Buying/providing your own wood to send Warmoth?

[dNA]

Just wondering if anyone has done this? They told me you can, though the sales guy told me to e-mail the customshop and they didn't get back to me. My father is a hobbyist woodworker and he has a garage just full of big planks of walnut - some of which is gorgeously figured. Last year he made an amazing dining room table - easily big enough to make 6 guitar bodies. It's made me kind of obsessed with the idea.
few questions
what size cut of wood do i need for a body? VIP hollow, or maybe tele hollow
what size for the neck?
Would this cost me less than buying the wood from Warmoth, or will they charge more as it's a custom kind of option?

any info would be much appreciated.

 

[Mor Paul]

Good luck! The absolute best, by miles and miles, pieces of figured mahogany I've seen were done the same way a while ago. It costs the same as a normal build  :icon_thumright:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If you provide the material to be made into a body, say a piece of Rosewood, they charge you as if they sold you the Rosewood.  It's probably a deterent as they don't want to work a customer sourced piece of material as they didn't pick it and it may have not met their criteria.  Also, how can they warranty it?  There's other places that do though.  Also, with the legality of certain woods, a chain of custody from the source has to be established.

 

[m4rk0]

hm, I thought you would have to pay the basic price for your provided wood project... like the price of poplar or something.

 

[dNA]

well that's kinda discouraging, but totally understandable. At the very least, it'll probably be worthwhile to provide my own topwood - since some of that Walnut is beautiful. and maybe i can get some nice maple out of him for a neck or something.

Max, do you know who it was that did the mahogony?

 

[Wyliee]

It's still going to be full pop for customer supplied wood.  Invariably, the piece has to be prepared (planed, dried, cut down, etc...) before it can be used.  Setting up equipment to do that for one piece is actually more expensive per piece than batch processing.  FYI, those extra steps also adds time to the production process. 

Honestly, most of the wood I've seen sent in hasn't been that impressive.  I can understand pieces that may have sentimenal value, but it most cases Warmoth's stock is pretty darn nice.

 

[dNA]

Poop

 

[m4rk0]

well that's kinda discouraging, but totally understandable. At the very least, it'll probably be worthwhile to provide my own topwood - since some of that Walnut is beautiful. and maybe i can get some nice maple out of him for a neck or something.

Max, do you know who it was that did the mahogony?

was it peter poynter?

 

[Mor Paul]

well that's kinda discouraging, but totally understandable. At the very least, it'll probably be worthwhile to provide my own topwood - since some of that Walnut is beautiful. and maybe i can get some nice maple out of him for a neck or something.

Max, do you know who it was that did the mahogony?

was it peter poynter?

That's him. Then the guy had to sell it because of his arthritis or something.

 

[m4rk0]

I think he made his guitars to sell. there are always one or two of his guitars on ebay

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If it's who I'm thinking of, and he was making them with the sole intention of selling them, he added enough of his own personal touches to make them less desirable than if they hadn't been altered.  The butchered headstock and logo?

 

[wingchun1976]

Glad to know that they will do this, as I've been thinking of using Snakewood (Piratinera guianensis) for a fingerboard and Warmoth don't have that as a standard option.

 

[Alfang]

Hey dNA,  why not go buy some books on building your own electric guitar, and try doing a body yourself.

Over the last few years, I have bought every how to build guitar book thats out there, including accustic guitar books

I have studied them over and over, i feel like I have already built a few guitars, and it's easy. someday I actually will route my own bodies

 

[DesmoDog]

Glad to know that they will do this, as I've been thinking of using Snakewood (Piratinera guianensis) for a fingerboard and Warmoth don't have that as a standard option.

I just checked on this myself. I was told they charge a minimum of $45, more if the piece requires a lot of prep work. Once you send it in, they let it sit for about three weeks to acclimate. If the shop manager approves it they will use it, but aren't responsible if it cracks or warps or a machine takes a dive and wipes it out during manufacturing.

Understandable really, my guess is they've seen a lot of junk get sent in and then people wonder why they can't make something out of it that matches their normal standards...

FWIW I decided not to do it and ordered a showcase neck instead.  I may still have it done someday, but not for this build.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I would imagine great hesitation on the part of W to use customer sourced wood for a neck.  A body, lam top, or fretboard wouldn't have near the stress on it a neck would.