Is NZ producing any blanks?

Self built and self assembly ;)

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

Gitar
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 138
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:37 am
Has liked: 22 times
Been liked: 12 times

Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Gitar »

Just curious if so where is the best place in NZ to shop for body blanks?

Delayman
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 3091
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 1:35 pm
Has liked: 48 times
Been liked: 227 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Delayman »

I came here to talk about my little procedure, but wrong thread.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
Lawrence wrote: Every orchestra that comes thru here is a covers band as are most of the jazz bands...

Gitar
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:37 am
Has liked: 22 times
Been liked: 12 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Gitar »

Delayman wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 3:34 pm I came here to talk about my little procedure, but wrong thread.
Dont be shy, a little nip and a tuck here and there and it will look like a new one ;-p

No worries bruv :-)

Back to body blanks, Ive seen European Spruce on Ebay, so is NZ producing affordable Pine Blanks? I guess its not hard to source Pine. But clearly an art to the join for aesthetic reasons.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2891
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1066 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by NippleWrestler »

Head to a timber yard. The only difference between a body blank and decking is marketing. All my guitar timber comes from regular timber yards.

Lostininverness
Gibson
Posts: 806
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2015 11:11 am
Has liked: 499 times
Been liked: 136 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Lostininverness »

As long as you appreciate not all "pine" is created equal. Stuff grown here is usually a lot less dense than many species grown in the colder climates of e.g. North America due to it growing a lot quicker. But agree, head to your nearest timber suppliers and see what they have.

ChAoZ
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:38 pm
Location: Ashhurst
Has liked: 80 times
Been liked: 291 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by ChAoZ »

Where in NZ are you???

Gitar
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:37 am
Has liked: 22 times
Been liked: 12 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Gitar »

ChAoZ wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:58 pm Where in NZ are you???
Currently north of Aucks.

When looking at Pine for blanks, at what point do you know the wood has dried out enough to be used as a guitar blank ?

I dont know why but I consider Pine a better wood than Poplar which at the moment is popular ;-p. Maybe because Poplar just burns like its paper where pine makes a much better fire stack etc.

There seems to be some cheaper Poplar blanks on Ebay. I so wish we had Ebay and not Trademe, how hard would it be to revolt? I miss having Ebay as the default to buy and sell anything.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2891
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1066 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by NippleWrestler »

Our pine is not the same as USA or European pine where the growth rings are closer together and the wood is stronger.

You can get poplar from a bunch of places domestically as it grows here, it just might be called something else like tulipwood.

Give TimSpec a call if you need something specific. They ship if you're not local. I've also had good luck at Rosenfeld Kidson, another timber dealer.

Gitar
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:37 am
Has liked: 22 times
Been liked: 12 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Gitar »

NippleWrestler wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 3:37 pm Our pine is not the same as USA or European pine where the growth rings are closer together and the wood is stronger.

You can get poplar from a bunch of places domestically as it grows here, it just might be called something else like tulipwood.

Give TimSpec a call if you need something specific. They ship if you're not local. I've also had good luck at Rosenfeld Kidson, another timber dealer.
Will they sell me short lengths, clearly Id want value for money so at least a few blanks, I need to glue 3 sides regardless.

Im still not sure about when the wood is dry enough for use?

Also Id like to get a pre cut full length maple neck to do a neck through at some stage. I might look for something like ash for that project though.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2891
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1066 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by NippleWrestler »

Gitar wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:14 pm
NippleWrestler wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 3:37 pm Our pine is not the same as USA or European pine where the growth rings are closer together and the wood is stronger.

You can get poplar from a bunch of places domestically as it grows here, it just might be called something else like tulipwood.

Give TimSpec a call if you need something specific. They ship if you're not local. I've also had good luck at Rosenfeld Kidson, another timber dealer.
Will they sell me short lengths, clearly Id want value for money so at least a few blanks, I need to glue 3 sides regardless.

Im still not sure about when the wood is dry enough for use?

Also Id like to get a pre cut full length maple neck to do a neck through at some stage. I might look for something like ash for that project though.
Sometimes... Timspec by their own policy only sells entire planks, but they've sold me 500mm lengths plenty of times.

You'd need to ask your local timber supplier how they do things.

Hardwood will be kiln dried meaning it's taken down to around ~4% moisture content. Then it gets back to around 10-12% in its own time but siffuce to say if it's for sale in a timber yard and isn't listed as green, it'll be ready to go. It's not in their interests to sell timber that can't be used for 3 years.

But again, ask them. It's their job.

A maple plank would be easy to get. Most likely you'd need to get something wider and rip it down to the width you want.

User avatar
blackstratblues
Gibson
Posts: 715
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:34 pm
Location: West Auckland
Has liked: 412 times
Been liked: 487 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by blackstratblues »

Anyone selling Baltic birch ply in NZ? I suppose with the Russia sanctions it would be harder to come by?

User avatar
Bg
Site Admin
Posts: 43189
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:13 am
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 2255 times
Been liked: 3873 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Bg »

blackstratblues wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:02 pm Anyone selling Baltic birch ply in NZ? I suppose with the Russia sanctions it would be harder to come by?
Plyman will have something equivalent, you really want void free ply it doesn't matter which country or sea it comes from ;)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

User avatar
Bg
Site Admin
Posts: 43189
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:13 am
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 2255 times
Been liked: 3873 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Bg »

Bg wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:17 pm
blackstratblues wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 6:02 pm Anyone selling Baltic birch ply in NZ? I suppose with the Russia sanctions it would be harder to come by?
Plyman will have something equivalent, you really want void free ply it doesn't matter which country or sea it comes from ;)
Oh and the glue in either gives the same tone!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40893
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7692 times
Been liked: 4159 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by jeremyb »

I’m definitely producing blanks after I got the snip years ago.
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

Gitar
Ashton
Ashton
Posts: 138
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:37 am
Has liked: 22 times
Been liked: 12 times

Re: Is NZ producing any blanks?

Post by Gitar »

NippleWrestler wrote: Tue Sep 06, 2022 4:22 pm
A maple plank would be easy to get. Most likely you'd need to get something wider and rip it down to the width you want.
Good info man. Just on the above comment, is that in reference to me wanting to try a maple neck through? Are you suggesting building the entire guitar from a maple cut? (sorry if I got that wrong, is easy to misread stuff when its just text etc)

Post Reply