Materials
Having done some research, my
choices of lumber were quickly narrowed to the popular varieties of wood used to construct electric guitars, maple, ash, poplar or alder. Stupidly, I went with the ash (more on this
later, but between the density of the wood and the size of the grain pores, it
was not the best choice for a first time guitar project).
Amongst many considerations, some emphasize the type of wood for its resonance properties (tone) and the sustain of a plucked string. I was obviously hoping for great tone and sustain, but I also wanted an appealing grain pattern as I would not be painting the body. The coloring (more as in hue or shade) is important as well, since lighter wood will take and respond to dye coloring better than wood that has a tan or yellow or brownish hue. The ash I selected had a good balance of grain and only a little color.
Cost was a consideration, although most of these wood types fall within a similar range. Scrap pieces are also commonly available at most lumber yards and can be had for a bit cheaper. I was able to select any plank I chose as long as whatever got cut left 6' or more for resale. It was roughly $15 for ~3' of the ash.
A trick I came up with in selecting a plank was to take photographs of the ones that I liked. I created a telecaster body outline electronically and could overlay this on the photos of the wood planks (and 'see through' the body) to align grain patterns in various ways searching for something interesting and balanced.
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| (fyi, the writing was on phone screen using a finger) |
Amongst many considerations, some emphasize the type of wood for its resonance properties (tone) and the sustain of a plucked string. I was obviously hoping for great tone and sustain, but I also wanted an appealing grain pattern as I would not be painting the body. The coloring (more as in hue or shade) is important as well, since lighter wood will take and respond to dye coloring better than wood that has a tan or yellow or brownish hue. The ash I selected had a good balance of grain and only a little color.
Cost was a consideration, although most of these wood types fall within a similar range. Scrap pieces are also commonly available at most lumber yards and can be had for a bit cheaper. I was able to select any plank I chose as long as whatever got cut left 6' or more for resale. It was roughly $15 for ~3' of the ash.
A trick I came up with in selecting a plank was to take photographs of the ones that I liked. I created a telecaster body outline electronically and could overlay this on the photos of the wood planks (and 'see through' the body) to align grain patterns in various ways searching for something interesting and balanced.
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