Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

[Cobra1957]

The have this piece of purple cypress that a friend gave me and I was thinking, would it make a good guitar body? It came off a big log that was at least 75 years old that he got out of a river several years ago and this small piece has been in a barn for at least 4-5 years.

I am not a wood worker so I don’t have a clue or the tools to go about turning it into a body. Is there somewhere or someone the can make it into a body for me? I have three strats but no Tele or LP.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Should work well as a body. How thick is it?

I can make that into a body.

Here’s one of mine made from polar. Not exactly a Tele, but I have a template I made from a ‘68 Tele.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

The wife just measured it and I don’t think this piece is big enough. It is 30”x11”x3”. I’ll see if he can get me a bigger slab.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Since it is 3 inches thick, split it and you'll have 2 pieces wide enough to make a body blank. Gibson did it with Les Pauls for years.

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Should work well as a body. How thick is it?

I can make that into a body.

Here’s one of mine made from polar. Not exactly a Tele, but I have a template I made from a ‘68 Tele.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pm sent.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Since it is 3 inches thick, split it and you'll have 2 pieces wide enough to make a body blank. Gibson did it with Les Pauls for years.

Too thin for a tele...might work for an SG-like guitar.

And presumably gonna get thinner once you cut it to uniformity

 

[Mincer]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

We have a local luthier that makes Teles out of cypress. Those are great guitars made out of local Florida woods.

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

We have a local luthier that makes Teles out of cypress. Those are great guitars made out of local Florida woods.

Thanks for the info I’ll give them a call Monday.

Edit- I just called them for the sake of trying and they will be open today from 12 to 6.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

They are all cool people, too.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Thanks for the info I’ll give them a call Monday.

Edit- I just called them for the sake of trying and they will be open today from 12 to 6.

Just a heads up:

exactly none of the popular solidbody guitar body woods have any significant monetary value whatsoever (wholesale value equalent to a few beers or less)... so if you pay somebody to build something out of it, you'll not be saving anything, and might in fact incur additional expense, possibly quite significant, for a custom job vs. luthier using their usual ready to start go-to materials.

Even moreso if they use CNC body blanks that they outsource.

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Just a heads up:

exactly none of the popular solidbody guitar body woods have any significant monetary value whatsoever (wholesale value equalent to a few beers or less)... so if you pay somebody to build something out of it, you'll not be saving anything, and might in fact incur additional expense, possibly quite significant, for a custom job vs. luthier using their usual ready to start go-to materials.

Even moreso if they use CNC body blanks that they outsource.

Thanks for the heads up but I have already realized this. That piece of wood above has a certain sentimental value to it. The man that gave it to me went too great lengths to obtain that particular log. He has made quite a few tables and bars from it that he has sold for four figures apiece. He’s 76 and you couldn’t tell it.
Now I am no expert on wood but he says it’s a rare wood called purple Cypress. I have googled purple cypress and have yet to find any reference to it. I can only go by what he tells me and I believe him.
I called him yesterday and asked if I could have a piece a little wider with the same thickness. He told me next time I visit we will look through what he has.
He has several tree sized logs sitting in his back yard. When the river that he lives on rises they break loose from whatever has a hold on them and they float past his house. When he sees one he gets in his boat lassos it, tows it to the bank and then he pulls it up on the bank with a very large front end loader. He even found one the had 1944 Embossed in it. He had one that was over 4 feet across at one time. He has sold many outright just as he found them and buyers come from far and wide to purchase logs from him.
I’m willing to bet that Guitar Repair of Tampa (link above) just might be using some of his logs to make guitars.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

The value all depends on what type of wood you get. Gilmer wood for example sells body blanks for $90 give or take.....and UP, LMII for about the same, and Northridge for about $70 and up. Maybe these represent the cream of the crop in terms of grading, but thats the typical figure for luthier wood I've come across on ebay too.

I think only an alcoholic would ever equate that sort of money to 'a few beers worth'

 

[Adieu]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

The value all depends on what type of wood you get. Gilmer wood for example sells body blanks for $90 give or take.....and UP, LMII for about the same, and Northridge for about $70 and up. Maybe these represent the cream of the crop in terms of grading, but thats the typical figure for luthier wood I've come across on ebay too.

I think only an alcoholic would ever equate that sort of money to 'a few beers worth'

That's because you pay for them to shop and check your wood, join (for a bookmatch 2 piece), and plane it evenly. It saves you some time, a bit of labor, and some equipment investment (and space to house a large-azz shop tool).

The lumber itself is $10-25

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

I talked to Erden yesterday at the shop and it looks like we can go forward with this project. I made one mistake in the conversation though I told him the wood is 22” across when in fact it is 11”. I will call him Monday.
I think I can still get a piece wide enough to do a one piece body which is what I have my heart set on. If not the above piece will have to do I guess.
He did suggest that I buy a neck and send it to them as well so they can marry the neck and body together for a perfect fit. They will also do a satin finish to show the grain of the wood.
They will do the body and install the neck to made sure everything is all right. I will be responsible to do everything else. Bridge, electrics, tuners ect.
I have decided to do a Telecaster body so now I’m on the hunt for a neck. I have checked Warmoth’s site and the necks that they have look amazing but I’m open to all suggestions for this topic.

I will ship them the wood and neck then I hope to go pick it up in person.

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

We have a local luthier that makes Teles out of cypress. Those are great guitars made out of local Florida woods.

Thank you Mincer! You have sent me to the right place!

 

[Adieu]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

I talked to Erden yesterday at the shop and it looks like we can go forward with this project. I made one mistake in the conversation though I told him the wood is 22” across when in fact it is 11”. I will call him Monday.
I think I can still get a piece wide enough to do a one piece body which is what I have my heart set on. If not the above piece will have to do I guess.
He did suggest that I buy a neck and send it to them as well so they can marry the neck and body together for a perfect fit. They will also do a satin finish to show the grain of the wood.
They will do the body and install the neck to made sure everything is all right. I will be responsible to do everything else. Bridge, electrics, tuners ect.
I have decided to do a Telecaster body so now I’m on the hunt for a neck. I have checked Warmoth’s site and the necks that they have look amazing but I’m open to all suggestions for this topic.

I will ship them the wood and neck then I hope to go pick it up in person.

11" is no good for a one piece, and 3" is no good for a bookmatch, not for a tele fullsize afaik... dont have one to measure, but strats are like 13" wide @ bridge, so are LPs, ESP eclipses are a hair wider at ~13.5" --- daresay 32 - 35 cm seems to be the formula. And remember, you need a bit more wood on the blank to shape things evenly

You miiiiight be able to puzzle together a 3-piece Vee shape from it....maybe

 

[Mincer]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

Thank you Mincer! You have sent me to the right place!

Very cool! They are all nice guys there who do quality work. I've played their Crackercasters before and they were amazing.

 

[RorySquier]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

This looks like this will be an interesting project...especially with a special type of coloured wood which will look pretty cool once it's all done.



;>)/

 

[Cobra1957]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

11" is no good for a one piece, and 3" is no good for a bookmatch, not for a tele fullsize afaik... dont have one to measure, but strats are like 13" wide @ bridge, so are LPs, ESP eclipses are a hair wider at ~13.5" --- daresay 32 - 35 cm seems to be the formula. And remember, you need a bit more wood on the blank to shape things evenly

You miiiiight be able to puzzle together a 3-piece Vee shape from it....maybe

I believe 18”x14”x2” is the minimum starting blank. Like I said, I will see if I can find one in his barn that is no smaller than that. I’m confident that he has a piece that will suffice.

I won’t be able to visit him for another 3 weeks.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Purple Cypress for a Telecaster body?

I believe 18”x14”x2” is the minimum starting blank. Like I said, I will see if I can find one in his barn that is no smaller than that. I’m confident that he has a piece that will suffice.

I won’t be able to visit him for another 3 weeks.

Yeah sounds about right

Be aware that a blank is a planed even board with no issues anywhere... so if what you got is a non-uniform log with unevenness etc, you'll need a bigger piece.

There's a reason why the so-called '2-by-4 board' is actually 1.5" x 3.5"... it's because 2 by 4 denotes the piece of lumber it was cut from.

Realistically you want 20+" x 16+" x 3" for solid colors, and probably significantly bigger if you want to go for a transparent finish (one-piece)... or 20" x 9" x 6" for a 2piece bookmatch