Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm looking for solid rectangular section carbon rods for neck reinforcements. So far I've only been able to find them on Stewmac, but I'm in the UK and shipping is expensive. Are there any other places that sell them?

Incidentally, is there anything wrong with using hollow tubes to reinforce the neck? Would it affect the sound?

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

You can try this place, Peter. https://goodwinds.com/

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

You can also try ACP Composites Inc. http://www.acpsales.com/home.html

Peter

I spent ages looking for these for my mandolin build, and could not find anyone in the UK who could supply the right dimensions. Though since I have seen them at http://www.tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/guitar-making-parts/truss-rods.html Hope this helps

Nick

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Nick

Follow my musings on getting started in luthiery http://www.tredwellinstruments.co.uk

I too had little success finding CF or graphite in the UK. Of course, there are plenty of places in the US.
I'll see if my German colleague can source them from Germany. I'll let you know.

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

You could search here: http://www.r-g.de/en

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Those look suspiciously like the sizes that Stew Mac sell and if you are buying four or more Stew Mac would still be cheaper even after shipping and Duty/VAT. Tonetech may do volume discounts if you ask them nicely though - but if they are buying from Stew Mac and reselling there probably won't be much in it.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

ACP Composites has these rods that I use.

.125"x.325"x24" Rectangular Carbon Rod
SKU RT-06A
Our price: $6.49
including CA Sales Tax $0.49

They are only $6.00 (Subtracting CA sales Tax) and they can be cut easily with a hack saw. I don't know what shipping will be but it should be cheaper then Stew Mac.

Looking this over, I had a look at the economics:-
I can get 6 - 18 inch bars 3mm x (roughly) 9mm section from this http://shop1.r-g.de/item/720003 site (3mm x30mm section) for 19.75 euros + 24 euros shipping = 43.75 euros = £36.45, i.e. just over £6.00 each
That's only buying one pultruded bar.
Add one new wet tile saw at £40 (wickes), buy and process 4 bars, 24 rods for about £125.80 total, or £5.25 each.
New blades are £11
A lot less than Tonetech or SM. and I would still hopefully have the saw....
Might be worth the trouble, to me anyway...
(I know, too much time on my hands )

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thank you all for the replies. This one looks to be perfect, but apparently carbon is defined as 'hazardous material' so the shipping is still horrendous... £35 all together for 2 1m long rods
I just found this one which is a little better. Shipping's still £15 to mainland UK though... http://www.woolmer.co.uk/index.php?main ... th=112_114

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

...i wonder why it is regarded as hazardous...? combustable? i wonder if coal would be in the same category...

What about these guys?
http://www.sussex-model-centre.co.uk/sh ... p?id=22721