Official Luthiers Forum!

As some of you may, or may not, know, rosettes aren't really my thing. I don't really care for them and thus, I don't put them on my guitars. Opting instead for a simple bound soundhole.
Well, I have a client that really wanted one. His back and sides are Special Grade Mun Ebony from AC. Incredible stuff. But I didn't have enough in the set to get a ring. So Bob C set me up with some that was 1.5" x .5" x 36". Great for binding but I couldn't figure out how to get a rosette ring out of it. The client specifically didn't want a segmented rosette as I showed him some samples and he didn't like them at all. So this is what I came up with.
First I double bookmatched some of the plank to get a 6" square piece. I took two pieces 6" long, resawed them, bookmatched the center two, and matched the outer two to that. I guess it's not really a bookmatch as that would fold like an accordian from one piece.


This is what the resulting glue up looked like.

I routed out the ring with my small circle cutter.



Then the matching channel.


Here is the ring dropped in with teflon strips where the shell will go.


And with the shell added.


Then finalized with an ebony soundhole binding. And she's done.

Thanks for looking!

Paul,

Necessity is the Mother of Invention! That looks fabulous. The piece you cut the rosette from would make a fabulous headstock veneer/backstrap and end graft for the guitar too.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Can you explain binding the soundhole a little more? How do you do it and what purpose does it serve? Do you install it like regular edge binding or........

It looks really cool for any builder, never mind one that does not usually do rosettes.

 

Real handsom there Paul!
Not bad for someone who dosn't really care for rosetts.
Nice touch with the ebony binding too!

You will find that your guitars will sound much better with rosettes..
Just kidding

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Well, my soundholes have a patch behind them that runs cross grained.

This doubles the thickness of the soundhole area. Then the binding is simply bent and edge glued to the side of the soundhole.

WOW Paul, for a guy who doesn't do rosettes, I'd say you hit a home run.  Or, maybe it was a single with 3 extra bases on ingenuity!  Great looking rosette. 

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Very nice rosette!

Yes!,I like that rosette a lot Paul. Very nicely done.
Thats a cool little tool you got there for cutting circles too.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

i tend to agree on the rosettes thing, i kinda think they are over done a bit, but wowzer! man, i really really like that rosette! excellent job!

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sweat the small stuff.

Hesh, here is one of my standard wares.

That is something elce Paul!
It shows off a real nice top!!
I'm sold.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

ELEGANT!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Wow thats one fine rosette Paul,
Id consider doing more of them if I were you - they look pretty danged cool!
Cheers
Charliewood

Very nice and very well illustrated and explained. Not bad for a rookie

I like the solid sound hole ring with that particular rosette. Well done!

Paul, I think you missed your calling, bro.
Looks to me like you were destined to be a Flashy Rosette Installer.
That glue-up is prettier than solid wood, and the execution is fabulous.

Mmm-mmm!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

...well, I mean prettier than a one-piece-solid-piece-of-wood-type-blank.

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Geez Paul, you'd think you went to art school or something. It's really
cool and still has it's own originality and your style. I really admire the
craftsmanship of your end graft and bound soundholes.

Great Job Paul!!
Like a lot...

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Both styles are unique and beautiful, great work Paul.

Cheers

Kim

I lover both your rosettes Paul, simple but elegent.

Paul,

Your work looks fantastic...and that's an understatement.

I've always been a big fan of the soundhole binding but never understood
how it was done.

You've shed just a little light on the subject but if you're feeling generous
someday, a pictorial how to would be a great gift to all of us who'd like to be
in the know.....

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Christopher C. Cordle
North Muskegon, MI

http://www.yardsaleunderwear.com
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.cordle

Ya I agree with Chris, I've always liked the look of a boundsound hole as well.

No pressure Paul, but if you ever have the time a tutorial would be awsome.

davidO

Yeah Paul, No Pressure!  But, you sure are letting Hesh get ahead of you in the publishing of Tutorial Threads.  How can you let him do that?

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars