Re-visiting wood selection for necks

[Dave Bagwill]

Prices for wood are getting outrageous. I'm really thinking about alternatives to the traditional woods.

In general, my question is this: is a laminate neck (three 1" layers) of less desirable woods - say for instance, two outside layers of Alder, with an inner layer of Poplar - just as good structurally as all Mahogany, or maple or whatever?

[peter havriluk]

I bought a thick plank of quartersawn mahogany at a high-end wood vendor, paid forty bucks, got six necks. A couple hours with the table saw and planer/jointer and I have a lifetime supply of nice necks for seven dollars each. Trick is to stay away from 'guitar wood' vendors.

[Dave Bagwill]

But Peter - that can't be PROFESSIONAL wood if it did not come from a luthier's supply!!
Oh wait....sure it can. It's the same wood. I had not thought of that, too trained to think LMII or Stewmac.
Thanks my man!!

[bftobin]

I recall Irvine Sloane(?) recommending cherry for a 12 string neck, it should be good for a steel string. Sapele makes a great neck according to Mario Proulx. Both are half the price of Honduras Mahogany where I am. Maple works too if weight is not a factor. My local wood dealer sometimes has African Mahogany 1X4-5 shorts at a good price.
Actually, I remember Sergei DeYonge made an all spruce guitar. A little carbon fiber and an adjustable truss rod worked just fine. I know some Flamenco builders have used Port Oxford Cedar.
When I lived in Jamaica, I grabbed a bunch of shelves from when my mother-in-law was having her kitchen redone. They turned out to be 1" Spanish Cedar, and were probably +30 years old. I went back to get more the next day and found the workers had burned the rest !!! I still have some I brought back with me.

Brent

[Hans Mattes]

Check out Hibdon Hardwood ( https://www.hibdonhardwood.com/collecti ... eck-blanks ). I've bought over a dozen neck blanks from them. All were good.

[Dave Bagwill]

Thanks for the tips, people. I have bought other wood from Hibdon but the shipping costs were so high it almost wasn't worth it. I will take a look again at their selection! And the shipping costs are not unique to Hibdon. I may have mentioned that I wanted to buy a special glue from a business back East; the glue was $8.00 and the shipping was $21, for ground. I called the business and begged them to just drop the little plastic bottle into an envelope and mail it to me for $5.00 and they would NOT do it. Crazy.

[Kevin in California]

African mahogany makes a great neck too. Kaya I think it's also called. I made a couple using it.
I found a plank at a local wood store.