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I’ve checked the usual suspects, but no one has gotten the price point.
Rc use to cArry nice mahogany neck blanks for stacked heels / scarf joints, but I haven’t seen them on the site lately.
Any other sources for well priced nice neck blanks I’m missing?
I’m getting close to a finish stage so I’m feeling the pull to start again:)
B


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Yes, genuine mahogany is getting rare and expensive. There are alternatives out there as well, e.g. SM sells double neck blanks in Sipo at $54.

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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.

You need to add Hibdon to your list of usual suspects

I still seem to find genuine mahogany at reasonable prices. Check out Allied Luthier as well.

If you are lucky enough to have local, or reasonably local, suppliers check them out too. One of the best places I had ever found was a local hardwood supplier that probably deals most with cabinet and specialty wood workers. This place was just outside of Washington DC and I now live 5 hours from there but if I am ever up there I stock up.

Hibdon Hardwood, for sure. Assuming you are OK with a scarf joint and a stacked heel, I really don't see any pricing problems. 1" x 3" x 24" mahogany is not that hard to find at reasonable prices. There are decently priced 24" billets on eBay, too. You might have to be a discerning shopper in terms of the quality of the wood.

I've been stashing away some here and there, as I find decent quality at a good price, planning for an eventual supply shortage, but I've not seen it happen yet.

"Assuming you are OK with a scarf joint and a stacked heel, I really don't see any pricing problems"

I'm not a big fan of a stacked heel, but don't mind having a "block heel" and a scarfed peghead. That means I can get away with 4/4 boards and only need a small amount of high priced 12/4 stock. This is less wasteful than a one piece neck, but those that prefer that can pay the premium and have bragging rights to a weaker construction.

Hibdon sells 1" x 3" x 24" neck blanks, paired with a color matched block for the heel, all for a decent price.

I definitely use a scarf joint for its structural superiority over a one piece neck, but I can see not wanting the multiple glue lines that come with a stacked heel. Depending on the wood, the stack can be either hard to notice or glaringly obvious.

I also find it here.

https://www.gilmerwood.com/home
Type mahogany in on the search box

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Find a hardwood dealer in your area. You can usually find something for 1/2 the price or less that the guitar supply dealers sell it for.

+1 for Hibdon.

Regarding the stacked heel: I, too, do not care for the "look" of a stacked heel and I don't think I'd use one on a maple neck as the glue lines would be tough to hide...but, when using mahogany and Spanish cedar it's easy enough to spend the extra few minutes to orient things properly and line up grain lines, etc to avoid the stacked heel look. I've used a stacked heel on most of my builds but you'd have to look awfully close to be able to tell.

Here's one (4 piece stack) I just snapped from my phone on the guitar I was playing when I read this:

Hi William,
That is a good looking heel. As you say, with careful work and the right woods it can be hard to see the glue lines. Even if it is a bit obvious, I like the block heel. I have done a few stacked heels with good results, still the block heel is my preference. I feel less of a need to hide the seam,which I feel is a "must" on a stacked heel. Not knocking it - just pointing at a "middle ground" for those who care to take it.

That is the way to go if you can find a local dealer that still can get it. I use to be to drive 10 miles to my local Austin Hardwoods and spend hours going through the endless stacks of rosewoods, ebonies, Honduran mahogany and such. Not so much any more. They say the quality of most of the exotics, including Hondo Mahogany, has fallen so much that when they do find some it isn't worth buying. But they are still able to get some very nice African mahogany. (which really isn't a mahogany at all, could have fooled me) When I run out of Hondo that is what I'll be buying.

Sad but true

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

If you are doing a maple neck . One can refer to the violin trade, to make a classic tasteful neck . French polish the main part of the neck and colour or stain the heel and the lowr end of the headstock volute. The stain and colouring will hide the glue line both at the heel and the volute headstock area. If there is a fiddleback figure on the neck . You may want to accentuate/ pop the figure first with linseed , tung or tru oil , then colour or stain and lastly French Polish till you have achieved the look you are after

I think I remember going as far back as Sloane's classical guitar book that there was an idea to alternate the stacks in the heal for maximum strength. I did that on several guitars and was never bothered by the look of it and in fact thought it looked cool. Funny how aesthetics and practicality work.

I use Sapee and like it. Haven’t had to buy any in a while so not sure what it costs now.

I guess I am lucky to have a great Lumber yard 1/2 an hour from my house (that I have been going to for 45 years)-M.L. Condon in White Plains NY that still has clear 12/4 Honduran Mahogany. I know they ship nationwide, but always better to pick your pieces.They say the end is near for this stock.....

Amen

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"Practice enough till the results aren't hopes but expectations" forum member Peter Havriluk

I think you guys may have more luck at the lumberyard than I do. I gave up on mahogany there. I think by the time it hits shelves here, all the stuff I want (clear, straight, quartered) has been picked out and there's nothing but knotty rift in the lift...

. . . and those of you with an actual lumberyard, as opposed to just Lowe’s and Home Depot, are luckier than I am. We GROW trees for hardwood lumber in West Virginia, and yet I have a tough time finding decent lumber that I would want to use on a guitar. I have to drive 90 minutes just to buy Baltic Birch. Nope, the online vendors for guitar wood are a blessing to me. I would rather pay more and get something I know will be suitable than drive several hours to a lumberyard that might wind up having nothing useful in stock.

As Joe mentioned African Mahoganies is a good sub if you can't find decent priced Honduran. While not a true Swietenia, all Maliaceae are members of the mahogany family. Examples are Sipo, Khaya, Spanish Cedar and Sapele (too heavy for my taste) are the easiest to source.

Before opening his business in Vancouver Canada (early 70's), Bill Lewis studied guitarmaking in Spain. He wrote that the Spanish makers used mahogany and Spanish cedar without any regard to the grain orientation because these woods were so stable in all directions, it didn't matter. I know I've seen many Martin's and Gibson's that had flat cut and even forty-five degree grain on their necks and had no problems.

Brent

I just saw an add for American Mahogany. Nice to hear you guys are finally growing it for retail.

We have some nice QS mahogany blanks in 1 x 3 x 24 as well as 3 x 4 in stock. Sometimes it is hard to keep up the website so it's best to e-mail or call.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

All this talk about Mahogany and I was able to get some for free..

It’s been on my friends barn for 15 years Honduran mahogany 2 inches thick by 9 inches wide by 9 feet long

He was going to make a front door out of it but never did so every now and then he gives me a couple of boards.




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Ha! Brad, you just outed my favorite secret source. I've got loads of "offcuts" of mahogany from Condon. They'll work great for stacked necks. For a while a couple of years ago, they'd price it low and then have a 50% off sale when the scraps started to get too plentiful. Love that place. They also had some ebony that I resawed into laminates for necks and binding, too. Kid in a candy shop.