Mandolin tonewood sets

[stevesrustyone]

I am in need of Tonewood sold as a matched set for mandolin
build. Who are the Best of the Best that does this? I know of Standard suppliers such as Stew/Mac and LMI. I am just not happy with what they offer. Any posted links would be appreciated.

Keep on Pickin'

Thanks,

Stevesrustyone

[GD Armstrong]

Bruce Harvey - Orcas Island Tonewoods Orcas Island Tonewoods he posts here as "Spruce". Let him know what you're looking for & he'll pick it out for you. Great wood, great guy!

[Bill Snyder]

I am curious what is wrong with LMI's offering? It would appear to be a nice set looking at their catalog.

[John Flynn]

I know that Gilchrist and Bussman have said they like Old Standard in Fulton, MO.

[martinedwards]

I get mine from the dumpster at the back of a major shopfitters company near me.......:p

REALLY!!

Bob C, the Zoot man

[RevJB]

Hmm this makes me pause... I was looking at LMI's big leaf maple kit w/ back, sides & neck blank, good flame, and 1st grade Spruce top for my first scratch build...

[Hans]

There is nothing wrong with LMI or Stew-Mac wood. It's what you do with it that counts. Bruce Harvey has some very fine tonewood as does International Violin. A builder will usually get wood from many sources as there is no one supplier of all the different tonewoods.

[Spruce]

"Who are the Best of the Best that does this?"

What species¿¿¿

European or domestic¿¿

If domestic, Left Coast or Right¿¿

Every supplier has their specialties, along with strengths and weaknesses, so it would really help if you narrowed it down a bit as to what you're looking for...

Oh, and a few of the "Best of the Best" suppliers save their "Best of the Best" wood for the "Best of the Best" builders... #

[arbarnhart]

Oh, and a few of the "Best of the Best" suppliers save their "Best of the Best" wood for the "Best of the Best" builders... #

Then he sends me the pallet from underneath it to make folk instruments out of... # #

[Jeff Hildreth]

Try Roger Siminoff as well as the others mentioned

[billhay4]

Spruce is dead on. I would add that a really experienced luthier wants to hold and tap and flex and smell wood before he or she chooses it for an instrument. You cannot hand responsibility for selecting tonewood over to a wood dealer. At first, you may have to rely on dealers, but at some point you have to learn what kind of wood you want and how to recognize it when you see it.
Bill

[thistle3585]

"Who are the Best of the Best that does this?"

What species¿¿¿

European or domestic¿¿

If domestic, Left Coast or Right¿¿

Every supplier has their specialties, along with strengths and weaknesses, so it would really help if you narrowed it down a bit as to what you're looking for...

Oh, and a few of the "Best of the Best" suppliers save their "Best of the Best" wood for the "Best of the Best" builders...

So, what are your weaknesses Spruce?

[stevesrustyone]

I am not a big fan of Big Leaf Maple. I guess I am going to Europe for the Best of the Best.

Thanks for Information and the Insults.

[billhay4]

Steve,
I looked back over the posts and didn't see any insults at all.
However, I do detect a defensive attitude. People here on the Cafe usually try to help and I think they did in this case.
Maybe your original question, not their responses, created the problem in that it was vague, elitist, and challenging instead of an attempt to solicit real help.
Maybe...
Bill

[markishandsome]

I am not a big fan of Big Leaf Maple. I guess I am going to Europe for the Best of the Best.

I don't understand. Old Standard also sells Red and Sugar maple. From their website:

"Finding the best wood is as easy or difficult as finding the best wood supplier. Thanks Old Standard Wood, for the best maple and spruce and the best service." Steve Gilchrist

If you can't be bothered to perform even a rudimentary google search on your own, I don't see why you're so offended that you got some slightly condescending responses. I'd take it as more of a reality check than an insult.

[Spruce]

"So, what are your weaknesses Spruce?"

Domestic Eastern woods. #
I used to have a mill on the East Coast in the early 90´s milling Red Spruce and Red Maple, but gave it up later that decade...
Too much travelling....

Also European for the same reason.

Actually generally speaking, the best place to get high quality woods is from mills working the area where the species you are after grow....
The live on-site, and see the best logs rollin´ by when they show up...

[Hans]

It merits repeating: There is no "Best of the best of the best, sir!" (Will Smith, MIB). It's what you do with the wood. A builder can make some pretty outrageous mandolins with some very plain wood. Going to Europe is fine (try SVS or Gleissner), but you won't find red, Sitka, Englemann, or cedars; you won't find red, sugar, bigleaf (I know... you don't like it), or silver maples. None of the maples are likely to be flatsawn either. That's going to severely limit the tonal qualities of your completed instrument. Properly built, Euro spruce and quartered Euro maple make a great mandolin, but likely bluegrass folk won't care for it.
Good luck.