Official Luthiers Forum!

Looking to snatch up a few fretboard blanks. Of course I will pay. I don't trust ordering from a company when they don't show the actual piece I'm ordering. What do you guys have that you are willing to let go? I'm finally getting together all the materials for my first builds.

As long as you stick with a well known supplier, you should be safe to buy online. I've used stewmac (http://www.stewmac.com/) a number of times with no complaints. Also, they are known to have great customer service, so if you don't like what you get you can just return it and ask for a different one. Also, I've heard that LMI (http://www.lmii.com) is good for selecting a piece of wood for you if you are specific about what you want. And any fretboard you get from either of these places will be good quality, but if you want something specific you can ask and they'll pick it out.

Allied is good too!

www.lmii.com

Even their seconds will surprise you with the quality they provide.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

I mostly buy my fingerboards from LMI and have been very satisfied.

I know Jerry from hibdon hardwoods will work with you. He has pictures on his website, and if you don't see what you want, he'll dig through his stash and send you pix (if you have something specific). www.Hibdonhardwood.com

I use LMI a lot. They've always been a source of good quality, and their selection is greater. One note with them. Most of their fretboard blanks are 5/16" , not 1/4", so if you want your fretboard at 1/4", you'll have to run it through a thickness sander(or in my case, break out the hand plane).
I also use StewMac, and have been more than satisfied with their product as well. I generally buy East Indian Rosewood boards from them, because LMI's EIR boards are all tapered, and that doesn't work with the way I slot frets.
Can't go wrong with either one. And you can either leave a note on the website when you order, if you are looking for something in particular, or tell them over the phone. Both companies will bend over backwards to get you what you're looking for.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

stewmac has always been great, but if you are really uncomfortable buyin online, you might try looking at some local lumber yards and see what you can find to cut your own. I know for me just an hour drive away I can get rosewood, ebony, zircote, bubinga, wenge, zebrawood, and all sorts of others.

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~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

You can certianly trust sources such as LMI, Allied or Stewart McDonald. These guys have a lot of experience grading instrument wood and have pretty much established the standard that other are measured against when it come to wood quality.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

LMAO...I found myself resawing bloodwood one day into FB blanks, after about 20 or so, I stopped and thought...I use bloodwood for fretboards/fingerboards about twice a year.....LOL needless to say I had a fire sale on bloodwood boards...funny how things accumulate.