Official Luthiers Forum!
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/

A visit to CV Tonewoods
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=6236
Page 1 of 1

Author:  Rod True [ Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:44 pm ]
Post subject: 

Well, I've been up to Jason Voth's place a couple of times and I figured I would help him show off the family buisness a little.

Deep in the heart of the Columbia Valley, nestled between the Veder mountain to the north and the Skadgit mountains to the south, lies the picturesque setting for CV Tonewood.





Pulling up the drive to the large acreage site, your greeted by one of the Voth Family dog's. Friendly critters but don't try stealing any Zoot.

Looking around, you think you've stepped into some sort of small logging camp, with all the logs and sawdust piles lying around







Even the burly looking guy running the wood mizer seems to fit the logger type .



Than the noise stops and all you hear are the birds singing and all you smell is that wonderful, fresh cut cedar, and let me tell you, The Voth's have a ton of cedar (is that a metric tonne or imperial ton?)

Here's a semi trailer waiting to fill orders,



And here's a storage shed with just about as much cedar as you can imagine.





Each of those pallets has 500 (500 or 5000 Jason?) tops to it. Anyway, Jason told me that they have about 50,000 cedar tops waiting to ship (and that doesn't include the trailer which was picked up at 4am that morning)

So you may be asking yourself, how does one guy get so much work done? Lots of coffee right Jay . No, he gets his younger brother to do most of the work while he gives the tours.

No, it's the big bad resaw that does it all



Looks like the Voths have a few locals workin for them other than the Family members. Some are grading tops, some are cutting billets of cedar and maple, some are stickering (fun job when you got 500 tops per pallet )

And than there's the stacks of wood, everywhere you look, "nice flame there Jay, wow, nice quilt there"









Check out this chunk of cedar, it's about 35-40" wide, and all quartered. That would make a nice double neck jumbo eh?



Than I meet the big boss. The head inspector (grader) the one who signs the checks, Jason's mom, Nice lady.
She picked out some really nice cedar tops I was picking up (the whole purpose for the trip, other than the day job) and I sure felt insignificant when I payed for my 11 tops.

I think I may have bought lunch for the crew with my purchase.

So, I packed up my personal stash, smelling all like cedar and headed off down the road, back to the reality of my day job, smelling that cedar all the way home



Thanks again for the tour Jason. You guys are awsome people to buy wood from.

So, if you need some killer maple, flamed or quilted, super sweet cedar tops or even the odd chello or double bass back or top, send Jason a PM, you'll be treated right.


Author:  Jason [ Tue Apr 18, 2006 6:03 pm ]
Post subject: 



Look at me dressed like a hobo when visitors show up.



It's always nice havin ya! And you didn't buy lunch.. We got Chinese take-out for dinner.



And after I held out on the show your shop thread a while back I get exposed anyways.. What a mess!

Author:  Serge Poirier [ Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:32 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thanks for sharing Rod!

Author:  Don Williams [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:40 am ]
Post subject: 

Nice tour! Thanks...
Nice looking business there Jason!

Author:  Dave Rector [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:48 am ]
Post subject: 

Made my knees weak just looking at all that wood. I still have several of Jason's cedar tops waiting for me to make something out of them. They are very nice tops too!

Author:  Brock Poling [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:05 am ]
Post subject: 


So.... who buys 50,000 tops? That is amazing. I think that would even quench Paddy's thrist for wood.   

Author:  JJ Donohue [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:17 am ]
Post subject: 

Thanks for the tour, Rod. Quite impressive...both the scenery as well as the operation.

I've gotten curley maple and cedar from Jason and was very pleased with his service and products.

Author:  PaddyD [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:40 am ]
Post subject: 

har dee har har me brocko!!!

Author:  Serge Poirier [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:09 am ]
Post subject: 

Hey Paddy, quando se comer aqui amigo ?

Asta la proxima!

Author:  John Elshaw [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:44 am ]
Post subject: 

Wow, great tour! I had no idea Jason's operation was so big. Hey Jason, with that many tops and billets of wood, are you supplying to any national production guiar companies? I'm just curious who your big customers are with supplies that big. I've never seen so many guitar tops in my life. That's incredible.

Cheers!

John

Author:  Rod True [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:50 am ]
Post subject: 

Check out the name on the side of these pallets, There's a hint to where a lot of this stuff goes.


Author:  charliewood [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:34 am ]
Post subject: 

well Jason,
Im not tooooooooo far away - I might have to come up and pick out a nice set or 2 of maple for some archtop builds in the future, seeing those pics that sure looks like home though - I love BC!!!
Cheers
Charliewood
PS beautiful little log farm you got there!charliewood38826.5662268519

Author:  MSpencer [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 10:45 am ]
Post subject: 

Nice tour, pretty country, great wood

Mike

Author:  Jason [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:23 pm ]
Post subject: 

[QUOTE=John Elshaw] Wow, great tour! I had no idea Jason's operation was so big. Hey Jason, with that many tops and billets of wood, are you supplying to any national production guiar companies? I'm just curious who your big customers are with supplies that big. I've never seen so many guitar tops in my life. That's incredible.

Cheers!

John[/QUOTE]

We primarily supply large production companies. The retail end was a side project I wanted to test out.

We've sold product to pretty much all the big guys at one point or another (in the US, Canada, Spain, China, Korea and Japan) We've also supplied a couple of the top Luthier Supply houses in the US/Europe.

It's a fast changing business. Product lines come & go and so do tonewood suppliers so you've always got someone calling looking for something better or cheaper and someone else cutting back on an order.


Anyone is welcome to visit if they call or email in advance Just so I make sure I'm not sleeping in or in town running errands. The only thing that we have on a fairly limited supply is archtop wood and 1 piece neck stock. It's generally spoken for before it gets to the kiln.

Author:  CarltonM [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 4:42 pm ]
Post subject: 

China? You're sending all that North American wood to China? You know, that stuff doesn't grow on tre...er, never mind.

Pretty cool, Jason. And we thought you were just one of us little guys!

Author:  Jason [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:24 pm ]
Post subject: 

[QUOTE=CarltonM] China? You're sending all that North American wood to China? You know, that stuff doesn't grow on tre...er, never mind.

Pretty cool, Jason. And we thought you were just one of us little guys![/QUOTE]

I'm still a little guy I have more wood than any one person could ever use in a lifetime but I haven't had the time/put in the effort to finish a single guitar yet Every time I start something I get sidetracked building a new jig or a new load of wood comes in.

Hey Paddy if your ever looking for maple/cedar I can definately set you up.. I'll "Paddy Size" it

Author:  Ray L [ Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:29 pm ]
Post subject: 

Jason,

You know I love your maple - seeing your stash caused me to drool all over my keyboard!

Ray

Author:  Rossy [ Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:00 pm ]
Post subject: 

Looks like a little piece of Heaven. The scenery's not too bad either.

Ross

Author:  charliewood [ Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:42 am ]
Post subject: 

[QUOTE=Jason] [QUOTE=CarltonM] China? You're sending all that North American wood to China? You know, that stuff doesn't grow on tre...er, never mind.

Pretty cool, Jason. And we thought you were just one of us little guys![/QUOTE]

I'm still a little guy I have more wood than any one person could ever use in a lifetime but I haven't had the time/put in the effort to finish a single guitar yet Every time I start something I get sidetracked building a new jig or a new load of wood comes in.

Hey Paddy if your ever looking for maple/cedar I can definately set you up.. I'll "Paddy Size" it [/QUOTE]

Im sure you could dig me up a B grade archtop set lying around there somewheres, couldnt ya?
Cheers
Charliewood

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/