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I have some walnut that I have had for quite some time. I used it to make tables and shelves in my wood shop, before I started making guitars. I was thinking it would make a great guitar for my grandson, but the problem is that the widest board I have is only 5 1/2 inches wide, So the question is, could I make a three piece back, with book match boards on the outside, and maybe a triangle in the center? And how would a 3 piece have to be braced?

I love 3 piece backs, but I'm not too fond of the ones with a contrasting center piece. What I find looks sharp is to use the bookmatched pieces on the outers, and center piece of the same wood, and if it's from the same board, just flip it so that it reflects light "backwards".

If you have the wood for it, a four piece back looks very cool. A bookmatched wedge in the middle & two outer pieces bookmatched.
I find it looks best with a very simple stripe (Black or BWB) between each piece.
Have Fun!   
Dan

To me, either contrasting without being too dramatic or a piece from the same wood like Mario said would look great, i'd see white ash from BobC in the center if you choose the first option, just my last broken in half cent!

We're spoilt nowadays with the great tonewood we can go out and buy. In the past, even the greatest guitar builders had to make do with the wood they could find. This often meant using three or more piece backs and sometimes even tops. According to Romanillos, of the 88 surveyed Torres guitars only 30 had two piece backs, 37 had three piece, 14 four piece, and 3 had five or more. I would agree with Mario that the best look would be to use the same wood.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Here is a pic of a 3 piece back on the bouzouki I just finished. I had the same problem you had, some koa that was too small for the lower bout, and I only had a piece of Bob's sycamore laying around. Sorry Mario, I know this is what you are talking about not liking. But since this is my own personal instrument, I didn't mind. This was more like a prototype used with cheap woods. That Koa I found for $25, and the sycamore was about $2.

2 strips of cedar are over the 2 seams. Very simple to do, but it does require more precise cutting for the braces to keep straight.


Tracy

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Here's a 4 piece BRW (old growth pre-ban) and it's MINE....all MINE....going on my new guitar commission this year.

Hey, you folks are great. Nice looking guitar Tracy. That is indeed some nice BRW Larry. I'm sure it will be a fine guitar.
Thanks for all the input.
Jeff

The way to make a contrasting center piece look more intentional is to bind the guitar with the same wood as the center wedge. For instance, if you used walnut for the outer pieces, and say, curly ash for the center wedge, use curly ash bindings around the body.
You'll tie things together nicely, and prepare the eye for the contrasting wedge.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I love three peice backs! Heres one that i made, and I made the threepeice into a little 'theme' wich came back in the end graft.

Wow Lars, that is a great looking guitar. I love the way you you used the binding stripes to tie it all together. How about some pictures of the whole instrument. What is the top?
I am finding OLF to be very inspiring as well as helpful. Thanks for sharing your pictures with us all.
Jeff

I think I posted this pic once before, but here's a nice looking 3 piece back with no bookmatches.



Here's a different take on a 3 piece...a little sapwood involved. Not sure I like it, but maybe someone will!



Andrew

You may want to slice 4 pieces, and try unfolding them "accordion style" into a running bookmatch. That way, if you like that look, you'll be able to pick the best looking (or best quartered) maximum 4" width wedge shape out of the stock you have. Or, if the 3-piece looks good, you'll have that as well.

If the material is well-quartered across the entire board it won't matter much, but if some of the wood is more flatsawn, you may want to slice it close to its final thickness (leaving just enough to sand it flat when joined.) The grain in flatsawn wood chances quickly, and is much harder to bookmatch.

Please post a photo of the slices when you get there!

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

[QUOTE=Lars Rasmussen] I love three peice backs! Heres one that i made...[/QUOTE]
Lars, stop that! You're obviously an alien from outer-space with abilities far beyond those of mere humans. Your examples are unfairly humiliating!

Jeff,
Heres the 4 piece walnut I'm working on right now. I had the same situation, but I had the wood on hand, so I used it. I don't have a picture with all the bracing on, but it takes quite a bit more fitting in between the back grafts.

I like the way it turned out though.

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Horton, MI

Thanks Jeff, i've posted this guitar earlier on this forum, heres the thread(which contains all the info about it);
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6381& KW=lars+rasmussen#forumTop

[QUOTE=Kirt]I like the way it turned out though.
[/QUOTE]
So do I. That's gonna look right perty! Did you resaw those boards yourself?

walnut you say......

this dred is being thrown together from off cuts from a shopfitter's dumpster......

4 piece back.

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Michael, one stunner guitar each time i see it! i wish i was closer to be able to play this one!

Lars, that is a stunning guitar....lobe the binding design! How about more pics??

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