Build your own Lute!

SUPPLIERS

I have tried to put together a useful list for all regions, but of course I must have missed out hundreds of good suppliers. Please do let me know of any you know of, and I will circulate them and add them to the webpage list.

WOOD SUPPLIERS

TOOL SUPPLIERS

VARNISH & GLUE SUPPLIERS

PEGS & PEGPASTE

STRING SUPPLIERS

CASE MAKERS

WOOD SUPPLIERS

Timberline
Units 7 & 11A, Munday Works,
58-66 Morley Road,
Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1RP
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1732 355626
Fax: + 44 (0)1732 358214
Email: exotic.hardwoods@virgin.net
Website: www.exotichardwoods.co.uk
A good yard specialising in exotic timber, they also sell good soundboards, though these are rather expensive compared to buying in Germany, however they have been through a good selection process [the proprietor used to be an instrument maker] and therefore might offer more secure quality than yards closer to the source. They are well used to dealing with postal orders from abroad.

Touchstone Tonewoods
44 Albert Road
Reigate RH2 9EZ
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1737 221064
Fax: + 44 (0)1737 242748
Email: sales@touchstonetonewoods.co.uk
Website: www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk
I have in the past bought some nice soundboards from them but I haven't much recent experience. They also sell lute rib sets in several woods as well as most of the tools necessary.

Luthiers Supplies
The Hall, Horebeach Lane
Horam
Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 0HR
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1435 812315
Email: sales@luthierssupplies.co.uk
Website: http://www.luthierssupplies.co.uk/
Sometimes has very good wood, be prepared to specify exactly the quality you want. Good for inlay lines for the spacers between ribs etc. Good for guitar bits which is, I suspect, their main interest.

Boddys
Riverside Sawmills
Boroughbridge
N. Yorks YO5 9LJ
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1423 322370
Email: sales@john-boddy-timber.ltd.uk
Website: www.john-boddy-timber.ltd.uk/index.html
Exotic timber in profusion as well as European hardwoods. I have never got round to visiting them, but friends speak very highly of their range of woods.

Fine Wood & Tool Store Ltd.
Riverside Sawmills
Boroughbridge
North Yorks YO5 9LJ
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1423 322370
Fax: + 44 (0)1423 323810 & 324334

Craft Supplies Ltd
The Mill
Millers Dale
Nr Buxton
Derbyshire. SK 17 8SN.
Tel: + 44 (0)1298 871636.
Website: http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk.
The also have a department that does wood for guitars. and they sell squares of wood including exotic woods some as large as 4", others which may be of use for peg making at 1"

Amsterdamsche Fijnhouthandel
Minervahavenweg 14
1013 AR Amsterdam
Westpoort 3098
Netherlands
Tel: 020-6828079 / Fax: 020-6843154
e-mail: afh@fijnhout.nl
Website: http://www.fijnhout.nl/
A large firm who specialise in exotic hardwoods and do sell some wood specially for musical instruments.

Bois et Buis pour la Facture Instrumental
Pascal Cranga
Le Hameau
Donzy-le-Pertuis
71250 CLUNY
France
Tel: + 33 85 50 03 22
He used to stock most requirements including some nice looking European spruce soundboards. I have no recent experience though.

Cocobolo, Inc.
6500 47th St. #6
Pinellas Park, FL 33781
USA
Tel: (727) 521-0616
Email: sales@cocoboloinc.com
Website: http://www.cocoboloinc.com/

Randle Woods
P.O. Box 96
Randle, WA 98377
U.S.A.
Phone: 360-497-2071
Email: roberts@lewiscounty.com
Website: http://www.randlewoods.com
The price for 14 rib pieces is US$ 99 (including resawing, packaging and shipping) for their best flamed Western Bigleaf Maple.

Exotic Woods Company
444 Erial-Williams Road
P.O. Box 532
Sicklerville, New Jersey 08081
USA
Phone (609) 728-5555 Orders 800-GIDWANI
Fax (609)728-6262
Email: gulab@exoticwoods.com
Website: http://www.exoticwoods.com
NOTE: They will also cut rib sets by special order.

Allen Guitars - Luthier Supplies
P.O. Box 1883 Colfax,
CA 95713
USA
Telephone & Fax 530-346-6590
Email: allen@allenguitar.com
Website: http://www.allenguitar.com/

Vikwood Ltd.
1221A Superior Avenue
P.O. Box 554
Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53082
U.S.A.
Phone: 920-458-9351
Fax: 920-458-4888
Website: http://www.vikwood.com
Sells guitar side sets separately in Rosewood, Bubinga and African Mahogany.

A&M Wood Specialty
358 Eagle Street North
P.O. Box 32040
Cambridge, Ontario N3H 5M2
Canada
Phone: (from U.S.) 1-800-265-2759 (from Canada) 1-800-265-0624
Fax: 519-653-3441
Email: mail@amwoodinc.com
Website: http://www.amwoodinc.com
Rosewood and curly maple. Will resaw.

Gilmer Wood Company
2211 N.W. Saint Helens Rd.
Portland, OR 97210
USA
503-274-1271
Website: http://www.gilmerwood.com/
One of the internet students bought a "kit" of wood for a violin from them for $100 and was very pleased. Their '98-'99 pricelist offers lute ribs in ebony, fiddleback maple, Swiss pear, and yew. What they call a kit is a package price on the wood to make a given instrument, no instructions.

Tropical Exotic Hardwoods of Latin America
P.O. Box 1806
Carlsbad, CA 92018
Phone: 760-434-3030
Fax: 760-434-5423
Email: anexotichardwood@abac.com
Website: http://www.anexotichardwood.com
Cocobolo turning squares for pegs, guitar sets in various wood species. One internet student says "they are also an excellent source of Engleman Spruce soundboards at a fairly reasonable price. This info is not easy to find on their web page. They had several hundred sets that I was able to sift through to pick one for rose-cutting practice when I was there on Monday."

Black Mountain Hardwoods
So. Windham,
ME
USA
Phone: Wholesale (207) 892-8335 Retail Store (207)878-8302
Fax: (207) 892-8337
Website:http://www.blackmtn-north.com/
The site has colour photos of many of the woods on the list, and the company seems willing to accomodate for special measurements.

Santa Fe Spruce Co
129 Kearney Avenue
Santa Fe
New Mexico 87501
Tel: (505) 983 1622
The supplier for Engelmann spruce, I have not used this but many speak highly of it. I didn't like the strength of the sample they sent me, but it certainly looked very nice.

Andreas Gleissner
Mozartstraße 12 - 14
8521 Bubenreuth
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)91 31 - 241 64
Soundboards for lutes, guitars, violins, cellos etc. I don't know if he cuts lute rib sets, it might be worth asking if you are in Germany. He certainly sells a lot of sycamore / maple backs and sides for violins and cellos.

Le Bois de Lutherie
Fertans
25330
Amancey
FRANCE
Tel: + 33 (0)381 86 5555
Fax: + 33 (0)381 86 5556
E-mail: info@bois-lutherie.com
Website: www.bois-lutherie.com
A large sawmill specialising entirely in wood for musical instruments, especially violin family instruments as well as lutes and guitars. They have good European spruce from trees individually chosen and felled as well as figured maple.

Rivolta s.n.c. di Andrea Rivolta & c.
Via Vittorio Veneto 7
20033 Desio (Mi)
Italy
Tel: +39 0362 621608
Fax: +39 0362 300734
E-mail: info@riwoods.com
Website: www.riwoods.com/
A very large Italian timber firm with a good selection of wood for musical instruments, especially violin family instruments as well as lutes and guitars. They have good European spruce from trees grown in the Italian Alps as well as all sorts of other rib woods.

Maderas Barber
C/ Islas Baleares, 42
Poligono Industrial Fuente del Jarro
46988 Paterna - VALENCIA
SPAIN
Tel: + 34 961 340 310
Fax: + 34 961 340 156
E-mail: info@maderas-barber.com
Website: www.maderasbarber.com
An internet student has kindly supplied this information and says, "They have a very great store, they are suppliers of the more known guitar factories in Valencia and Alicante (Alhambra, Admira, etc...) "

Master Wood Millwork
400 3rd Avenue North
Nampa,
Idaho 83687
USA
Tel: 208-466-6200
Fax: 208-466-9225
Email: sales@masterwoodmillwork.com
Website: http://www.masterwoodmillwork.com/
A sawmill specialising in Englemann spruce for guitars. Website designed to appeal to American patriots.

Bow River Craftwoods
11443 McSween Road
Chilliwack,
British Columbia
V2P 6H5
Canada
Tel:(604) 795-3462 When calling, leave a message if there is no answer. We will return your call as soon as possible.
Fax: (604) 795-4058
Email: sales@bowrivercraftwoods.com
Website: http://www.bowrivercraftwoods.com
They are a mail-order specialist firm located 1.5 hours east of Vancouver, British Columbia. They tell me they can supply figured maple and yew wood suitable for lute ribs.

Gerard Gilet
Gilet Guitars
6 Booralee St
Botany NSW, 2019v Australia
Tel: (02) 9316 7467
He provides a huge range of quality local and imported wood for the use of lute makers and the other guitar makers in Australia.

Tasmanian Timbers Pty. Ltd.
ABN:93 562 853 955
Old Beach, 7017
Tasmania,
Australia.
Tel: +61.429 614 453
Email: info@tasmaniantimbers.com.au
Website: http://www.tasmaniantimbers.com.au
This might be quite useful for sourcing native Australian timbers. The website is interesting and helpful but I have no direct experience of them.

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TOOL SUPPLIERS

Axminster Power Tools
Chard Street
Axminster
Devon EX13 5DZ
Tel: + 44 (0)1297-33656
Fax: + 44 (0)1297-35242
Email: email@axminster.co.uk
Website: http://www.axminster.co.uk
This is an old established family firm that has built up a really fine mail-order business. Their catalogue is wonderful, beautifully written with informative, witty [and honest!] descriptions of all the products. You can find everything I have recommended in the way of tools here. The name is misleading, they sell every kind of tool. Thoroughly recommended. Good website, do check prices against Dick GMbH, there are some astonishing variations in each direction!

Andy Wheeldon trading as Caramillo
No physical address given
Email: No direct email address, you have to use the form on his website
Website: http://www.caramillo.co.uk/
Normally I would not list a person who does not give either address or email or phone and seems to trade under a bizarre name. However I have seen one of his bending irons and it was good and it is a particular service which you might need. He will make custom bending irons to your design. Not cheap but very well made.

Classic Hand Tools Ltd
Unit B Hill Farm Business Park
Witnesham
Ipswich
Suffolk IP6 9EW
Tel: + 44 (0)1473 784983
Email: sales@classichandtools.co.uk
Website: http://www.classichandtools.com
I have no experience of this firm but they do stock the Hock violin makers knives so they must be interested in proper tools!

Rutlands Fine Tools
Deepdale Business Park,
Ashford Road,
Bakewell, Derbyshire,
DE45 1GT.
Tel: + 44 (0)1629 815 518
Email: sales@rutlands.co.uk
Website: http://www.rutlands.co.uk/
This is an entirely mail-order firm who seem to be specialising in the kind of tools we need. Their website is good and efficiently laid out. I can particularly recommend their Chinese made block planes made by Qiangsheng Tool Co.

Dick GmbH
Donaustraße 49-51,
PO Box 11 27,
94523 METTEN,
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)991 910929 & (0)991 910922
Fax: + 49 (0)991 910950
Email: info@dictum.com
Website: https://www.dictum.com
This is a very good specialist instrument makers supplier. All the hand tools, including specialist instrument tools, good website in English and German. (However in my experience their customer service is not very efficient or friendly. Do make sure to send any returns by recorded delivery, they are quite capable of losing returns and then denying it!) They now have a bizarre sharpening service for which of course you pay, even though it is effectively useless for customers not in Germany. Do check prices against Axminster Powertools, there are some astonishing variations in each direction!

There is also a more convenient North American stockist of these tools: Lemuel Violin Supplies full details in an entry lower down the list.

Petz Vienna
Quellenstrasse 2A,
1100 Wien,
Austria
Tel: + 43 1 889 20 47
Fax: + 43 1 889 20 47 4
Email: petz@pk.at
Website: http://www.pk.at
I have no direct experience of this firm but they supply much the same range of mostly violin family parts and accessories as DickGmbH. They also have a small range of useful instrument making tools which are interestingly different from Dick. They seem to pride themselves on being friendly and accessible so might be worth trying in preference to Dick! You will need to register to see the prices.

Dieter Schmid Fine Tools
Cauerstraße 18,
10587 BERLIN,
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)30 342 1757
Fax: + 49 (0)30 342 1764
Email: mail@fine-tools.com
Website: http://www.fine-tools.com
I have no direct experience of this firm but it has been recommended to me and has a very good website.

The Japan Woodworker
1731 Clement Avenue
Alameda CA 94501
USA
Tel: 1-800-537-7820
Website: http://www.japanwoodworker.com
An excellent American source of Japanese woodworking tools.

Götz, C.A. jr.
Landwüster Straße 17
D - 08258 Wernitzgrün
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)37422 - 5880
Fax: + 49 (0)37422 - 45633
Email:
Website: www.gotzviolins.de
General instrument makers' supplies, very similar to Dick. They have recently moved back into their old premises in former East Germany.

Luthiers Mercantile International
P.O. Box 774
Healdsburg, CA. 95448
USA
Tel: 1-800-477-4437
Email: lmi@lmii.com
Website: http://www.lmii.com/
A wide-ranging supplier for all your needs. They sell tools of all sorts for instrument making as well as lute soundboards. They don't cut sets of lute ribs but some makers do use several guitar rib sets to make up a set of lute ribs.

Scalpels & Blades
West Street
Stoke-Sub-Hamdon
Somerset
TA146QG
England
Tel. 00 44 (0)1935 825555
Email: info@scalpelsandblades.co.uk
Website:http://www.scalpelsandblades.co.uk
A supplier of Swann Morton scalpel blades and handles. Their Fine SF13 Stainless Steel Handle Swann Morton Product No 6061 takes a variety of new style Swann Morton fine blades which are much better than the old Swann Morton blades and, because they are held closer to the tip, do not wobble about as much.

Lemuel Violin Supply
Mr. Lemuel Huang
General Delivery
Mt. Elgin, Ontario
CANADA
N0J 1N0
Tel: (519) 425-7858
Email: violins@violins.ca
Website: http://www.violins.ca
These have been recommended to me as a friendly and efficient supplier of specialist tools for luthiers, especially violins but several suitable for lutemaking. They are the North American distributor for the Herdim range of tools from Dick the German tool supplier. This would be an easier, cheaper place for you to buy them if you are in USA or Canada.

Hock Tools
16650 Mitchell Creek Dr.
Fort Bragg,
CA 95437
USA
Tel: Toll Free: 1-(888) 28-BLADE (1-888-282-5233)
(707) 964-2782
Fax (707) 964-7816
Email: ron@hocktools.com
Website:http://www.mcn.org/a/rhock/hockhome.htm
A supplier of specialist plane blades and tools of superior steel.

Lee Valley Tools
P.O. Box 1780
Ogdensburg,
NY 13669-6780
USA

From Canada and other countries:
P.O. Box 6295, Station J
Ottawa,
ON K2A 1T4
Canada

Tel: Customer Service:
From USA: 1-800-267-8735
From Canada: 1-800-267-8761
From other countries: 1-613-596-0350
Place an Order
From USA: 1-800-871-8158
From Canada: 1-800-267-8767
From other countries: 1-613-596-0350

Fax: From USA: 1-800-513-7885
From Canada: 1-800-668-1807
From other countries: 1-613-596-6030
E-mail: customerservice@leevalley.com
Website: http://www.leevalley.com/home/main.asp
An excellent, innovative Canadian company with a reputation for superb customer service

Museum of Woodworking Tools Store
Museum of Woodworking Tools
PO box 1951
New York, NY 10159-1951
USA
Tel: 212-228-9884
Fax: 212-529-4505.
Email: support@toolsforworkingwood.com.
Website: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com
This seems to be a nice shop specialising in Japanese and other fine tools attached to a museum of woodworking tools in New York. Might be worth a visit if only to browse the museum!

Stewart Macdonald's Guitar Shop Supply
P.O. Box 900
Athens, Ohio 45701
USA
Tel: 1-800-848-2273
Fax: 1-740-593-7922
Email: intl@stewmac.com
Website: http://www.stewmac.com
A supplier almost entirely devoted to guitars, but they do sell a bending iron, glue pot, hide glue, violin peg reamers, calipers, small files and even a kit for making a Go-bar deck. They will send a catalogue on request.

Pressure Vacuum Level Ltd.
Unit 9, Lexden Lodge Industrial Estate
Jarvis Brook, Crowborough
TN6 2NQ
Tel: + 44 (0)1892 664499
Fax: + 44 (0)1892 663690
Email: info@pvl.co.uk
Website: http://www.pvl.co.uk
A bit of a specialist this, but if you are making up a vacuum bag, you will need a switch to switch the vacuum pump off as the pressure drops and on again as it rises in order to prevent the pump over-heating. This firm supply the vacuum switches and are a real pleasure to deal with. I recommend their VSM2 N 1/4 STL switch as the most useful for that purpose, select the range -500 mbarG to -900mbarG.

International Violin Company
1421 Clarkview Rd. Suite 118
Baltimore, MD
USA
Tel: 1-800-542-3538
They have the knives and peg shapers also.
Guitar tops are listed in their catalogue, "European Spruce??"
If you call for the reamer, ask for Cat. No. T-40, $45,
1/30 taper, 4.0 / 7.5 mm, 105mm.

M. Fluvia
c St. Antoni, 3
E - 17176 La Vall de Bas (Girona)
Spain
Tel: + 34 972 691049
Fax: + 34 972 690001
Good hand and power tools, including Japanese. They send information on request.

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CASE MAKERS

Kingham MTM Case Co.
15 Glenton Way
Rise Park
Romford,
Essex RM1 4AG
England
Tel: + 44 (0)1708 751160
Fax: + 44 (0)1708 751170
Email: ss@kingham.co.uk
Website: http://www.kingham.co.uk
They produce really top quality made-to-measure wooden cases, light and beautiful; extensively used by all the professional lutenists in England. Also cases for all other musical instruments.

Victor Vorko
194, rue d'AlŽsia
75014 Paris
France
Tel: + 33 (0)6 09 33 47 55
Email: christine@victorvorko.fr
Website: http://www.victorvorko.fr
Victor Vorko has recently set up in Paris after working for 20 years in St Petersburg as a casemaker. His cases are absolutely superb, the finest I have seen, strong and light, elegant and beautifully made-to-measure. Not the cheapest but really good quality, I think they will become the choice of professional players.

Pierre Rousseau.
145, rue de Belleville
75019 Paris
France
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 45 68 74
Fax: + 33 (0)1 42 45 68 74
Email: valipier@club-internet.fr
Website: http://pierre.fab.free.fr/cases.html
Plywood made-to-measure cases covered with aluminium sheet, very light and strong. They look very striking in the pictures on his website but I have no personal experience of them yet.

RCH di Chiaramoni Roberto, Rossano & C.snc.
Contrada Marignano, s.c.n.
62018 Potenza Picena (MC)
P.IVA 01261090433
Italy
Tel + 39 0733 676458
Fax + 39 0733 870226
Email: info@rchcases.it
Website: http://www.rchcases.it
Recently set up, their lute cases look nice in the photographs, but I have no experience of them. They are wooden and they do both made-to-measure and ready-made cases. Their prices seem competitive.

Case Xtreme
2118 Eula Lane
El Cajon
Ca. 92019
USA
Tel (800) 495-8444
Email: info@rchcases.it
Website: http://www.casextreme.com/
An American casemaking firm who do offer lute and even theorbo cases which they claim are flight cases. I have no experience of them but their cases were recommended on a recent lute list email exchange. They look fairly functional rather than elegant especially in their internal padding arrangements. This system echoes that in the unbelievably expensive cello cases made by Stevenson in Norwich and its success depends crucially on intelligent placing of the foam pads only on the strong points of the instrument, I hope they know what they are doing!

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VARNISH & GLUE SUPPLIERS

Hammerl
Hauptstraße 18
Postfach 9
8523 Baiersdorf,
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)91 33 / 23 30
Website: http://www.hammerl.com
Varnish and glue. I buy all my hide glue here but it may not be convenient for small quantities. For amateur use perhaps better use one of the general instrument suppliers such as Dick, Götz, Luthiers Mercantile International, etc. Their varnish is good but personally I would avoid their "Ether Oil Varnish" it seems to be an attempt to reproduce the brushing characteristics of spirit varnish, a crazy idea only of use to professionally trained German violin makers! The great virtue of oil varnish is that it is so much easier to apply than spirit varnish.

Dr. Georg Kremer, Dipl. - Chemiker
Farbmühle
Dr. Georg Kremer
Dipl.-Chemiker
D-88317 Aichstetten / Allgäu
Tel. + 49 07565 - 1011
Fax + 49 07565 - 1606

Also a branch in USA
Kremer Pigments
228 Elizabeth Street (corner of Prince)
New York NY 10012
Phone: 212-219-2394
Fax: 212-219-2395
Email: kremerinc@aol.com
Website: http://www.kremer-pigmente.de/homee.htm
Hide glue, dyes and colouring pigments for varnishes etc.

A. P. Fitzpatrick
Fine Art Materials
142 Cambridge Heath Road
London
E1 5QJ
Phone: (+44) 020 7790 0884
Email: info@apfitzpatrick.co.uk
Website: https://shop.apfitzpatrick.co.uk/
Hide glue link: https://shop.apfitzpatrick.co.uk/63020-650g-kremer-hide-glue-cubes-replaces-63010-2029-p.asp
A UK source of good hide glue from Kremer, and varnishes and dyes and colouring pigments for varnishes etc.

Auro Organic Paints Ltd.
Unit 2 Pamphillions Farm
Purton End,
Debden,
SAFFRON WALDEN, Essex CB 11 3JT
Tel: + 44 (0)1799 543 077
Fax: + 44 (0)1799 542 187
Email: sales@auroorganic.co.uk
Website: http://www.auroorganic.co.uk
Also in Germany:
Alte Frankfurter Strasse 211
D-38122 Braunschweig
Germany
Tel: + 49 (0)531 281 4111
Fax: + 49 (0)531 281 4161
Their "amber varnish" is no longer available. I'm in the process of enquiring whether they make anything we can use instead.

OLD WOOD Colours & Varnishes SL.
Santiago Bernabeu,10 Ð 3C 28036 Madrid Spain
Fax: +34 91 564 6635
Email:alvaro@oldwood1700.com
Website: www.oldwood1700.com
I have no experience of these people, but from their website it would appear that they are producing just the varnishes we need. However a maker I respect has reported that their varnishes didn't dry well enough to use on a lute, even with U-V light. I have now contacted the director of the firm and he says that his amber oil varnish is only intended to be used with an added drier. He does not add the drier in production because the resulting varnish would have a shorter shelf-life. So add driers as you use it; though this does seem to take away the main point of having a special oil varnish for musical instruments!

Alchemist Paints & Varnishes
P.O. Box 272
Hillsville
VA 24343
USA
Tel: (540) 728-5326
Email:alchemist@amberalchemy.com
Website: http://www.amberalchemy.com/
I have no experience of these people, but from their website it would appear that they are producing just the varnishes we need. However a maker I respect has reported that their varnishes didn't dry well enough to use on a lute, even with U-V light. I have now contacted the director of the firm and he says that his amber oil varnish is only intended to be used with an added drier. He does not add the drier in production because the resulting varnish would have a shorter shelf-life. So add driers as you use it; though this does seem to take away the main point of having a special oil varnish for musical instruments!

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