Where To Buy Lightweight Body Blanks In The UK?

Dan_C

Title says it all really, I'm looking to build a Music Master/Duo Sonic and I'd like to cut the body myself. Anyone have any recommendations for good quality lightweight body blanks I can purchase in the UK? 

Contrary to what I assume will be popular opinion Pine is ideal for me and this project so that's a major plus. Hardwoods are fine too but I want to build it cheap, and will be painting it a solid colour so ugly or non-desirable 'tonewoods' arent ruled out!

Thanks

Sporky

Poplar is light and cheap. Find a local timber yard...

WezV

Poplar, lime, meranti, plane, idigbo, Douglas fir

not all bits will be light, not all bits will be cheap in guitar body dimensions, but they all can be

Dan_C

Will look for a lumber yard, I'd assume there's a bit of work getting the wood to a good standard, so is anyone aware of any good place to buy planed body blanks? Thanks

lysander

I've recently placed an order online on timbersource, I think it came out to a bit less
than £20 for a meranti blank, and they had all the woods mentioned above.
Note that the max width is less than 200mm for most woods so you'll have to glue two halves at least.
I will let you know how it turns out once it arrives.

Bridgehouse

Obeche is light weight and not very expensive...

Dan_C

lysander said:

I've recently placed an order online on timbersource, I think it came out to a bit less
than £20 for a meranti blank, and they had all the woods mentioned above.
Note that the max width is less than 200mm for most woods so you'll have to glue two halves at least.
I will let you know how it turns out once it arrives.

Interested to hear how it turns out, and how much work you had to do with the timber before it was a full size body blank! 

powerhand

www.guitarbuild.co.uk/products/wood-blanks

No pine, but quite a few choices and all planed. 

lysander

I have received the wood, here we go, it's nicely planed, should just need a quick go on my  ( yet to be built... ) shooting board before gluing. This is meranti. It has a small ding but it should be easy to work around or I may try and steam it.


This piece has more interesting grain:



I also got some plain maple which I will try and bookmatch by hand resawing (wish me luck! ) to make tops.

WezV

The meranti does dent easily so you may need to steam a few out as you go along

lysander

Yeah it does seem reasonably soft. It is very light though. 

Dan_C

lysander said:

Yeah it does seem reasonably soft. It is very light though. 

... How light...Ha!

webrthomson

As always ebay is your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Body-Blanks-Ash-Tulipwood-Sapele-Meranti-2-3-PIECE-UNGLUED/182130871205

Dan_C

Dan_C said:

lysander said:

Yeah it does seem reasonably soft. It is very light though. 

... How light...Ha!

@lysander, Did you weigh it at all?

webrthomson said: As always ebay is your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Body-Blanks-Ash-Tulipwood-Sapele-Meranti-2-3-PIECE-UNGLUED/182130871205

Tried to contact these guys, to check what the actual blanks are like, but had no response. I'll try again, it is a good deal!

lysander

@Dan_C not yet, I intend to glue it soon, will weigh it then.

Dan_C

@lysander Cool, keep us all posted! Never heard of Meranti before, but I'm interested to see what you do with it!

WezV

Dan_C said:

Dan_C said:

lysander said:

Yeah it does seem reasonably soft. It is very light though. 

... How light...Ha!

@lysander, Did you weigh it at all?

webrthomson said:

As always ebay is your friend:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Body-Blanks-Ash-Tulipwood-Sapele-Meranti-2-3-PIECE-UNGLUED/182130871205

Tried to contact these guys, to check what the actual blanks are like, but had no response. I'll try again, it is a good deal! I was really happy with the stuff I got from them, good bits of wood, nicely prepped.

i have had meranti and idigbo body wood from them