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  • ChickenboneJohn November 7, 2014 at 4:23am
    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.
    • john mackay > ChickenboneJohn November 7, 2014 at 6:41am

      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.

  • john mackay November 6, 2014 at 5:02am

    neck is sorted now.

    I need fretboards  now

    there's plenty of ash wood @ 6mm-7mm and 10mm but little else at the moment of that size.

    I want to make a cbg for my son for Xmas. he can play 6 stringed guitar very well.

    he tends to chose tricky tunes to play like stairway to heaven.

  • Slowpaw Steve T November 5, 2014 at 3:44pm

    I use Oak for necks exclusively - all hardwood should do pretty well for fretboards- I use Sapele, Cherry, Maple, Walnut, Beech - they hold the frets in pretty straight and firm, I used Ebony once but was difficult to work with was and not too sure of the results. :-)

  • john mackay November 5, 2014 at 2:39pm

    thanks for the info .another question is ash wood good enough for a fret board?

    • ChickenboneJohn > john mackay November 6, 2014 at 1:53am

      Ash is OK, I've used it as centre laminations for 3 and 5 part necks, more for contrast than strength. However, it is very open grained, and VERY whippy - not ideal for a fretboard, and I wouldn't used it as a full neck. It's tough stuff but it's flexibility and shock resistance means it's often chosen for tool handles, hockey sticks and archery bows...and that needs some bendy wood..I've used ash to make instrument bows with some success.

    • Slowpaw Steve T > john mackay November 5, 2014 at 3:46pm

      Leo Fender used Swamp Ash in the early years for his guitar bodies until it became very scarce, Ash should be fine :-)

  • john mackay November 1, 2014 at 1:44pm

    got me 12  lengths of beechwood for £24 not bade eh!

    1'050mm x 44mm x 24mm. £2 a piece.cheap as chips.

  • Michael Fred Johnson October 30, 2014 at 11:39am

    Beech is fine for necks,it's hard and straight grained

  • The Phrygian Kid October 29, 2014 at 5:18pm

    rule of thumb :  if you can't push a fingernail into the grain then yes....

    (sorry Im Australian, and familiar with entirely different trees than you blokes.  but this rule will serve you well when scavenging / sourcing wood.)

    If you CAN push a fingernail in along the grain then this wood is more suited to a soundboard / top / solid body if its wide enough.

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