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Here is the picture of the design I had in mind... from my previous post but since it was so long I decided to repost here. The
basic idea is a Hawaiian themed guitar with a topless hula girl in a grass skirt standing on her tip toes on the 20th fret with a palm tree and a sunset in the background. The sun will be setting on the horizon (14th fret) and the palm tree will snake up the neck until the headplate where the palm leaves will be. My original idea was to have the entire thing in different color shell but now I think I am going to do the trunk with palm wood or palm color wood. Each segment of the tree trunk will be a different piece of wood and I think I will have the pieces where the fret markers will be a slightly different color. Everything else on the guitar will be koa (including binding, fretboard, neck, back, and sides) with the exception of the black/white/black purfling on the back and sides and the purl purfling on the front and around the rosette. Let me know what you think... any changes that yall would make let me know because all input is appreciated...


**Warning: Looking directly at horrible artwork directly without an incredible imagination may suffer a personal mental breakdown or go blind. If you cannot look at the drawing of a 1st grader and see what it was he/she was trying to draw then do not continue proceed to the design picture.**



*Please note that all design ideas are property of the original poster and cannot be duplicated without the written or verbal consent of the party.

**Side note: The palm leaves will not hang off of the headplate... this is simply to show that I want the leaves to be over sized and not contained by the headplate making it, in my opinion, more realistic.

I like the design, but I question using palm wood as an inlay. That said, I have no idea how hard palm wood is?

What was your question?

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

The question was just on the design... am I biting off more than I can chew... I have only built one guitar but I am a very experienced woodworker and I have been inlaying for years... so the question is not is this possible... the question is will it look good? In my head it does but some have said I have questionable judgement.... also I would like for some "piggybacking" on the design and getting input from professionals on what could make the design better... that is all... just trying to get a design discussion going...

i think a more realistic shaped palm tree, just the simple arched trunk, would be more pleasing to the eye, and would lead more fluidly to the crown of fronds.

Fretboards get a lot more wear away from fingger nails than you might think. IMOP any wood you inlay into a fretboard other than maybe ebony should be acrylic impregnated so that it will ware at an equal rate to the fretboard.

I really like the design concept. The one issue I have is the overly long trunked Palm with a bit too tight of re-curve in it. If you make the trunk taper just a bit more from bottom to pron head and make the re-curve in the trunk less dramatic it will look more naturalistic

I agree with Michael. I would also extend the trunk a bit higher into the
headstock to the first peg hole or so. I don't think you'll want as much
asymmetry going on in the peghead.

In nature the coastal winds blow palms into a single curve relating to the prevalent wind direction.

SHE!! NA-NA-NAKED!!!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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

If you draw your design from a more "looking up the tree" (not the skirt Billy ) perspective and, as suggested, make the trunk of the palm a single graceful curve as it would appear in nature, the affect would allow more of the head of the palm to be represented on the headstock.

I do like the hula/palm concept.

Cheers

Kim

LOL!!!!!!


You should see the "womanly" guitar inlay links I have deleted as a moderator on another guitar forum...this is simple art in comparison!!!

Might be a good idea to study the work of inlay artists/Luthiers such as William Laskin as a point of inspiration.

All I can say, when there's a will, there's a way. If you are already have inlay skills, it's just a case of studying other people's work and take note of the best materials and techniques you can use.

The palm tree fronds would have to be etched if you want that detail, but how about simplifying the leaves a bit so that you could use pieces of wood sawn to shape.

Good luck!!

[QUOTE=Sam Price]
Might be a good idea to study the work of inlay artists/Luthiers such as William Laskin as a point of inspiration.


[/QUOTE]

Great reply!!! Also notice how he does not overly concern him self with letting parts of the subject mater disappear off the inlay. He understands well that the human mind will fill in the missing parts provided there is enough to understand what is there. This also help with avoiding too much symmetry

(.)(.)

Oh, there is a palm tree?

As Hesh said, it's really not our place to comment as it's your guitar and your's to do with what you want. BUT...you did indeed ask.
So my OPINION is this: I think it's a bit cliche'. Almost like you have to slap the viewer up side the head and say "this is a Hawaiin guitar". But if you know me and/or my work I really like to let the woods speak for themselves. In my opinion as much KOA as you are thinking of putting on it pretty much says Hawaiin all by itself.

Well, you did ask for opinions so here's mine. The thing about putting an inlay with bare boobs on a guitar is it can be fun or it can be...uh...tacky. You know it when you see it.   Other than that, it is pretty hard to imagine what your inlay will look like from your description, and I assume you will clean up your sketch before you start inlaying. Why don't you show us the the finished drawing of the inlay, the way you present it now it is not precise enough for us to give you much real feedback. But one hint; make sure it does not look like the the trunk of the palm is coming up from the girls head or that the forms melt together. Separate them a bit so they will both be at least partly outlined on the fingerboard and they will both be clearer.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

[QUOTE=Sam Price] LOL!!!!!!





You should see the "womanly" guitar inlay links I have deleted as a moderator on another guitar forum...this is simple art in comparison!!!



Might be a good idea to study the work of inlay artists/Luthiers such as William Laskin as a point of inspiration.



All I can say, when there's a will, there's a way. If you are already have inlay skills, it's just a case of studying other people's work and take note of the best materials and techniques you can use.



The palm tree fronds would have to be etched if you want that detail, but how about simplifying the leaves a bit so that you could use pieces of wood sawn to shape.



Good luck!!



[/QUOTE]


Wow... that guy is amazing... Incredible talent... thanks for the link.

If I can suggest. I would place the girl, sun and trunk of the palm tree on the headstock and leave the neck simple and free.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka