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I'm just getting into the guitar building. I had ordered the plans for a binding jig from LMII before seeing Don William's jig on this site. Anyone have experience with both? Are there any advantages to one over the other. I haven't started building one yet so I want to decide which way to go. Are plans for Don's design available anywhere? Thanks, Joe

I haven't used it but just looking at it I think Don's has the edge. You can plant your guitar in one spot and go all the way around without moving it. But like I said I haven't used it. I have and do use the LMI version and it works ok for me so I keep using it.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Don's binding jig is a good way to go. I have something similar minus the drawer slides so I still have to move the body around the jig. I think the key is to register off the sides not the back/top. There is a little "doughnut" that rides along the top at the very edge of the body that should just touch the very outside edge of the back/top. I routed the binding channel on my first guitar freehand with a dremel in multiple passes and it took me days to complete the task and I knew that I needed to improve my method (this is what luthiery is all about). Find what you think will be the best mehod to perform a task, implement it, and improve as needed. It's a continuous improvement program that never ends and is half the fun. Enjoy the process!

I am using the binding jig from www.guitarjigs.com (Mark Kett's jig). Works like a dream. I can cut all my binding and purfling channels in 10-15 minuets. I would highly recommend this jig.

JoshJosh H38380.9514236111

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Joe, I've used both. I used the LMI jig for a few years. It's ok but it torqued when the guitar went into the router. I was using 100 lb drawer slides and it still flexed. Big design flaw in that one.
So I made one based on Don's. Made a significant improvement to it. I put a heavy duty caster on the bottom of the extension so there is absolutely no flex in it at all. The parallelagrams I use have bearings in them so the thing is very smooth.
Brock, if you read this, chime in on your thoughts. Paul

I have used the LMI unit for 8 years and now I am using Mark Kett's jig. LMI is OK but Mark's is fantastic! Look at them at www.guitarjigs.com

I don't have any experience with Don's but his appears to be well designed too.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I built one like Don's as well. It works great. You do have to remember to route "down hill" which is different from what you normally do with a router.

Rick Micheletti is going to be offering a CAD drawn set of plans of my jig. Just so that everyone is well aware of the history of that jig, the front end was designed by Harry Fleischman, and the back end (figures...) was designed by me. Rick added a nice change to it in using a part for the donut, making that task much simpler.

Here's a link to Rick's web site.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I have used both the LMI / Ribbeccke Jig and the one by HF/DW. The thing I could never get quite right with on the Ribbeccke jig was that you had to move the body in the carriage under the cutter. That was always a very awkward movement. I think the DW jig is much better because the guitar is stationary and the tool is brought to the work.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com