Guitars in NYC

[needsmorecowbel]

Hey guys does anyone know of some guitar builders in New York (Manhattan/ Brooklyn). I am currently visiting the states and wanted to check out some workshops/ stores. I'm definitely going to check out Ludlow guitars, Matt Umanov etc but haven't come across much in the way of people building their own instruments except for this dude who has a cool headstock shape:

www.peekamoose.com

Stu

[christian]

Stu I was there over Christmas, You have to go to Rudy's in Time Square Iconic store !!
if you can Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island is amazing
there are many little shops around too.
Have a great Time!!!

Cheers,

Christian.

[Mark Fogleman]

If you have money to exchange, this store has an excellent Handtool and supply selection (but don't expect a huge showroom): http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/ You'll need to go to Brooklyn. Some of his Grammercy house brand tools are excellent. The rasps, rasp-file handles and paint brushes stand out in my shop. He also carries a good selection of Shellac and Hide Glues. The transparent Hide Glue works great for repairs.

[kiwigeo]

If you have money to exchange, this store has an excellent Handtool and supply selection (but don't expect a huge showroom): http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/ You'll need to go to Brooklyn. Some of his Grammercy house brand tools are excellent. The rasps, rasp-file handles and paint brushes stand out in my shop. He also carries a good selection of Shellac and Hide Glues. The transparent Hide Glue works great for repairs.

The word is that AQUIS have tightened up on import of hide glue...be prepared to have it confiscated when you re-enter Australia. Theres a thread on here somewhere where this is discussed.

Ok here's the thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3016&hilit=AQIS

Cheers Martin

[needsmorecowbel]

Cheers lads I am here for over a month so I should be able to check out all of those places. Rudy's sounds awesome as does the tool exchange. I'm not too fussed about hide glue at the moment but some nice curly/ quilted maple/ cocobolo/ walnut would be nice. Already scored some awesome ziricote and birdseye spalted maple for some electrics. My travel agent stuffed up my luggage allowance so I have to pay for excess baggage regardless of how much wood I bring back. I am staying in Brooklyn at the moment so I will check out the old school tool store. Thanks Martin for the tip on hide glue I think I read that thread a while back.

For future reference for anyone planning to travel to NY and pick up some woods:
According to the locals there is a place out in the Northern Suburbs of New York called Condons in a suburb called White Plains. For those Victorians/ Melburnians they apparently have a local lumber yard in White Plains that is similar to Matthews timber of Vermont. I'll keep you guys posted on what kind of stuff this place has and how worth it it is.

http://www.condonlumber.net/

[Bob Connor]

You're also a short distance from Bob Cefalu at RC Tonewoods in Buffalo. At least it's a short 45 minute flight away. The trains from from New york city to Buffalo are hopeless.

He mainly has acoustic woods but a visit to his warehouse is a treat indeed.

You could have a look at Niagara Falls while you're up that way.

There's not much else to see in Buffalo unfortunately. Niagara Falls and Bob's Tonewood Cave. Two of the wonders of the world.

Regards

[needsmorecowbel]

Rudy's music in Broome St. My mind was blown. D'aquisto Archtops and D'angelico archtops. Freaking beautiful and massive pieces of art. Some of them looked like they had at least an 18 3/4 inch lower bout.

[christian]

Oh Yes Rudy's Soho !!! awesome eh!!!
The original Rudy's shop in Times Square is great too W48st Kyle is the man you wanna chat to.
did you bring a guitar along to show around ???
Can't say I came accross any Luthiers or timber merchants in the immediate vicinity, met some great muso's though. I certainly filled my bags with stu mac merchandise to take home. hahaha
Stu you gotta go to Metropolitan museum in particular the instrument section unbelievable !!!!
they have three Strads !!! Amati violins, awesome original CF martin's, Hauser's, all sorts of ornate stuff.
enjoy!!!!

Christian.

[Lillian]

You're also a short distance from Bob Cefalu at RC Tonewoods in Buffalo. At least it's a short 45 minute flight away. The trains from from New york city to Buffalo are hopeless.

He mainly has acoustic woods but a visit to his warehouse is a treat indeed.

You could have a look at Niagara Falls while you're up that way.

There's not much else to see in Buffalo unfortunately. Niagara Falls and Bob's Tonewood Cave. Two of the wonders of the world.

Regards

Wow, I didn't realize there were trains that ran from the city to Buffalo.

Someone once summed up our train system as one the Bulgarians would be embarrassed to have. I think he was being overly kind to us.

[kiwigeo]

Someone once summed up our train system as one the Bulgarians would be embarrassed to have. I think he was being overly kind to us.

I think that comment applies to most countries where governments have let the railways run down in preference for freighting everything by road. Japan is one exception.....their passenger rail system is impressive even if its a bit crowded at rush hour in some of the major cities.

[Bob Connor]

Wow, I didn't realize there were trains that ran from the city to Buffalo.

They sort of do Lillian but it probably be quicker to get a DC9 to Australia..

I checked it out last time I was there and I thought it was possible but only the foolhardy would attempt it.

Regards

[Lillian]

Wow, I didn't realize there were trains that ran from the city to Buffalo.

They sort of do Lillian but it probably be quicker to get a DC9 to Australia..

I checked it out last time I was there and I thought it was possible but only the foolhardy would attempt it.

Regards

Its been a while since I was back east. Its good to see them making progress with mass transit.

[Bob Connor]

Wow, I didn't realize there were trains that ran from the city to Buffalo.

They sort of do Lillian but it probably be quicker to get a DC9 to Australia..

I checked it out last time I was there and I thought it was possible but only the foolhardy would attempt it.

Regards

Its been a while since I was back east. Its good to see them making progress with mass transit.

[needsmorecowbel]

Went to North White Plains today to Condon Lumber. Damn nice little lumber yard but a few dickish employees that were only barely tolerable. Found some amazingly figured curly Mahogany, but the cake was taken by the fiddle back birch and the high quilted/ flame Western Oak. Pretty Crap maple all round. Damn Cocobolo is heavy otherwise would have picked some up. Wood suitcase is now full...Damn...pics soon.

Stu

[ckish]

Hi Stu, Check out Rodrigo Shopis -- builds Selmer style among other things. Builds out of his apartment in Manhattan, I think, so not sure how open he is to visitors. Some of the gypsy players around won't trust their guitars to anyone else, I've heard.

http://www.rodrigoshopis.com/

William Cumpiano of "Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar" is in Massachusetts which is not too far from NYC (compared to coming from Australia).
http://www.cumpiano.com/[url]http://www.cumpiano.com/[/url]

John Monteleone is on Long Island somewhere. I'm sure there are more in the area, but those popped into my mind as I read your post.

[needsmorecowbel]

Cheers for all the suggestions guys. I have only got a few days left in New York. I guess I haven't been looking too much into guitars. Mainly all kinds of delicious foods and buildings (Still havent been to Guggenheim or Empire State). Planned to go to a steakhouse tonight (The oldest in Manhattan) but I have been struck down with a migraine.

I found some lovey boards of birdseye maple but couldn't transport the 6 m of it on the train. The guys who were selling it didn't even have a power saw. They said I would have to buy the whole board. And chop it up into 10 lengths with a hand saw. I was actually thinking about it but there would have been far too much wastage. Would have made some awesome uke sets though. I guess that is what you get when you go to the Bronx for hardwood. They expect you to cut it up with your teeth.

I found some tasty Birch with a quite large really high fiddleback in it. Similar to certain types of fiddleback Scandanavian Birch. It worked out at $9.00 for 650mm for almost an inch of the stuff after tax. This will make two drop tops as it is 21 inches wide (mwahahahahaha).
Also got some quilted Western Oak, Birdseye maple and Ziricote. I had to trim back the ziricote as there was a little bark and in an attempt to try and lessen the wastage I thought I would try to make something from the 4-5 pieces that I had cut off from the main section. Could be a fun exercise in whittling I told myself. So I began to cut up these scrap pieces and begin to shave the bark off with a $1.26 knife from the 99 cent store. An hour later When I cut into the second peice of bark with the coping saw. There was a hole. In the hole there was a massive dead worm. I decided it was far too much hassle and risk to keep anything less than 1 cm or 2 cm clear of the bark. In the bin the lovely scraps went.

[charangohabsburg]

Get all that timber and get back home travelling with your tonewood raft. Here is the plan:


Click on the picture to enlarge

Good luck and enjoy the rest of your stay in NY!

[charangohabsburg]

a $1.26 knife from the 99 cent store

[Lillian]

Taxes are steep in NY.

[Kamusur]

Markus is that boat loads of tone or tone loads of boat?

Steve

[needsmorecowbel]

I'll only do this Markus if you make me a jigglewood kerfing jig so that I have something to do on my long tonewood journey home via open ocean? Oh and Markus would have to make the entire boat so that it is filled with old timely ingenuity. It would suck to get most of the way by sea and then crash on an island to be surrounded by lovely wood. It would so horrible a task making a pile of what was getting burned first. haha. I don't think I could do it. Maybe the boat could double as a sea side shack just in case of any crashes. About time to test the new and improved tidal powered band saw and get making those deserted island guitars. There would be plenty of peace and quiet for it. If the coast guard rock up just ask them to give you another couple of months. Oh and get them to Bring back some cans of Nitro while they are at it (Although Markus' design has no doubt thought of this as a means of propulsion through the water). Nitro-us?

Stu

[nnickusa]

Get in touch with Thor Heyerdahl. Don't know if he digs guitars, but he makes a hell of a raft

[Lillian]

Get in touch with Thor Heyerdahl. Don't know if he digs guitars, but he makes a hell of a raft

That's gonna be a bit hard to do. He passed in 2002.

[charangohabsburg]

I'll only do this Markus if you make me a jigglewood kerfing jig so that I have something to do on my long tonewood journey home via open ocean?

Of course I can make you that jig, but you had to provide the saw!

Get in touch with Thor Heyerdahl. Don't know if he digs guitars, but he makes a hell of a raft

That's gonna be a bit hard to do. He passed in 2002.

Which calls for a time-machine. I see, things are getting complicated.