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Overall, I've been pretty lucky in my online shopping for spruce guitar tops. But, there is some hit or miss involved. I bought some wood in person back when there were ASIA symposia in Pennsylvania, but we haven't had one of those in a while.

Can anyone suggest places that meet all of these criteria:

1. Are within a day's drive of Charleston, WV (nearby cities are Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, OH, Lexington and Louisville, KY, PIttsburgh, PA).

2. Have a decent selection of spruce tops.

3. Will let a person come and rummage through their stock to pick out tops.

In terms of location and selection, StewMac would be ideal, but they don't let you visit in person. Places like LMI and Allied Lutherie are too far away.

Thanks for any suggestions.

International Violin just inside I-695 and off of I-83 on the north side of Baltimore is closer to a 6 hour drive than 5 from Charleston, but I've found it worth the trip. You'll need to call and set up an appointment...let them know you are a professional luthier and want to go through their European spruce top sets. I've spent a few hours rummaging through their warehouse, carefully selecting each top, and then more carefully restacking and cleaning up.

This is not a retail store. With prior coordination and some understanding that they will likely not have staff available to stay with you while you shop, you should find at least a few nice tops at market prices, provided they have restocked recently (again, best to call... Mr. Stock usually received an email from International's staff when a new shipment of top wood was going through U.S. Customs).

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Maybe American Tonewood? They are 3.5 hours from you. I’ve bought a number of things from them (and old world tonewood before).

I don’t really know how big their selection is but the FAQ on the site says you can come on by.

https://americantonewood.com/american-t ... o/contact/

Brad


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Of the two, American Tonewood sounds more like what I am looking for. I appreciate both suggestions, though. Thanks! If anyone has more recommendations, feel free to share.

The forest.

No, thanks! All the time, work, expense, risk and waste leading up to what we buy as tops is something I GLADLY pay for someone else to handle!

The Hampton brothers are in Dandridge TN, which is about 4 1/2 hours from Charleston WV. They specialize in red spruce, but do carry other spruce species. They also have a good selection of back and side woods: quilted sapele, curly black walnut, Florida rosewood (sissoo), Florida grown Cuban mahogany, figured and sinker mahogany, Guatemalan rosewood, Indian rosewood, etc. Also mahogany neck blanks and fingerboard blanks of ebony and various rosewood species.

Call or text Matt (606) 627-4873.
You can also message them on Ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/str/hamptonbrothersguitars

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John

That's a great recommendation, John. I knew they were in TN, but I didn't realize they were in that part. Dandridge is a manageable trip. I appreciate it.

A lot of times Matt Hampton will have tonewood at his house in Johnson City, TN as well.

I've picked up some tops and some ebony fretboard blanks from him.

Howard Klepper once said on this forum regarding using or finding wood that "after all it does grow on trees."

Oh man, I’m tempted now too! Road trip!!


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I did get a couple of spruce tops at a store at Keim Lumber in Charm, Ohio. Not by any means a tone wood store; but they did have some guitar wood. I got a cool piece of bostogne curly walnut I made a violin out of. cream on one side, and brown on the other with deep curl.

I did get lucky TODAY at another lumber yard L L Johnson in Charlotte, Mi. Backs and sides are one thing to find at a lumber yard, but I went in the barn with the big wood, and found a 1 X 6 X 10 foot perfectly quartered from end to end piece of Sitka for $50. I had it cut 6 foot/4 foot to fit in the car. I could tap it, but realistically, while the 10 foot board had a tap tone, I don't know how it would relate to a guitar belly! I certainly couldn't flex it. It LOOKS to be quite stiff from the end grain. What it actually looks like under the fuzz is anyone's guess.

It IS 1.0 X 6.1. Fun stuff. That's the middle, each end is the same; but the middle on the cut is easier to see.

I wish there was a walk in tone wood store. You don't see much cut that you can use.

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Why be normal?

Hi Ken,
Nice score! If you don't mind gluing "ears" on you can get some guitar tops out of that wood. It didn't seem to bother Torres to make multipiece tops.
I have had good luck resawing tops from western red cedar boards found at the local lumberyard. You have to pick through the stacks, but that is half the fun.