Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Diglydog on November 6, 2014 at 7:40am

For a UK source, Chickenbone John does slotted fingerboards.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by john mackay on November 6, 2014 at 8:21am

yes I know about chickenjohn ,bought some stuff off him before.

blank walnut @ £9.50 plus shipping is a bit much for me inc fretted ones.

I know john has to make his money some how.we all do.

the walnut I've just bought is planed etc and at £2 each is better than £9.50.

no doubt I will be buying off john later but not fretboards.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on November 6, 2014 at 10:23pm

Yes, you're right, I've got to make my money, and the price reflects the work I put into it, and the machinery I've invested in my workshop. I'm a small craft operator, not a big woodshop, and this is my living, not my hobby. I'm taking raw lumber (knots, splits, waney edges and all, so I have plenty of wastage to accommodate), resawing it, planing and thicknessing it into billets, re-sawing again into fretboard sized blanks, planing again to final thickness, cutting to length and slotting with a CNC jig. Thats why a slotted fretboard (with EU-made fretwire) costs £18 from me. Think global, act local is my approach- that's why I I try and buy parts and materials from European sources wherever I can, and use very little tropical hardwood. Buying stuff from CB Gitty is fine, and I'm not knocking him, but look at the crazy transport distances invested in it for a set of $10 tuners- flown from the source in China to USA, then flown from USA to UK...over 10 000 airmiles! Trying to keep postage costs down within the UK is a nightmare, as Royal Mail has a very cunning system to make light but long items extraordinarily expensive, so we are constantly trying to track down the best value for money in terms of carrier - as with all things, cheapest isn't necessarily the best.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by john mackay on November 7, 2014 at 12:41am

I know all about it john as I'm self employed to.

since the government gave the royal mail a free hand the charges went up by 30%.

and that was a real killer as far as heavier items go.once over 2kgs even by .120kgs this has added another £3 in postage cost to uk not to mention like you said any thing over 24" again that goes up to.

never ending.

anyway John don't get me wrong I wasn't knocking you at all.

it just that I to need to keep the cost down as I don't have money to throw away.

like you I have only a small workshop but the my sales keep my head above water and afford me two hols a year amongst other things.

and thats the way I like it.I only work part time anyway,I've done my hard grafting over the years.

packed in full time work in 2009 and never looked back.get my pension in 2 years time .

making motorcycle grab rails etc used to be my hobbiy but now it just work so that why I've taken up a new hobby but not to sell on,I'm not good enough yet and probably never will.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page