Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey, fam.

It’s been a minute for me. I pop in pretty regularly, but haven’t posted in quite a while. I also haven’t done much building, but still love to stock my tonewood stash whenever I can. It seems like a number of the places that I’ve bought tops from over the years have either shut down or slowed down.

Where are you guys buying spruce, redwood and western red cedar tops from these days?

Thanks!

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sweat the small stuff.

I've bought very nice redwood and western red cedar tops from Felly Smith at Fiddleback Woodshack in Bend, OR.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I’ve been getting Sitka Spruce and WRC from Brent Cole at Alaska Specialty (see the sponsors above). I get nice redwood tops from Vinces Strauss at Pacific Coast Woods (again, see the sponsors above). Both are accurate in their descriptions, very reliable, and easy to deal with. I used to buy Engelmann from LMI. The next time I need some, I’ll have to go looking for another supplier.

For red spruce specifically, consider Appalachian Tonewood in Lewisburg, WV. I always enjoy my visits with those guys, and bring home some great tops.

Shopping online rather than in person, and not focusing on a particular type of spruce, I consider OLF sponsors Aaron Hix, Alaska Specialty Woods, and (as always) StewMac, to be great places to buy wood. Of course, it’s harder to make sure you get what you want that way. The other OLF sponsors are likely also to be good suppliers, but I’m limiting my comments to companies from whom I have bought wood.

Tops Alaska Tonewoods for Sitka and Old Standard for Adi.

I really miss Euphonon, best Mahogany

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Hampton Brothers for Red Spruce, European/Caucasian/Sitka Spruce from radius dish uk, (still have quite a bit of nice Sitka from Lance) Sinker redwood from feelgoodwood (uk)
Sill got maybe 7 Lutz tops rom Shane as well.

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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.

Sitka, Lutz and Red Cedar from Pacific Rim Tonewoods. I’m local and have been allowed to go through the stacks on my own.

M

Big time jealous here.

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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.

Mike at Elite Tonewoods has the goods.

http://www.elitetonewoods.com

Music Spruce Canada for Engleman.

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