1/4" strips

[rjgoos]

What would be an off-the-shelf source for hardwood strips, 1/4" thick x (3/4" to 1") wide x 3-4 feet long?

I am thinking of trying my hand at wood for this winter's construction project, but I want to use as MUCH off-the-hardware-store-shelf materials as possible, to minimize the need for power tools.

Is there some sort of off-the-shelf millwork that would fall under the above dimensions?

Thanks,

Jay

[jocafa]

I've found 1/4" x 1" x 4' (and similar dimensions) of oak at Home Depot and Lowes. They laminate together pretty well. If you're going that route, be sure to have lots of weight and do it on a FLAT surface.

[rjgoos]

Hmm...I thought I knew the layout of our local Lowe's and Home Depot pretty well, but obviously not, as I haven't seen this dimension there. I'll have to go on a scouting mission...


Jay

[jocafa]

The stuff that I found wasn't standing upright like I assumed they would be -- instead they were laying flat in a section of little "cubby holes". I didn't think they were as long as they are until I pulled one out and was pleasantly surprised.

[GaryOpenhill]

Thats interesting Jay.
I'm thinking about making a very simple instrument out of some fantastic oak pieces i get form a local supplier. They are orignally meant for woodparts on ships, but are perfect for tappers, since they are already dried and have NO flaws in them, perfectly straight and even sanded down to a very smooth surface.
I want to try to see what it feels like with a very thick neck on a tapper. One fretless version i already build have this kind of thick neck, and i really like it. It seems that it can be wonderful for uncrossed playing, since the thumb will be placed in a more firm way some distance away from the other fingers, and then the hand will not be so crunched playing on the outer strings.

I want to carve the whole thing out of one of these oak pieces, and leave the neck to be about 4 cm thick. It will be a 12 string, and i will use a pair of EMG tele front, wich i think sound amazing (if i understand it right, these are the once the NS st*ick have).
Since this is supposed to be a fast experimental project, im hoping i can leave out laminating and trussords! I want to just carve the WHOLE thing out of one piece, put everything directly onto the oak, even glue frets directly on. AS a matter of fact, the only glue that will be used is for the frets, and a some for the nut. No where will wood be glued onto wood. If im not mistaken, this piece wont twist or bend easily---its oak and its thick---- so my guess is that it will work.

What do you think? will it work, or is it a STUPID idea? (i know the isntrument wil be heavy. Not a great concern since i plan to play it sitting down)

ALso, am i not right in thinking that soundwise it must be best to use one single piece of wood?

Hope some of you experienced and not-so-experiensed builders can state your opinion.

(Jay, hmmm.....sorry for highjacking your thread, but it felt appropiate here.... :) Hopefulle theres room for two themes in one thread.)

[rjgoos]

A recon mission is definitely called for. I know where these cubby holes are at Lowe's.


Jay

[rjgoos]

Gary,

Enjoying a hobby that stimulates the mind is never stupid. Watching TV for three hours per night is stupid.

I am thinking more along the lines of Mr. Chapman's Prototype 2, a single rectangular unit, with reinforcement laminated inside of the neck, with pickups suspended over the strings. Since I have minimal wood-working experience, I had better start with the simplest design possible, looks be damned.


Jay

[jocafa]

I forgot that I uploaded some pictures to Flickr when I was going down this route... This is what I was referring to and what they look like when laminated:

http://flickr.com/photos/jocafa/161228287/

[GaryOpenhill]

Originally posted by rjgoos
Gary,

Enjoying a hobby that stimulates the mind is never stupid. Watching TV for three hours per night is stupid.

I am thinking more along the lines of Mr. Chapman's Prototype 2, a single rectangular unit, with reinforcement laminated inside of the neck, with pickups suspended over the strings. Since I have minimal wood-working experience, I had better start with the simplest design possible, looks be damned.


Jay

Pickup over the string eh? Do you plan to use a metal rig of some sort or from wood? Didn't someone here post something about how a metal rig can affect the magnetic field and the sound in a cool way?

I hear you about the design. If i'll use pickups over the strings too, with the thick neck and all, and also im thinking about attaching a nicely bent iron rig for the tuners i'm basicly left with a plank with some stuff on it! Nothing to be ashamed of, since nowadays we can call it "minimalism" and be all fancy and all.
Btw, the tunerhead i'm contemplating, i saw stanley jordan on tv play a guitar with something like that, and it looks much like this thingy: http://www.danielbrauchli.com/slide%20guitar.html except its a metalplate bent into shape so its thinner.
Isn't that the best way to have the tuners, really?

"The plank" --- we must trademark that one.

[traktor]

Originally posted by GaryOpenhill
"The plank" --- we must trademark that one. May be too late. Dave Bunker had an instrument which was named either 'The Plank' or 'The Board', which was a bodiless design. That was some years before Mr. Chapman's 'The Stick.'

However, I'll bet 'The Surfboard', 'The Fencepost', and 'The Hunk of Wood' are probably still available. (Doubtless for good reason.)

[Rayzcane]

Les Paul had the "Log":

http://invention.smithsonian.org/centerpieces/guitars/noframes/eg08.htm

http://www.jinxmagazine.com/les_paul.html

Maybe we could have one assembled in Mexico and call it:

"El Steek" :)

Ray

[rjgoos]

Traktor wrote:

>May be too late. Dave Bunker had an instrument which was named either 'The Plank' or 'The Board', which was a bodiless design.<


I have never seen a picture or drawing of this. Do you have one, or can you point us to one?

Jay

[BigDaddyPoo]

http://www.bunker-guitars.com/touch.html

Very unique instrument.

[traktor]

Originally posted by rjgoos
Traktor wrote:
>May be too late. Dave Bunker had an instrument which was named either 'The Plank' or 'The Board', which was a bodiless design.<

I have never seen a picture or drawing of this. Do you have one, or can you point us to one?
Jay Dave told me about this verbally on the phone some years ago, and I may or may not be remembering it correctly.

And this may or may not be the same as 'The Wedge',
US Patent # 4,201,108 (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=4,201,108.PN.&OS=PN/4,201,108&RS=PN/4,201,108) (Bunker, David D.), from May 6, 1980.