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Okay, it's my turn for the bonehead of the week award.

I joined a nice bearclaw top a couple of weeks ago, and then installed the rosette this weekend.  I even thicknessed it on my drum sander and never noticed any problem.  It wasn't until I set the top next to a window in my shop to start cutting braces that I discovered my big mistake.  When I was joining the top plates, I somehow flipped one end for end so now I have a top that has the plates glued up wrong.  Now if the rosette hadn't been installed this wouldn't be a problem as I could rip the joint, plane and re- glue it.  Unfortunately I have the choice of either using it as is, or tossing it in the trash.  (Or hanging it on my wall as a giant reminder!)

As far as looks go, it is highly figured bearclaw so it really isn't noticable as far as figuring goes. I wetted it down with naphtha to get a good look at the figuring and it really does look bookmatched.  It is the light reflection, you know, light half/dark half in certain lighting conditions that I am thinking about. I took a good look at the end grain and that is how I know for sure that I got it flipped.  There is a tiny hook on the end of each ring that on one side it is on the top, and the other half it is on the bottom.  This guitar is not for sale, it will either be one I keep, or give away so that makes the decision difficult. If it were for sale, it would not be used.


My question is, what would you do (again it isn't getting sold and it is not a commission build) and more importantly, will this cause any structural issues?  I know that it will cup in different directions but I believe the bracing would handle that.   I hate to trash it as it has a great ring to it when tapped, and I really like my rosette but I don't want to use it if it is going to cause structural problems down the road.   I just can't believe I never noticed this until this far into the building process.

Ugh!  What a downer yesterday was when I looked across my shop and saw this:
 


Any suggestions?

You sure you flipped it? That could just be runout. Runout is often detected by the color difference like that.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

[QUOTE=Don Williams] You sure you flipped it? That could just be runout. Runout is often detected by the color difference like that.[/QUOTE]

And is an effect that can be seen on many a high-quality, great sounding old Martin or Gibson... not something to worry about.

you are seeing what you should see if there is a bit of runout. it's not something to worry greatly about unless you paid a premium price for a top advertised a free of runout. as mentioned above, you will see the same thing in the vast majority of factory instruments, as well as many hand of their hand built custom cousins.

I think it looks kinda cool actually

if you don't want the top send it to me

 

Thanks for taking it easy on me!  I am almost positive it flipped it, but there is a chance I could be wrong.  I thought I was wrong one other time, but I was wrong about that!   The bearclaw figuring sure looks bookmatched but the end grain just doesn't look right to me. 

Anyways, thanks for the advice.  I will go ahead and use it.  It really is a nice looking and more importantly sounding top.  Heck, I guess if it is good enough for Martin and Gibson, not to mention all the good folks here, to have tops that do this, it is good enough for me.

 

The end grain WONT be bookmatched (ie if the outer edges show a 80 degree slant lets say, it will be the same way on both sides, it will not invert) - if it is you did something wrong .. and if the bearclaw is bookmatched, consider yourself lucky - most of the time it is not symetrical, as the figure usually runs thru at an angle, thus the figure in the two halves will not be booked once cut and thicknessed smooth.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Torres did this often, sometimes with pieces that weren't cur from the same billete. I'd say you're off the hook, David!

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

You guys have no idea how much I appreciate your help.  This was a big weight on my shoulders.  The build continues....

Nice looking top BTW.... can we get a close up of the rosette?

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

[QUOTE=peterm]Nice looking top BTW.... can we get a close up of the rosette? [/QUOTE]

Sure, here it is.  The wood is Box Elder from the Zootman.

I ain't no expert, but that close-up sure looks kike book-matched to me.  I agree with the others that it is a slight run-out that makes an unfinished set look different colors. 

BTW - Gorgeous rosette!!!!!!

I've seen really nice guitars with more runout than that. You're in good shape I'd say. Build on!

And darn nice work on that rosette, too. I've GOT to get around to a wood/abalone rosette sometime soon.

Bill

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.