is suitable, I would still need to trim and thickness it.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Wow Howard, Thanks!
You really did live in the neighborhood.

About grain selection, what am I looking for? Quarter Sawn?

Also, which out of those stores you mentioned is your favorite to buy these stuff?

David

Yes, I agree. If you have a local source I'd use it. I buy most of my neck, brace, bridge, headplate, etc. wood locally at Austin Hardwoods. I also buy some pieces from Gilmer wood online. Back and sides and binding wood I usually buy from a luthier supplier such as the sponsors here although I do cut my own bindings when I'm feeling ambitious and can find the wood.

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I go off quarter--somewhere from quarter to rift sawn, because it is less likely to crack. Actually I have been laminating bridge plates but I don't think you have to.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Local wood suppliers.

Don't tell them that you are building guitars..I have made that mistake many times, and all of a sudden they start selling "instrument grade" wood at an inflated price.
It seems the same block of wood is cheaper if sold as turning wood...

Even scrapyard wood salvage places will mark up if you tell them what you are going to use it for.

P'raps it's because I am a female...it's tough at times being a female guitar builder..a male pal of mine went to the same place and got a plank of decent hardwood for peanuts.

Yeah you do get alot of suppliers who think that selling to a guitar maker is good enough reason to double the price.
i have to be very carefull when buying my wood that i dont tell them right away what its being used for.
once they realise you know what you are talking about they are ok but there alot people out there who see dollar signs when they think there wood is being used for guitars.

in fact one dealer that i use quite often now would not sell me any wood at all for ages as he kept saying we dont have the kind of grades/wood you are looking for (this is one of the biggest impoters in the uk)
in the end i went there in person and explained i wasent looking for some magical wonder "Tonewood" but just normal timber with the right quality,s and they realised that loads of there stuff was just what i was looking for.

in actual fact once they realise what you want they are usualy happy to help as cabinet makers use the types wood we dont like and vise versa.

Its funny that some people thing that guitar is some magical breed of wood its not its just about how its cut,dried,picked and supplied that put the price of guitar set up.

Lumber or wood blanks for guitar parts should cost no more than if you were using it for a kitchen table.

Joel.

Joel,

Thanks for responding to my comment; I seriously thought it was my imagination!!!

The third time it happened I started questioning my sanity.