Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi,

I've been inspired to try to build a tele from the tdpri forums and I'm having trouble locating some pine. I've not done any woodwork since school and would need to get back into the swing of things. I've mailed a few timber places and they've come back saying that cannot supply big enough planks, it's take about 16 pieces (4x2) to laminate together to get a big enough blank .

Can anyone point me in the direction of a place (preferably with a website) that can provide big enough planks/boards?

Thanks,
Luke.

Talk to David Dyke, tell him what your wanting to do and he'll probably cut the wood for you that you need. Here is his website, but do phone him and ask.

http://www.luthierssupplies.co.uk/

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

HI Luke, welcome to the OLF!

You want to build a pine Tele? From 16 2"x4"'s, or was that just a joke? Or are you trying to locate a piece of pine that is large enough for a one-piece body? Either way, both are kind of unusual... It is common practice to glue up the body from two or more pieces. Usually a hardwood like alder or ash is used, although there are plenty of examples of successful guitars built from other woods, I’m sure pine could work too (I recently made a ¾ size SG Junior with a spruce body). You don't mind a few dents, I take it?

If you are going to make this guitar from scratch, you'll probably find that preparing and gluing up the pieces for the body are comparatively easy tasks, so don’t worry about it! I’m sure David Dyke can help you out, as Colin suggested.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Nope, it's not a joke and tbh, it's going to be my learning wood, so I expect it not to come out *that* well. It seems that I might've found a place that can supply me with a board big enough for multiple 1 piece pine blanks.

As I get better, I intend to make something out of a more exotic wood

Luke.

Is this construction lumber? If it is, chances are that it’s pretty “green”, and not fully dried. A piece of pine that wide is not likely to be quartersawn, so it may cup (and even warp and split as it dries… ). Unless you get lucky and and find a very unusual piece of pine, I stand by my advise to join two or more pieces for the body, it's really not very hard and you'll be more likely to get good results.

If you want this to be easy, don’t use woods and methods that make it more difficult.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

It's reclaimed.

Luke.

OK...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

hi you should try and find some oak or some kind of hardwood similar
keep looking in old derilect houses for windowsills and wardrobes and the like
i take it you wanted pine because its cheap ? or is a light guitar your after ?
i think might be a bit neck heavy with the pine body
if your lucky youll get enough for plenty of guitars keep the nicest pieces for no 2
free hardy hardwood is is better than expinsive soft pine
hope this helps

I use Bob at Timberline, http://www.exotichardwoods.co.uk/ he's fair price and local to me so I can hand pick my woods

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Nope, just didn't want to ruin a nice (expensive) piece of wood. Basically, want to get some experience and if the pine is nice enough, actually make something from it .

Luke.

better you ruining it than the big digger shovel when it levels the house
at least youll be getting expierence from it
and if it dosent work out you can always make other things from it

listen to the experts here on what they say
definatly consider gluing a multi piece body espically if you dont want
to wreak a single piece of wood
if one side goes wrong you can always seperate the wood
and start again which means
more nice tool handles and ornaments

I would still go with a pice of Oak or similar - just head down to teh local timber merchants and rummage throigh the off cuts - wont costyou more than £5 top find enough reasonably dry wood to lam into a tele body

The alternative is to actually buy an Alder or Ash slab that has a bit more waste - and do the first body 10mm larger all round to get the feel of the wood and practice etc..good luck