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I decided to keep the maple plain. After gluing on the laminations and scraping flush, I started liking the hues that were coming out...



But after gluing it in, I saw there was a small crack. It was only in one section so I still have no idea what I did to cause it...



Needless to say, I was a bit peeved. I routed out a section 1/16 wide and I inlayed a new b/w/b lamination.





Now I just have to scrape that flush and it should be flawless. Still, I'm debating if I want to rout out another 1/16 on the outer edge to have perfect symetry...

What do you guys think? Do I need to match them?

Thanks for looking.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Alain, it looks pretty darn good to me with just the extra b/w/b on the inside.

I like the blonde look by the way

I actually think it looks really good right now.

Alain, I think it looks really good and you did a great job covering up any problems, however, things just don't seem right to me when the purflings schemes don't match. To me, it looks more like an oversight when the rosette isn't weighted evenly.

Cheers!

John

Alain...I like the Maple coloring. I believe it will pop under finish and further differentiate itself from the spruce.

I have to put in a dissenting vote for the heavier outside line. I'm generally obsessed with symmetry and I feel it would be more balanced. When I look at the original with the same purfling lines on the OD & ID, it definitely has a conscious-effort look to my eye.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Mark me down in the "add another line" column.
You don't want your bolder line to look like an afterthought, nor your single line to look like you ran out of b/w/b.
Make it look intentional--add that other line.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I like the single inside line Alain, it kind of helps with definition of the soundhole.

I also like that you've set the grain of the maple off angle to the grain of the top, and not 90*. I think that is going to look very very cool.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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It looks awesome Alain, love that maple Man!

i would probably follow Steve's idea for the overall look although JJ's idea of symetry is aso good advice, tough call bro, your call!

Looks really nice...I would do the same on the outside too!

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

Alain,

What Steve said.

Perhaps a simulated soundhole, piece of black paper or something black cut in a circle would help visualize how it will look.

Whatever you end up with, I think that blonde on blonde is going to give it a nice, light open look.

burbank39017.0472916667

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

[quote]What do you guys think? Do I need to match them?
[/quote]

   You don't want to know what I think, you wouldn't be able to sleep for a week! But as for the BWB on the outside... symmetry is over rated. Name one thing in nature that's symmetrical.

   I think it would looks good either way, but I'd leave it! I really do like the colors, looks classy.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Thanks for your kind words and your encouragement, guys...

I'm leaning towards matching the outside. The purfling had been on the pipe already and it's just waiting for a new channel....

I just hope that everything turns out o.k. I just keep thinking in my mind about the old addage 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'!...

But you guys are right about the symetry/intentional look of the whole thing... It just grates my nerves knowing that the two sides aren't the same...

By the way, the pictures don't do that maple justice. The piece has blue, gray and silver hues all over!

Cheers,

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I would not add anything to it.

[QUOTE=Alain Desforges] I just keep thinking in my mind about the old addage 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'!...
[/QUOTE]

Alain,

Another example of historical Chinese whispers. It started out as "If it ain't broke, I'll soon fix that "

I'm in the "dare to be different camp" and would be tempted to leave it as you currently have it. The rosette will be a little too wide for my tastes with the outside done as well. How does it look if you put a black cardboard circle where the soundhole will be.

But then again I know all too well the "niggling voices" that go off in your head when you think something isn't right. They never seem to go away and they stop you from noticing anything else when you look at the guitar.

Either way that maple will look stunning.

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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

Dave, that's a good point about the width of the rosette. That has been on my mind as well. There's quite a bit of over-hang on that top as it stands now.

I'll try putting a black circle in the middle before I make up my mind for sure...

You wrote, 'If it ain't broke, I'll soon fix that!... I like that!

Don't worry about the voices in my head. With enough Scotch, they can be silenced... Alain Desforges39017.3793981482

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

For what it's worth Alain,
When I do rossettes like yours, I first inset just the center part then, I do
two seperate passes for the lines. Everything comes out really tight.



I hope this works it's the first time I've sent photos.

long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Right on Bob! That's a gorgeous rosette, and a great way of executing it as well...

I usually don't have any problems with gaps. This time around, I'm not sure what happened. Maybe the piece moved a bit, maybe I exerted too much pressure on the router. Who knows?

Still, I like your way of doing it! I might just try that next time around. Thanks for the great tip!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I do mine the same as Bob;
it allows for any size purfling and trues the center section so that you know it's round!
I like your rose the way it is!
Symmetry is not important !
mike Collins

www.collinsguitars.com

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Mike Collins

I borderline passionately believe you should leave it. Check out the
Sheppard rosettes. He's not symetrical with the purf and it looks
amazing. The maple will have such a similar hue as the spruce,just with a
heavier value (meaning darker). If it were going to stand out more (like
your idea of dyeing it), I'd say match, but the effect with everything being
so similar, and the spacing between the purfs... I think it's going to be
amazing. It's your guitar and you need to do what YOU'LL like, but I'd cut
out a black circle like Pat suggested and at least look at it for a few
minutes.    

You have probably decided by now but my two cents is to add the other line to balance. Of course I say this while in the back of my mind I think it looks so good now, and there is always the risk of a defect when routing that one last line.

I would still go for it - and my guess is you will

Hey Al, i just remembered that my rosette on no 2 wasn't anything symetrical!

My view is leave it alone it looks fine as it is. The thinner outside line will be balanced by the binding and purfling, an extra line on the outer edge may make it look too heavy, against the maple. Whereas, the heavier inner line will compliment the blackness of the soundhole.

Gee, I like a logical argument. 'Is this the five minute argument or the full half hour?'. (Monty Python)

Colin

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

Here is my attempt at a maple rosette on spruce. I really liked how it came out. I did a maple bridge too.
Hope this pic comes out still figuring it out.

Birdseye maple back and sides too.