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where's the wood

 
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Fiddlegem
Junior Member


Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Bessemer Alabama

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 3:22 pm    Post subject: where's the wood Reply with quote

Hey all you great artists,thanks for all the help i have received from this forum.
In alabama good tone wood is hard to find and shipping,costs more than the wood when i order out of state.
So vacation is coming up i would like to vacation in a state where i can see the wood first hand.
I know where the wood grows but my question is could any of you recomend a town and state where i can enjoy myself with the wood, i want to smell it being sawed.
in case your wondering why the typing is so bad, my nine year old grand daughter did it for me,she is better than i am, however, she plays a mean fiddle thanks for all your help
-Jim Hadaway-Fiddlegem Very Happy
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JIM HADAWAY
Bessemer Alabama
Junior member
To carve the perfect acoustic Fiddle.????????????.
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MANFIO
Super Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 458
Location: Sao Paulo

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi! The idea of selecting your green wood is romantic, but perhaps too romantic...

First you will have to let the wood dry for some years and prevent fungus, cracking, coloration or discoloration, etc. I think getting wood directly from a good suplier, such as Orcas (Bruce Harvey) is better. You don't need top wood for your first violin.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/7875988@N02/with/464604020/
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Fiddlegem
Junior Member


Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Bessemer Alabama

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Manfio, for your imput. Maybe you're right. I didn't think about the romantic part.
The first fiddle I hand carved I called the Johnny Cash Cadillac because it had so many odd woods- Oak neck,Douglas fir Belly,Poplar back and ribs,Maple lining and whatever else scrap I could find.
I started out putting kits together. The only real trouble I had was finishing them to suit my wife. Can you teach an old dog new tricks ? YES,YES,YES.I am now working on the perfect acoustic fiddle. Any help on a quick and easy recipe for the finish? How did they sound you may ask? Like angels singing in my ears. I gave the first five away and I have four left,but I'm still trying
Thank you for responding. I have a large black walnut in my back yard that is beginning to look good. How many years will it take to cure?fiddlegem
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JIM HADAWAY
Bessemer Alabama
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To carve the perfect acoustic Fiddle.????????????.
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DonLeister
Moderator


Joined: 29 Mar 2007
Posts: 383
Location: Richmond, VA

PostPosted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jim,
Try Howard Core, they are in Alabama, northeast I think. They are friendly and have some very good wood, maple and spruce from europe.
You may want to give them a call ahead to arrange visit.
Regards,
Don Leister
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Chet Bishop
Super Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fiddlegem;

I don't know how far you want to go on a vacation, but Shady Cove, Oregon is where Tepper Tonewoods is. John Tepper is the owner, and his mill and warehouses are side by side-- you can get twenty-year-old maple and spruce, and watch his giant bandsaw mill slice through maple cello billets as though they were butter.

He mostly has bigleaf maple and Engleman spruce--some sitka as well. But there are many closer sources, as those which have been mentioned above. On the other hand, it's a nice drive from Alabama to Oregon. Smile

Just bring a utility trailer so you can haul enough wood to make the trip worthwhile.
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Fiddlegem
Junior Member


Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Bessemer Alabama

PostPosted: Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank's Chet for your help,I've always wanted to see the great State of Oregon and their timber.This may be the year.JIM
Thanks Don, I have located Howard Core Co,In Anniston AL,He is about sixty miles north of me, Why did'nt I know that ? DUH. I will see them soon.Thanks for taking time to help us who love this craft, wish I had started Fifty years ago,I saw your profiles, you all do beauutiful work.
JIM Fiddlegem.
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JIM HADAWAY
Bessemer Alabama
Junior member
To carve the perfect acoustic Fiddle.????????????.
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Jeremiah
Junior Member


Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 14
Location: Montana

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet Bishop wrote:
Shady Cove, Oregon is where Tepper Tonewoods is. John Tepper is the owner,..


Sometimes I get the urge to use "lesser" quality wood in an instrument... My latest violin will have bigleaf maple from Tepper Tonewoods which I've had for probably close to 10 years now. This particular maple I have is not great... and the spruce I'll use will be some of the funky 50-grains-per-inch engelmann I harvested... but the last violin I made with these not-so-great woods got sold when someone fell in love with the sound so I thought I'd make a replacement! Then maybe I'll get using some of my Rivolta wood or something.

Jeremiah
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Chet Bishop
Super Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 678
Location: Forest Grove, Oregon

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey, Jeremiah!

Welcome back!

The last one of yours I saw looked terrific! I pinned up the picture you sent for inspiration.

Chet
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tonewoods
Junior Member


Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 2
Location: Orcas Island, Washington

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Fiddlegem...

"Tonewood Tourism", eh?

Try Maine for Red Maple and Red Spruce...

The Washington coast is a good tour for Bigleaf Maple and Sitka Spruce...

As for me, I'm looking at a trip to China to check out the woods over there...

Luck!
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Jeremiah
Junior Member


Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 14
Location: Montana

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Chet Bishop wrote:
Hey, Jeremiah!

Welcome back!
Chet


Thanks Chet! I have two violins nearing completion right now, one with domestic wood and the other with European. In a month or two I should have pictures of them up on my site.

Jeremiah
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mapleleaf_gal
Member


Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 73
Location: tucson, az

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

there are these guys in fulton, mo named "old standard" that have a great selection. they are also very nice to deal with.
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