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Bass body laminate - inspiration required
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Author:  Stevo [ Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:57 am ]
Post subject:  Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Hello all...

8mm thick contoured flamed maple top on a mahogany body, Jazz shape.

Simple question for inspiration please guys. What can I laminate between the Maple & mahogany? Yes I can put in a dyed veneer, black or blue... green... Easy enough. Now tempt me, what else could I put on?

For instance, one thought off the wall is to get some 1mm thick strips of maple and walnut, say 6mm wide, then glue them on the body horizontally. Then glue the maple top over that. On the sides of the guitar, you will then get a pattern of alternating brown & light brown, between the Maple & Mahogany.

Get the idea? Thanks and look forward to your ideas!
Author:  dzsmith [ Fri Dec 04, 2015 6:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Sounds's like a cool idea to me, Steve!
I'd use a slow-set epoxy to give plenty of working time and to not swell the wood with a water based glue.
Dan

On second thought, it sound's like an assembly nightmare with such small strips.
To get that effect, I'd sand the body edge down to finished shape, route a ledge around the top edge,
Install binding, then glue on the top and use a router to cut the top edge to match the body.
Author:  Alex Kleon [ Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Thin strips of wenge so that the end grain will show 360* around the edges. You can have a common wood in the middle of the guitar with the wenge around the perimeter.

Alex
Author:  fumblefinger [ Fri Dec 04, 2015 11:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Alex Kleon wrote:
Thin strips of wenge so that the end grain will show 360* around the edges. You can have a common wood in the middle of the guitar with the wenge around the perimeter.


Wenge was my first thought also. But it's such a pain to work with. Then I thought "What color would set 'hog and maple off"?

My suggestions:
Redheart: It's dark enought to contrast against the hog and the maple.
Purpleheart: Same as above, not as costly. Looks great with maple.
Cocobolo: Depending on how thick you make it, you could get some nice grain varigation.
Padauk: Dark enough to contrast with the maple, but light enough to also contrast with the hog.

Can't wait for pics!!
Author:  Stevo [ Sat Dec 05, 2015 8:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Thanks guys.

My first thought was to rout a channel for some banding as perhaps I would do on an acoustic. However, I think that any such banding will start to crack/split when it starts to go around the very tight curves of the top horns. I could steam it round them, but I also think that the banding will delaminate when steamed, creating a bit of a mess and a sleepless night or two.

Here's a shot of the maple top, I've not bought it yet as it's still at the shop - it's reserved for me. It's 9mm thick, sanded down to 8mm; I will carve the top sort of Roger Giffin style, and leave a thicknes of maple of 3mm all round. The top will take a stain, but the 3mm maple 'edging' will not be stained, PRS style.

Image

Image
Author:  dzsmith [ Sat Dec 05, 2015 9:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Dang! That is a super looking top!
Author:  Stuart Gort [ Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Do the Wenge....it goes almost black under a clear finish and will help define the differences between the maple and mahogany. I have two guitars in process right now doing exactly that....Maple facings, thin Wenge, and an African Mahogany base. I didn't take pictures of that combination but I did the same thing using Zebrawood as a facing.

This is the inside of the guitar sculpted to follow the outside surface....it gives a pretty clear idea how things will look when these are finished.

It isn't hard to imagine the curly Maple over that.

I also used Purple Heart in between...which also spin my fins.

The four guitars are all sitting as glued up blocks right now awaiting the outside cuts.
Author:  Stevo [ Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
Thanks - Wenge (or Zebrawood maybe... ) trying to find a 1mm thick veneer here in the UK is proving to be hard!!
Author:  Stevo [ Sun Dec 06, 2015 2:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bass body laminate - inspiration required
I've spent two days researching the WWW for a 1mm thick veneer for the likes of Zebrano etc, and found nothing at all.

I'm now resigned to gluing a 1mm black dyed veneer between the Maple and Hog... I know my local Luthier Supplies has it in stock. If I inlaid strips round the edge, I measured about 64" around the bass body, and that's an awful lot of gluing 6mm dyed strips.. 256ish in total.

I've seen it done with a composite veneer, which is a composite of many colours which looks awful - until viewed on the end grain. Again, nothing here in the UK.

If I ever want to make it as a Luthier full time, I'll have to hop across the pond!! The resources you guys have is far better!
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