Where to get exotic wood from?

[SH73]

I found plenty on e bay, but where do you guys get exotic wood from for building a bass. I am after ash.

[RhysP]

https://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk

[JoeEvans]

Is ash exotic? Anyway, Robbins Timber are very good for all sorts of wood.

[fleabag]

Ask TT if they use sustainable wood

[bubinga5]

Ash isn't exotic. Cocobolo is……………… my favourite

[TheGreek]

Keep your eye on the free ads on Preloved. For example:

[url="http://www.preloved.co.uk"]http://www.preloved.co.uk[/url]

Bit of Walnut?

[url="http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116299782/a-lovely-pre-war-walnut-piano.html?link=%2Fadverts%2Flist%3FpromotionType%3Dfree%26page%3D22"]http://www.preloved....ree%26page%3D22[/url]

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116212780/6-seater-dining-table.html?link=%2Fadverts%2Flist%3FpromotionType%3Dfree%26page%3D32

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116106128/good-solid-table-no-chairs-collection-only.html?link=%2Fadverts%2Flist%3FpromotionType%3Dfree%26page%3D38

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/116101503/42-inch-diameter-table.html?link=%2Fadverts%2Flist%3FpromotionType%3Dfree%26page%3D38

Edited March 25, 2017 by TheGreek

[SH73]

Cheers guys!

[Roland Rock]

Talk to Bob at Timeline http://www.exotichardwoods.co.uk

I've also had a peruse through Jon Shuker's stock for a couple of bits.

[timhiggins]

Exotic tree's

[MoonBassAlpha]

Exotic porn sites? Did you say "rash"?

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1490473762' post='3265437']
I found plenty on e bay, but where do you guys get exotic wood from for building a bass. I am after ash.
[/quote]

I'm on a similar hunt. It's not easy to work out where to get it from - 'american ash' could be any weight and more useful for baseball bats than instruments - and what I've found the postage costs are almost as much as the bit of wood!

[Dad3353]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1490490175' post='3265517']
Exotic tree's
[/quote]

Exotic tree's [i]what[/i], exactly..? Please finish your sentences.

[Grangur]

When looking at old furniture and pianos to salvage them for a good, solid body, look out for funding end-grain. For example, on a table look at the ends of the table top to see if you see end grain, or does the grain go sideways unexpectedly.

I say this because you don't want to find yourself cutting into a £90 "walnut" table only to find it's veneered ply or chip-board. For example, I've never seen end grain on a piano. I don't know about old pianos, but modern one's aren't likely to be solid wood unless they're made by some of the big names and cost accordingly.

[JoeEvans]

You could probably also look for people making hand-made furniture. A bit of wood big enough for a bass body would count as an off-cut to someone making tables.

[SH73]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1490676906' post='3266891']
When looking at old furniture and pianos to salvage them for a good, solid body, look out for funding end-grain. For example, on a table look at the ends of the table top to see if you see end grain, or does the grain go sideways unexpectedly.

I say this because you don't want to find yourself cutting into a £90 "walnut" table only to find it's veneered ply or chip-board. For example, I've never seen end grain on a piano. I don't know about old pianos, but modern one's aren't likely to be solid wood unless they're made by some of the big names and cost accordingly.
[/quote]
I've found some free pianos on internet
Some 90 years old. I presume these are solid wood. Lots of furniture advertised as walnut or mahogany but they always turn out to be veneer.

[Kiwi]

You can find luthier species in a lot of places, its incredibly important to make sure the stuff is dried properly or work may end up cupping, delaminating and/or twisting.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1490684568' post='3266923']

I've found some free pianos on internet
Some 90 years old. I presume these are solid wood. Lots of furniture advertised as walnut or mahogany but they always turn out to be veneer.
[/quote] we grew up with a beautiful mid Victorian piano in the house - wasn't ever in tune and nobody could play it- but that was all walnut vaneers - so I don't think you can use age as a guide

[SH73]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1490705188' post='3267189']
we grew up with a beautiful mid Victorian piano in the house - wasn't ever in tune and nobody could play it- but that was all walnut vaneers - so I don't think you can use age as a guide
[/quote]
Thanks for your advice. I thought old pianos were built from solid wood.

[JoeEvans]

I'm not sure that pianos would have blocks of wood big enough for a one-piece bass body anyway? I took one to pieces once and it was all beams and panels, presumably built to allow for the seasonal movement of the wood. A lot of it was also made of very lightweight spruce (or similar), I'm guessing for acoustic reasons, but again not good for making a bass body.

[Grangur]

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1490707221' post='3267217']

Thanks for your advice. I thought old pianos were built from solid wood.
[/quote]
Old pianos may be made of solid wood, but there's no knowing what species that might be. One thing you can be sure of is the veneer may be walnut, but the frame wood won't be. A piano's sound comes from the frame (usually metal) and the strings. There isn't much of a "tonewood" discussion in piano circles. So the wood covering is mainly aesthetics. So it won't be too solid.

[Grangur]

[quote name='JoeEvans' timestamp='1490707396' post='3267221']
I'm not sure that pianos would have blocks of wood big enough for a one-piece bass body anyway? I took one to pieces once and it was all beams and panels, presumably built to allow for the seasonal movement of the wood. A lot of it was also made of very lightweight spruce (or similar), I'm guessing for acoustic reasons, but again not good for making a bass body.
[/quote]

Back in the 60s there uses to be team piano smashing competitions at local events. There wasn't a lot of solid wood evident at those events.

Also, in TheGreek's post there was a link to an oval table with an curved edge and patchwork top. I'd expect that's not solid either.
In most of those situations the wood will either be too heavy (oak for example) or veneer. There might be a chance of getting some mahogany that way. But then it will probably be too thin.

[Happy Jack]

Technically speaking, you get exotic wood from a distant, foreign country. It follows that the more distant and foreign the country is, the more exotic their wood will be.

If you want ash, then you'd best import it from New Zealand. If you don't think NZ is sufficiently foreign, then try Borneo or somewhere.

[TheGreek]

The purpose of my posts have been to get people to think about alternative sources of wood. For instance, [i]when I were a lad[/i], school desk tops were solid wood as were park benches (Mahogany). The benches in our Science dept where also made of Mahogany.

Jezz (Jabba the Gut) blew our minds last year with his two basses which are apparently an old door and a shelf ([i]and he thinks we believe that) [/i]

Reclamation Yards must be full of old timbers but they know what it's worth..the trick is finding somewhere that doesn't. Know of any old buildings being pulled down? Schools and hospitals are a prime target, old churches and church halls might turn out to be a treasure trove of old timber.

Alternatively just type in "real/reclaimed wood" on ebay but follow Grangur's advice about checking the end grain.

My point is, there's probably some really nice timber sitting under your nose which will come to your attention the day after you've paid out so try a bit of lateral thinking and possibly save yourself a few bob which you can spend on parts instead.

Happy hunting fellas..

Edited March 28, 2017 by TheGreek

[Happy Jack]

Sitting under my nose right now is a simply gorgeous piece of melamine, the real stuff that is, none of yer formica-covered chipboard.

[TheGreek]

A quick look on ebay yielded these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gorgeous-Acacia-Wood-Coffee-Table/132137991346?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40656%26meid%3Dec4f3b0f9c2b465598a2da8512828b4e%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D252829252156