Need a guitar builder

  • Thread starter Thread starter therage!
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therage!

therage!

Wicked Machine
Anyone know of any builders where I can provide the wood and they build me a body? I haven't contacted them but I know Warmoth can build one using your own design but I'm wondering if anyone here has done something like this before. I've got access to some really nice Russian olive hardwood that is just gorgeous.
 
Do a Google search with these phrases:


Guild of American Luthiers


Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans


Musical Instrument Makers' Forum


Good luck. Post a pic of the wood if you can!
 
Treeline said:
Do a Google search with these phrases:


Guild of American Luthiers


Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans


Musical Instrument Makers' Forum


Good luck. Post a pic of the wood if you can!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I had been at Google but had not tried any of those buzzwords.
At the moment I don't have a digital camera but I intend to get one and will post a pic when I can. I've got a piece of this wood that my buddy cut out to a rough guitar shape. Next week we're going to go down and pick up the rest of this tree. The tree was planted by Mormon pioneers in the 1800's but is on land owned by Catholics, who have wanted it removed because the tree had died....so it's got a little history. :)
 
Most any reputable repair shop could probably do this, and you are probably going to have better success getting a repair shop to make a body of your design than a builder. I tend to be more interested in making my own body designs than someone else’s, and would tend to hand that off to one of the repair people in my shop.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I trust this guy completely and it seems he can and is willing to do or try anything.

http://www.honestronsguitars.com/main.htm

The web site is a little cheesy but you can see some of his work and gets stuff mailed in from all over the USA.

He custom built a figured Koa 24 fret ebony fingerboard bass with EMG's and electronics that I love and guarantee's for life.

I am not sure where you are located but he is in Oklahoma City and is very reasonable.

Ozraves or anyone else in Oklahoma City will vouch for him.

Check his website out and let him know what you want...he would be happy to do just the body if that is what you want.
 
Just a word of caution. If this wood is "off the stump", you may want to let it dry a few years before going through the expense of having this guitar body built, only to find that the thing has warped and checked and cupped like you read about a few months down the road. Even though the tree is dead, there is a very real possibility that the wood is still green enough to cause major problems. Good luck.


bd
 
bdbdbuck said:
Just a word of caution. If this wood is "off the stump", you may want to let it dry a few years before going through the expense of having this guitar body built, only to find that the thing has warped and checked and cupped like you read about a few months down the road. Even though the tree is dead, there is a very real possibility that the wood is still green enough to cause major problems. Good luck.


bd [/QUOT

Yeah, I know there are some issues with that. My buddy who has this wood is going to take some of it over to his neighbor and store some in the guys wherehouse. The guy has his own sawmill and has from what I hear a pretty incredible collection of some fine hardwoods. He's an oldtimer and apparently doesn't care about making any money selling wood. I'll bring the points you made up with these guys.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
FYI, you want a 6% moisture content to insure it won't warp.
 
Quote:
FYI, you want a 6% moisture content to insure it won't warp.





My wife has been telling me that for years.....
Ha Ha Ha
 
juststartingout said:
FYI, you want a 6% moisture content to insure it won't warp.
Click to expand...

Well, 6% is in the range, but what we actually are shooting for is under 8%. There is another issue though, which is the consistency of the moisture content. When wood is kiln dried, it will come down to the required moisture content, but there will be a significant difference between the moisture content inside the cells and between the cells. This is less pronounced with air dried wood, which is why guitar builders prefer air dried wood. The other issue is the relative moisture content between the wood and the shop. It is important to let the wood become acclimated to the shop, because the time you will get the most change in the wood is while working it. The longer it is in the shop before working, the better. Ideally, I want to have it in the shop for years before I start working on it, though this is not always possible.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
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