Thread: Guitar Timber Suppliers

Hi Dayvo. Thanks for the links.

I'd like to make potential builders aware also that a lot good guitar wood is local and not all that exotic. (see Maton site)

The important part is doing your homework & deciding what you'll buy. This is the main thing I want to say here.

In my case ( an absolute newbie) I drew up my shopping list & went to the local timber yard & they filled the order in a week or so. However you can be unlucky and lucky. My design was a Qld maple body with a figured top of Mountain ash. (See Belman Guitars site.) The figuring of the Qld Maple was astonishing (see my post in 'Router Jigs' forum) while the Mountain ash I got was dead boring....so Plan A went out the window. I also am very happy with a plank of Blakwood and Myrtle. I don't know what I'll do with the Mountain Ash. Make steps out of it LOL!!.

I've saved the links because every little bit helps.

.

http://www.lazaridestimberagencies.com/ in banyo, QLD (Brisbane northside)

I love that place!

Originally Posted by dayvo

Hey guys
Before anyone says it, I am aware that there is a dedicted thread for Timber Supplier/s on this forum, but I thought that collectively we, that come to the Musical Instrument section could highlight the some of companies around Australia that sell Guitar Timbers/Tonewoods
I thought this would give options and information to those of us seeking where to get our next chunk of wood from
To start heres three that I have personally been to

Otto's - 5 Ann St Stepney, Adelaide (08)83623522

http://www.bukartilla.com.au/a1timber.html
Adelaide

http://www.woodworld.com.au/timber_types.htm
Gold Coast

dayvo

Ive dealt with Ottos and Bukartilla but cant say I was very impressed with the service offered by these companies. Ottos is a funny place.....all the tonewoods are dumped on shelves at the front of the shopp and they just direct you there and leave you to poke around the shelves by yourself. No assistance forthcoming from the staff. When I enquired about some mahogany neck blanks the guy behind the counter didnt seem too interested and murmured something about a 3 month wait untill they could machine some. Alot of the wood is poorly stacked on the shelves and more than one spruce top set had warps in them as a result of same. The tonewood is also expensive.

I visited Bukartilla out at Hahndorf one weekend and got a less than helpful response from the bloke behind the counter. He wasnt keen on me viewing any of the wood in stock and he told me to make an appointment to come back sometime during the week.....I didnt bother.

Cheers Martin

heres a few more tonewood supplies

Gerard Gilet
http://www.giletguitars.com.au/

australian luthier supplies
http://www.luthierssupplies.com.au/

guitaraust
http://www.guitaraust.com.au/shop/

scott wise
http://www.scottwise.net/

a few others like Mathews timber and Trend timbers but quite hard to find quartersawn stuff at these places ....
If anyone has any more contacts in australia...I'd be interested to know

Tim Spittle one of my favourite suppliers....

www.australiantonewoods.com

Tim very good to deal with..hell go out of his way to source hard to find woods and sizes. Orders are always well packed and Tim always keeps you informed on progress of the order. Hes also a damn fine luthier.

I also source from Dave Freeman at Timeless Instruments in Canada. Freight costs are a bit high but Dave often has specials which are worth checking out.

Hey Dayvo,

I reckon this is a good thread and in the right place.This is the kind of info we need to share.

I get some of my timber down at Anogate in Marrickville (No website) or Gerard Gillet at Botany.(I think Gerard gets some timber from Anogate as well)

I have also been to Trend at Windsor but they were a bit expensive .

What I found with Anogate and Gerard is that they are very helpful.

Regards

Greg

Gerard good to deal with but he uses COD which can be a pain..takes awhile for stuff to get to you and Ive had stuff sit at Aussie Post for a week until they take the courtesy to let me know its there.

a little self promotion here www.kirbyfinetimber.com thanks, dvo

Originally Posted by david kirby

a little self promotion here www.kirbyfinetimber.com thanks, dvo

This is why I started this thread in the hope that the likes of David and others in his line of business may let us all know about themselves and give us more supply options
Can you post a price list?
Regards
dayvo

Further to some discussions from elsewhere.
A couple of us have been considering wrecking donged pianos for the timbers they are made of.
these things have a large slab of sound board. Would that be of any use as tops and bottoms for guitar bodies?
there are also some substantial lumps of timber in the frame that might be usefull for knecks and such.
you could possibly mill bridges out of ebony keys and chop up the ivory or bone keytops for inlay.

is this a realistic option.
cheers

DK there's a big problem with your website... how do you contact?
There's no contact infomation on your site!

Originally Posted by soundman

Further to some discussions from elsewhere.
A couple of us have been considering wrecking donged pianos for the timbers they are made of.
these things have a large slab of sound board. Would that be of any use as tops and bottoms for guitar bodies?
there are also some substantial lumps of timber in the frame that might be usefull for knecks and such.
you could possibly mill bridges out of ebony keys and chop up the ivory or bone keytops for inlay.

is this a realistic option.
cheers

Soundboard wood would have to be quarter sawn and with a high number growth rings/cm. Even if the wood isnt AAA grade it would be good for a budding luthier to practise on....

Some of the wood from the case of the piano might find a use for necks...depends on quality of the instrument.

Piano keys probably too narrow for a standard bridge but might be good for making up tuning pegs for a flamenco or violin. Ivory keys....might be useful for inlay. Could be turned into bridge pins or bridge saddles also.

Hi guys,

Chris Wynne sells Guitar kits ready to go for Accoustic and Classical. Everything included. Aussie timber and European. You can contact him on via website www.thomaslloydguitars.com or phone (03) 9431 2490 or 0403 910 880.

He gets his timber from a various suppliers and Gerard Guilet and Barry at Wood tone have helped chris out for years. He now has enough of his own sources to supply to the public.

Mathews timbers yard is also a great fossick for amazing timber.

Hope this helps

The few people who I've met on the web who've pulled a piano apart to recycle the timber, all say they'd never do it again. Lots of work for not much gain.

I've bought a bunch of wood from Barry at woodtone guitars. He sells some great stuff on ebay, much easier than trying to pull some out of an old piano without damaging it.