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Permalink Reply by Jason Mayes on June 12, 2013 at 6:20pm

Also there is not a huge selection of lumber in my town, Red Oak is probably the hardest wood available at the local Lowe's or Home Depot.

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Permalink Reply by Daddy D on June 12, 2013 at 6:32pm

Poplar works fine for me. Cut it in half, it won't feel so flexible then.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 12, 2013 at 6:34pm

Jason,

You can make a neck from poplar ( lots of people here have), but being soft, it will have a tendency to bow over time, depending on scale length, number of strings, string diameter, and string tension. You could add a hardwood fretboard to stiffen it, but most people in your situation opt for the red oak. It's stiffer, can stand up to 3 or 4 strings without a truss rod, doesn't bow over time, and holds frets well if you decide on a fretted neck.

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Permalink Reply by Daddy D on June 12, 2013 at 6:39pm

I just read what Oily posted. I do use a red oak fret board on my poplar necks. Build with what you have. Use electric guitar 9's and it won't bow.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 12, 2013 at 6:46pm

Yep, that red oak will stiffen it right up.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Mayes on June 12, 2013 at 7:15pm

Thanks for the replies :) This one is gonna be a fretless 3 string for slide tuned to DGD with an overal length of 36" so no fingerboard will be needed. Should probably go with the oak instead. I've got some crazy ideas for this build now that I've got the basics down so oak will probably a better choice since I'm gonna put a lot more time and effort into it! It's gonna be a tribute guitar designed after the guitarist that inspired me to play guitar when i was a kid so there will be extra pieces added to the cigar box to make it resemble his guitar!

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Permalink Reply by Daddy D on June 12, 2013 at 7:25pm

Hey Jason. Take that poplar, and do a scarf joint with it. Take all the time necessary to do the joint right. After the joint is done, build a guitar that takes less than three hours to build. It can be done quite easily, and you won't be spending a lot of time on it. Chances are, this guitar will play and sound great and you will learn quite a bit. Plus it never hurts to have a scarf joint under your belt before you work on your "real" guitar.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Mayes on June 12, 2013 at 7:34pm

I'm new to this. How will a scarf joint keep the poplar from bowing over time? I'm thinking one solid piece of harder wood with no joints would hold up better

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 12, 2013 at 8:36pm

D is merely suggesting you use the poplar to learn how to do a scarf joint on a cheaper piece of wood, before graduating to red oak. He knows that once you build one git, you will build others, with increasing desire for more sophisticated techniques. A scarf will allow you to get string break over the nut, increasing the probability of tuning stability, all other things being equal. It also allows you the ability to do more elaborate headstocks with wings, which are harder to do with a step-down headstock.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on June 12, 2013 at 10:37pm

Not all trees are equal, nor all planks

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on June 13, 2013 at 12:09am

Nor all boxes.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on June 13, 2013 at 2:06am

poplar   is  fine   to  use.   ive  used  poplar    alot  and none  of  my  guitars have   ever bowed  . 

but  , like  tapping   fruit  ..   you  should  check  the  piece  you   are  getting   for  straightness  and    flex  before  you  buy  .  .   like  jeff  says  .. "not all  trees are alike  "

i    picked  up  a  piece  at  home  depot once  , and  id  swear       it  was   rubber  .  

 you   gotta  pick out the good  ones  .  

  canada  seems  to  get  the  better  quality    poplar  ,,  not    like the  mostly   greenish  stuff  you  see    in the states    alot  .  

 as  you  say    this  is  for  a fretless   slide .. so  it  shouldnt  matter  much at all .

i  would  opt   for   oak   if  it was  fretted  or     more than  3 strings  .   or  a bass  .

poplar  is  fine    for  what you   want ,, and   wont  be     neck  heavy   either .

but  pick  a good piece  .

   

 

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