wood advice

[pshupe]

My father's friend has come into some wood and I was wondering the best uses for some of it? It is white ash and apparently he has rough sawn boards that are about 2" thick x20" wide by numbers of feet long. Apparently he has a bunch of this and it has been stored dry in a barn for the last 20 yrs or so.

Now, is this type of wood only good for tops or can it be used for necks and bodies as well? I also have a friend who has cut down a large cherry tree, so I would have the same question about Cherry?

Now if these woods are only good for tops and/or necks I would like to source some local wood for bodies as well. I live close to Toronto, Canada. What would be a good more local wood to use for bodies to match with these hardwoods? Thanks for any insight in this matter.

Cheers Peter.

PS - another reason for using this wood is that it would be about 10% of the price of the typical mahogany/ maple combo and seeing as these will be my first builds I would generally love to practice on the cheaper variety. Thanks again.

 

[C Squared]

I wouldn't trust ash for a neck unless it was a multi-piece laminate. Would be great for a body.

 

[bruce bennett]

While I've seen ash used as a neck. I feel its a better body wood. but it will work as a neck..
and Seagull guitars uses Cherry all the time for its acoustic guitars. it will also work for a neck fine.

 

[pshupe]

Thanks guys - So I could use it for a LP replica build for the body as well as top? I don't mind using mahogany for the neck as the smaller pieces are fairly inexpensive. I would definitely be chambering the body to make it lighter. I might even consider doing a 3 piece body with carved back and top with a chambered middle piece, or an ash body with a cherry top. I guess there are lots of options there. Thanks a lot for the tips.

Regards Peter.

 

[shorty85]

Ash is an excellent body wood. I'd say that if the price is right, get some.

On that note, I wouldn't mind buying a body blank or two off him if he has extra that he is willing to sell. I've been wanting to build a Tele, so let me know if he's interested.

Daniel.

 

[pshupe]

Yeah - No problem Shorty - I'm sure it will be much cheaper than the usual wood from a retailer. I will speak with my dad and see how much he can get. My dad has gotten right into this buying all kinds of new tools. He even bought a new 20" wide thickness planer! So I know he'll want to be using this stuff and also it means we can mill pretty much anything we need. He also has contacts at the local mills in his area and knows lots of guys with wood lots as well.

I'll keep you posted.

Cheers Peter.

 

[Archer]

Do you like Telecasters or Stratocasters? If you do you're in luck. Never heard of an ash LP though.

 

[ihavenofish]

Do you like Telecasters or Stratocasters? If you do you're in luck. Never heard of an ash LP though.

gibson has been making ash bodied LP's for many many years.

 

[emoney]

I was just about to post this;
Gibson.com: Gibson Les Paul Studio Swamp Ash
but looks like I was "beat to the punch"

 

[pshupe]

Thanks guys - I do like strats also and may go that route with future builds but my ash LP will be a practice guitar, not meaning playing, but building.

Cheers Peter.

 

[fatdaddypreacher]

pshupe, seems as though you have some good counsel, but i just want to put my 2c's in. what ever you use, be sure it has been properly dried. keep us posted, and whatever you do, do a thread. have fun and be careful

 

[evolved_insanity]

Hey Peter,

Its funny that your dad caught the bug. He seemed only mildly interested the first time I met him. lol. If you need to check moisture and dont have a meter, bring a piece by the shop and i'll check it for you. Good luck man. Ash looks and sounds great.

 

[pshupe]

fatdaddypreacher - thanks for the tip. My dad has said the guy has had it stacked properly in his barn for the last 15 yrs or so.

Hey Jon - Yeah - he's caught the bug alright. He's always been a really good finish carpenter. He's been fully retired for about a year now and I think I just hit him at the right time and he had a bit of an epiphany. Thanks for the offer. I might just take you up on that. He will probably be coing down in a few weeks to pick up some Walnut that a friend of mine just cut down on his property and we'll be visiting Rich wen he comes down as well. He's really smoking along on his builds and they look awesome. TTYL Cheers Peter.