Resaw help needed

Resaw help needed · 10-25-2009, 09:28 PM

I'm bidding on a piece of maple on eBay which, if I win, I want to resaw. Problem is, the piece is about 9" wide and my little Griz can only resaw 6" max, and it complains about that. Can anyone in the Raleigh area help with this? I'm hoping to upgrade my saw, so I'd also love to learn from any resaw experts out there. Thanks!

Travis Porter · 10-26-2009, 12:07 AM

I'm not an expert, but I do have a saw capable of resawing it. I don't think my saw will complain about it.

I live in Northern Wake County.

merrill77 · 10-26-2009, 12:47 AM

My bandsaw has 10" resaw. I've been played with resawing a few times since I got it in Feb and have had reasonably good results. But so far have I not attempted anything over 4-5". I'd be happy to help you out...though I would suggest bringing some 9" wide scraps to practice on. :>

Dan Bowman · 10-26-2009, 08:33 AM

Travis and Chris - thanks! The auction isn't over yet, but if I win, I'll be in touch.

Dan Bowman · 10-28-2009, 08:08 AM

The maple went for a bit more than I could pay, LOL: http://cgi.ebay.com/AAAAA-Quilted-Ma...item35a45a101a

thanks again for your willingness to help

CarvedTones · 10-28-2009, 04:00 PM

Am I doing my math right? I am coming up with well over $100/BFT. It is pretty wood, but...

Travis Porter · 10-28-2009, 05:39 PM

$315!!!!!!!!!!

No way would I pay that much for ONE board.

gfernandez · 10-28-2009, 05:59 PM

Maybe it's the wood equivalent of kobe steak?

Mt. Gomer · 10-28-2009, 11:58 PM

Yeah, but when you're talking tonewoods for guitars or special tops for solidbody guitars the prices just go up and up. I can't tell you why, just that they do....

CarvedTones · 10-29-2009, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by montgotj

Yeah, but when you're talking tonewoods for guitars or special tops for solidbody guitars the prices just go up and up. I can't tell you why, just that they do....

I actually do understand. At one point I was sure I wanted to be a luthier building mandolins. I built a couple of stinkers and one I was happy with, meaning it was about as good as the mass produced low end ones, and gained an understanding about how hard it is to make really exceptional ones. In the process, I talked and/or e-chatted with some very good builders on a few forums (the builders' forum at MandolinCafe is the top spot for good inf from actual experts, IMO) and one of the builders offered some advice in a discussion about raising prices as you got better that was along the lines of (praraphrasing) "at some point, you will realize that you need to pay more for your wood, as in 5 to 10 times as much, to get then to look a little better". His point was that you can buy some high quality wood that is just a step below that for a whole lot less. I don't mean junk, I mean flawless flamed maple that will run you $10 - $20 per BFT. But if you go into a high end music store you will see the walls lined with instruments using wood of that quality costing around a grand; some less some more. In a back room or glass case, they will have a few costing over $20k and they will use wood like that. Not always; some are purposefully plain. But if you are going to feature grain and ask high dollar. Another point he was making is that some people (I am one) have a hard time with that and it could hold them back if they reach the point where it will make the difference.

Mt. Gomer · 10-29-2009, 11:56 AM

I agree completely. I don't go into the back room of those guitar shops very often. I will admit that top of the line Taylor, Martin, Gibson, (insert custom guitar builder here) sounds better than my $300 Samick. But my Samick has solid rosewood back and sides, solid cedar top, maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. It was made in Indonesia so I've bput about $50 into it along with many hours of my own time tweaking it (new saddle, setup, bridge pins, etc) When it's played by someone who knows what they're doing (definitely not me) it sounds amazing. It would take a very discriminating ear to tell that it wasn't an expensive, name brand guitar. It's definitely not a $3000 difference....

Tops for solidbodies are even more confusing to me as for the the differnece between the two grades of flamed maple (or whatever) will have no affect on the sound of the guitar at all.......

CarvedTones · 10-29-2009, 12:16 PM

Hah! I dare you to post that last statement at MIMF. You probably would not have to start a thread; there is always an argument about that going on.

I bought a Fullerton Gloucester dirt cheap when Musicians Friend was bought out. The site is still around and bustling, but when they were bought out they killed their house brand, which was Fullerton. The Gloucester was a knock off of the Gibson F9. I used a dental mirror and a scraper made by flattening and sharpening the end of a coat hanger to remove all the glue squeeze outs and fuzz (tiny bits of sawdust and shavings are all over the place in factory built instruments). I made a "Murphy Method" bridge using the instructions from Red Henry (Google is your friend), hand carving the slots for perfect intonation. I adjusted the neck and frets for really good action without buzzing. I don't play all that well, but others who do tell me I have it pretty darn close to a real F9. But as far as value goes, I probably made a $300 mandolin into a $400 one...

Mt. Gomer · 10-29-2009, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by CarvedTones

when Musicians Friend was bought out....

That was a sad day, and worse when I realized it was @#$#!@# Guitar Center that bought them..... Not long after they put my local music store out of business.