Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey Guys,
I am in no way connected to this item nor will I profit from this -- I just thought this might be of interest to some of you.

Here's the situation -- There is a guy (Todd Burger) in South Florida that has a large, solid Brazilian RW table that is roughly 4" thick. He has contacted some people/manufacturers but hasn't sold the table yet. Todd will be leaving Florida shortly and would like to unload the table as soon as possible. I am not interested (don't have any money ) but I think a rough estimation of the yield could easily be around 50 sets or so plus a truckload of fingerboards, bridges, headplates, etc. The table is constructed of slabs but it looks like the leaves are definitely wide enough for backs as well as a couple slabs within the table that will yield backs. The table is very old and so the wood is going to be quite stable - meaning a good yield when resawing assuming no hidden defects and also that the grain is good enough for instruments. Todd wants to get a bare minimum of $15,000 for the table - which I think is a very reasonable price if you can end up with good quality components.

If you have any questions at all, please direct them to Todd as everything I know has been stated above.

Todd Burger
Jupiter, Florida
toddeburger@gmail.com
(561) 951-7201


Here are some photos that Todd sent me and you can also visit his eBay link here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SOLID-BRAZILIAN-ROS ... 820wt_1141

Without an in person inspection, it's a pig in a poke. A lot of it looks slab cut in the photos, and none looks quartersawn. For that kind of money he could take more and better photos and give some measurements. All we get is that it's "close to" 4" thick.

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

When all else fails, clean the shop.

It doesn't look anywhere near 4" thick. I'd have to see a ruler against it to believe that. What is the diameter?

If anyone wants more details, please contact Todd directly. I don't know anymore than what was initially posted - just trying to do someone a favor and also thought it might be of interest to the OLF folks.

Regarding the quality - it does look primarily flatsawn but it is somewhat hard to judge with the finish and you never know what lies on the opposite surface. It is very old and once you strip off the finish you could find something a lot better than what we are seeing initially --- or maybe not. I don't have exact dimensions but pictures can sometimes be deceiving - maybe it is 4".

Todd is not a luthier and doesn't know much about a builder's needs -- just a guy trying to sell a table. If you are interested, talk to him and maybe you can negotiate on the price and get more details. Maybe even some of you could pool together and split the yield. If I were contemplating buying this I would most definitely be getting more information.

Hoi, looks to me like 4cm and not inches thick boards, and like mentioned, i dont see any spiderwebbing, ink lines, landscape figuring. I also don´t believe a piece of wood, which is just normal flast sawn gained on one side becomes high end grained on the other side, why should it.
I would immediatelly contact this person for getting into further business, but his price expectations are, for my belive, far away from reality. But i might be totally wrong, it is just what i think, and i am quite experienced in this kind of stuff...

Best regards, Alex

Why would anybody make a table 4" thick unless it was for butchering? It will never sell (to a luthier) for 15K. It's not 4" thick. It looks like crap given it was refinished in the 90's. Chairs look good though. Cutting the table top at 90 deg to surface should yield QS, no? And flatsawn backs from the normal. For a $750 finsihing job, the guy got Lowes Poly and some sanding.

Ugh.

Mike

4/4" sounds more realistic

It didn't look like 4" to me either so I sent the seller a question.

Here is the question and the answer.
.......................................................................................................................................................
Q.

Dear kasha brown

The listing says the thickness is 4". There is no way that is 4" thick. Do you mean 4/4" thick (ie four quarters thick) or maybe you mean 4 centimetres thick ?

- murrmac123

A.

Dear murrmac123,

It is just under 4" thick. It is an extroadinary table and leaves. If anyone has any additional questions, call me at 561.951.7201 or ask anything at all.

kasha brown
......................................................................................................................................................

"just under 4" ...

still doesn't look anywhere near 4" in the pics, but that's what the man says ...

Why doesn't this guy just take a pic with a ruler in it.

BTW
Looking at the picture of the leaf edge, it looks like the hole for the alignment pin would have to be 3/4" in diameter or bigger!

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Who would list a table of this nature and not give the dimentions of the top? Just doesn't make since to me.

Ok, then it is nearly 10 cm thick, (for me eurpean ...), it is old, ok, its slabsawn...mhhhhh, then you get this from me:


HOLY poop!!!!!!!!!!

The reserve apears to have been lifted at $2500. Since the fellow won't post a picture with a ruler, and the reserve is so far below $15K (never mind $35K), I'm starting to smell something funny.

Mike

never mind

Those moving company stickers are a standard size. 3/4" wide.

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

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Howard
When you clean the shop do start with a rake or a shovel ? I like the rake .

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

In fact, I start with my hands, on my knees.

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

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Apparently, he recieved many requests regarding thickness. It is 2.25" thick. That is just a hair under 4" thick.

Mike

This guy has simply confused centimeters with inches. 4 cm is a touch over 1.5" which is about what the table looks like.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Oh I guess I was wrong, this guy simply can't read a ruler, although it looks closer to 1.5 to me.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

It looks like 2"+ to me. Now he has a problem. He has not accurately described the item. Additionally, he has focussed this on luthiers to whom this will matter.

Mike

You could still make a ton of finger boards, bridge blanks, peg head plates, etc out of it.

oops! There goes the 50 sets Well maby he'll lower the reserve now. Look at the bright side, you might get 50 dog whistles out of it.

For someone who said they would not take less than $15K, they took a lot less, $3.3K

That's really funny!!!!

Don't tell me the neck is 4" thick!

I think it is a well known fact that the average American male has a real difficult time judging the length and thickness of an object. This has been an interesting post that turned out just as I expected it to.
Good luck bending that flat sawn BRW........

In the end, the thickness wasn't what he thought but at just over 2", there could still be a nice yield. Did anyone from the OLF end up buying the table? If so, hopefully you will get some good pieces out of it.

Best Regards,
Simon