Official Luthiers Forum!

I'd love slotted fretboards. Radiused would be even more attractive.

I put a little more thought into this (funny smell.. thought I left the heat blanket on again)...

As another alternative to the traditional/endangered stuff, are there any good tonewoods available from our friends in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, etc, that you could import for us?

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Jim Hansen

Fiddleback Claro Walnut

Back and side sets. Pretty wood. STINKY at first. My neighbor had the tree cut down I rescued a 5' diameter / 3' long + trunk piece. I waxed the ends. We will see what I got. Just looking for the way to get it done. I have a Mallet and 2 torpedo wedges right now. HEAVY!


This is fresh cut. It has darkened some

I think Sycamore would make for an intersting archtop back. Black Walnut, Redwood, Spalted Maple, and Lacewood would also be good candidates!

I'm interested. Looks like you have a start with the cracks there. I would split it using the existing crack and follow it right across.
Then split the 2 halves in half. I think you need something heavier than a mallet.

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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

Bob,

Sometimes when I am trolling your site I see something that I would like. What saves me from myself is the cost of shipping which makes it not very cost effective to buy just one item.What would help me, and I'm sure other international customers, would be if you were willing to store stuff for a period of time until I had built up at least a few items so that the shipping didn't seem like such a big hit. However, this would take more storage space on your part along with keeping track of what pile of wood is destined for what person (so more work) so I would fully understand if you would consider this not practical from your side.

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Hey I done this with Bob...I bought a close figure set of redwood and ask him to stick it aside for me until I can fill a box. After too many months I had accumulated enough great stuff from RC Tonewoods and I called it all in. Well Bob sent it all without delay but when it all arrived here in Australia I discovered that the numb skull had sent me the wrong set of redwood....good one Bob

To be fair, this was way back in the days when RC Tonewoods was run from the small backyard shed of Bob and his fine lady's home in Buffalo. The set Bob had sent in error had 'broad' figure, and whilst it was still a very nice looking bit of redwood, I much preferred the finer 'fiddleback' figured stuff I had originally ordered. So I sent Bob a grizzling email crying about the error....a couple of days latter the original set lobbed at my door, via express...at a cost to Bob that I suspect would have been more than his margin would have been on the entire order..he sent a note telling me to accept the first redwood set he had sent in error as a token of his sincere apology for the inconvenience he had caused..I felt guilty as I stickered it away with the rest of the stash, but serves myself right for do'in a deal with the Zootman!!!

Cheers

Kim

This is what I love about you guys - it might be called old fashioned these days, but this sort of attention to customer service and feedback is exemplory. Many thanks for considering this and I hope it works out for you.... as I am usually able to hide the odd purchase of something nice once a month without Mrs C asking too many questions

I also really appreciate the care taken with packing, so that everything arrives in perfect order despite the 10 hours or so at 30,000 ft!

wow, just thinking about the history of that old Kentucky Coffee tree...how could that guy just "have it cut down"? it had been growing there 70 years before the USA was even a country, for chrissakes. no respect!
can anyone explain why the inner growth is so dark, and suddenly turns to light wood....? recent fungus infestation?

_________________
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

Hi Bob,

+6 for domestic woods!

Koa!

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Dave
Milton, ON

An honest question. I like the concept of using domestic woods. Is it unreasonable to expect to purchase domestic woods cheaper? If curly Honduran Mahogany is $125 per set (including importation costs), shouldn't curly walnut be less.......maybe $75 per set with nice, in non-figured sets about $40 per set? It surprises me how expensive domestic sets are so just trying to understand why.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

You might want to ask your local tree services to keep an eye out for an old Russian Olive. A neighbor had one fall, but he cut it up before I could get to it. The wood was very dark brown throughout, but with a narrow intense white sapwood. I was surprized that a Russian Olive would be of such a large diameter that it would have easily made good sets. I burned a piece in the fireplace and it bothered my asthma, so caution for those of you who may be sensitive. I haven't a clue regarding its acoustic properties, but it was pretty.

Daryl there are many factors that determine the cost of the finished product. If it was as simple as going to your local lumberyard, buying a few boards and cut them up then your prices might be in line. It's a lot different when your in business. Curly honduran mahogany is under priced in my opinion, but the market drives the price. Very difficult to find these days.


1.) Try to find nice curly walnut that isn't riddled with knots. Most walnut is. If and when you do the price of the rare material goes up
because very few boards meet the criteria for lutherie. When I go thru the stacks of lumber which is usually an all day job and pick the cream I'm leaving the mill with the crappy boards that he has to sell for less money. That's why the best always cost more.
2.) Then there are the fixed expenses such as rent, electricity, gas, telephone, internet, labor, advertising, and probably more that I can't think of right now.
3.)Equipment which are another monthly bill 'till they are paid off.
4.) Supplies from A-Z Carbide band saw blades are not cheap.
5.) WASTE probably the biggest factor of all. We probably burn thousands in useless scrap every winter.

I hope this helps you understand a little better.

_________________
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