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question and problems with wood for guitar neck!

Posted by William Wright on June 14, 2017 at 9:00pm in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

I have bought some 1x2x3/4 from Menards Lumber. Usually buy oak and popular like 3 and 4 foot at a time. The boards are always pre wrapped in shrink wrap. To shorten this story they all seem to have a slight warp to them.

My question: are these ruined or can they be used for necks? 

Another question: Does the wood have to be 100% perfectly straight or is there a little leadway.

I'm from Kansas and wonder where I should be buying that hardwood from.

Thanks, Bill

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Replies

  • William Wright June 16, 2017 at 7:19pm
    Thanks for the advice and help. Not buying anymore boards wrapped in shrink wrap. Hopefully I can move on with my project. Thanks again.
  • Gary W aka Rev. Bluejeans June 16, 2017 at 1:24pm

    Also, from Wikipedia - definitions of board 'distortion':

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    With this as a guideline, some small amount of 'bow' can be accommodated.  The other flaws are much more of a problem, and you should skip over them.  I check for 'twist' by taking a couple of pencils with me, placing them near either end, and sighting down the length.  Twist shows up when the pencils no longer appear to be parallel.

    • Paul Craig > Gary W aka Rev. Bluejeans June 20, 2017 at 5:07pm

      Hey the cupped ones could be great since the back side is already curved. If you have a table saw or joiner, you could cut the top side flat and glue on a fretboard and be done. LOL

      • Kigar > Paul Craig June 20, 2017 at 7:09pm
        When I started to read your post I was thinking you were going with instant radiused fret board!
        • Paul Craig > Kigar June 21, 2017 at 9:53am

          Good point. Just goes to show that even a bad piece of wood can be put to good use.

  • Gary W aka Rev. Bluejeans June 16, 2017 at 1:17pm

    William, I usually sort thru the 1 x 2 (actual 3/4" x 1 1/2") red oak and poplar stock at Lowes or Home Depot here in OKC.  There's a good bit of sorting to ensure the straightest pieces.  Be sure to look for twisting (warping) as it's much more difficult to compensate for.  Some small degree of bowing isn't too bad, especially if you plan to add a separate fretboard.  A really flat workbench or table helps to keep the neck and fretboard flat while gluing and clamping them together.  Use lots of clamps and take care in clamping them down to help hold the whole mess flat to the work surface.  In the end, any slight remaining bow should curve 'down' so that the string tensions will help pull it straight.  Shouldn't be a big issue for a 3-string CBG.   Also, the 6' and longer pieces tend to be more prone to bending/bowing/warping as they are rather carelessly stacked up on their ends.  The 4 foot pieces are more likely stored flat, but you still have to check them carefully.   Hope this helps!

    • William Wright > Gary W aka Rev. Bluejeans June 16, 2017 at 7:23pm
      Hey thanks Rev. Blue jeans for your information. It will help get me started. Are you from KC? That's where I'm from.
  • Kigar June 15, 2017 at 10:46pm

    I agree with the others, a slight bend placed downward should be ok, or with high action for a slide it won't matter either way.

    As to the wood source, I once hit paydirt with a local furniture maker.  He was selling cut off pieces but I also ended up with a bunch of nice pieces from his trash bins.  Could try local cabinet makers to, or watch Craigslist in the free and materials sections.  A discarded old table top makes a lot of necks!

  • Lane Martin June 15, 2017 at 1:15pm

    How much leeway you have will depend on your intentions. If you're building a pure slider, then you can deal with imperfections easier than if you are planning on a fretted build.

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