I did the salvage wood thing for a while earlier this year. But I found that it took me longer to bring a piece of salvage wood to useable condition then it did to just buy the wood and go from there.Time is my biggest problem as I"m trying to keep enough CBG's and Didley Bo's to appeal to as many people as possible.
Which means I'm building 4 to 6 3 stringers a week now and any where from 6 to 12 DB's to try and keep up with demand.
I found that the more CBG's I have in stock the higher my sales are now.
Because I aim for a lower price market ( 3 strings fretless for anywhere from $70 to $90 average prices ) I cant afford to spend time hunting wood .
I'm very happy using the poplar 1x2's I get at Lowes and laminate together to get a strong usable but inexpensive neck for 3 stringers.I use the 1x2 as it is for DB's.
Building as I am the best month I've been able to eek out so far was last month which turned out to be $2,046.00.
I cant build any faster then that and still find time to sleep and work my real job.
I think poplar is very underated for CBG's and DB's if its done right.
You guys actually BUYING wood? I never buy wood for necks, all ways scrounge it from the side of the road if someone is throwing out furniture, kitchen cabinets etc, or go skip (dumpster) hunting. I often carry a saw and hammer in the car to knock big pieces down into manageable sizes to drag off home. I've had oak, beech, cherry, mahogany and even merbau..all perfectly useable stuff...and free!!
At the big box stores, you can generally find 3', 4' and 5' lengths in the "project wood" section. Mine has oak and poplar. It is it's own little display rack. There are 1x2, 2x2. 1x.5 and others.
At the big box stores, you can generally find 3', 4' and 5' lengths in the "project wood" section. Mine has oak and poplar. It is it's own little display rack. There are 1x2, 2x2. 1x.5 and others.
I buy red oak craft wood at Lowes. I have also found some at Home Depot, though it's easier to find at Lowes. Oh, and welcome to the Nation!! You're gonna dig it....
If you go to Home Depot, they usually have 9-12 foot chunks, and almost all of them are warped to a degree, so I find a few that I can get a straight 3 foot section out of, and have them cut it for me. You can also use 1/4 x 2s, and laminate them together to make the neck instead of trying to find a straight piece. I have had good luck with using a piece of poplar in the middle and sandwiching it between 2 pieces of red oak. It looks pretty good.
I pretty much always laminate 1/4"ers now. Saves some trouble with cutting down parts (for the tuners, etc.) and makes it really strong. If you have to work with a warped piece, use the bow to your advantage and let the string tension straighten it out.
Iggy said:
If you go to Home Depot, they usually have 9-12 foot chunks, and almost all of them are warped to a degree, so I find a few that I can get a straight 3 foot section out of, and have them cut it for me. You can also use 1/4 x 2s, and laminate them together to make the neck instead of trying to find a straight piece. I have had good luck with using a piece of poplar in the middle and sandwiching it between 2 pieces of red oak. It looks pretty good.
Got my oak 1 x 2 at home depot, It's in the moulding section. But the last time i looked they didnt have anything that was straight. So I'm on the look out for a good source.
Got my oak 1 x 2 at home depot, It's in the moulding section. But the last time i looked they didnt have anything that was straight. So I'm on the look out for a good source.
Replies
Which means I'm building 4 to 6 3 stringers a week now and any where from 6 to 12 DB's to try and keep up with demand.
I found that the more CBG's I have in stock the higher my sales are now.
Because I aim for a lower price market ( 3 strings fretless for anywhere from $70 to $90 average prices ) I cant afford to spend time hunting wood .
I'm very happy using the poplar 1x2's I get at Lowes and laminate together to get a strong usable but inexpensive neck for 3 stringers.I use the 1x2 as it is for DB's.
Building as I am the best month I've been able to eek out so far was last month which turned out to be $2,046.00.
I cant build any faster then that and still find time to sleep and work my real job.
I think poplar is very underated for CBG's and DB's if its done right.
Diane said:
Iggy said:
Brendan deVallance said: