Official Luthiers Forum!

He said patent pending as in applied for but not yet issued. But even then i believe there should be record of the application.

I do not break natural shell. I snip to length then miter edges

I've always found that shell broken to fit looks better, more natural, than carefully mitered shell. It's why I still don't like abalam for this work. For inlays, it's king, but for purfling, I much prefer natural shell because it fragments in a natural pattern when snapped to fit.

Grumpy you have had better luck than me over years with snapping natural abalone. I find I get way more flake off or delamination when trying to break it into the channel. I will agree that when it works joints are often even less visible than fitted joints. But my experience is my wastage due to is much higher than if I snip then file a miter to match the position of the previous inlaid piece.

Steve, I don't thint it really matters if its patented or pending.
I just wanted to share with you guys a new product thats going to be available soon to make life easier with shell purflings.

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

Just like Mario, I too believe that that shell broken to fit looks better and looks more natural.

Michael, if you have a hard time with shell and have to mitter it to make it work, here's another reason to try the FlexAb.
Besides, the colors on the Abalam are really top notch. With real shell, sometimes with sanding some of the nice color gets sanded off leaving a rather dull looking piece unlike Abalam which around 30% of its top layers is left with "good" colors and figure.

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

I have used abalam on many occasions for purfling and some inlay. In fact I used it exclusively for a couple years. I would never use it again unless on a surface that will not need very little sanding after the inlay. In my opinion it is a descent product for flat surface inlay and for the most part top purfling. But if you have to sand it it can and will go quite funky. Worse on FB inlays wher the sanding is not level across the piece. But also on flats the muli visible patterning is an issue with me. If the fact that you don't mind partial sand troughs and places where you see multiple miss match patterning or where the top layer is so thin that you can see the next layer shoeing through. I have never had more than on or two pieces per guitar that natural shell ever left me with dull unfigured segments. That could be caused by the fact tht cull the pieces I use as I inlay them.

I don't have to miter, I do so because I have less wastage and better fit up by doing so. There are several reasons I prefer to use natural shell but the biggest to me It looks real as where the thin layers of shell laminated together will often give a funky pattern after very Little sanding. That and it is less expensive to use natural shell if you have a good vendor.

All that said if when you sand abalam if it did not ever or even seldom leave you with multi patterning and transparent layering I would still use it for it ease of use. But unfortunately those issues will never go away with a laminate to thin pieces of shell.

I am not knocking anyone that uses it It is just not for me.

I'm gonna try to get some pics of the FlexAb "in action" and see if I can get some close ups on some of Kevin's guitars.

Stay tuned....

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

Hey Guys,
Its good to be back.... I tried to log in a couple of times without any results until Lance emailed me to reregister again. Thanks lance!.
I just want to share what I've been doing on my fretboards with those standard abalone strips.
I route out the groove freehand and just hammered the strips in. its pretty simple.
Regards,
Jeff
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Hammered them in??
I don't think you can use the same "technique" to do sides and top.....

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

I've used something somewhat similar to this from Swank. It's parallelogram in shape and it can be used as purfling without breaking,and when finished it looks very nice. Dana uses it (or used to use it when I was there) for his soundholes/top purfling. I'm not sure if it can bend in the other tangent, but using it for that is very rare anyway. Pretty dang cheap for what it is too. If I recall right it's under $1.30 per inch for the really nice dark greens and blues of the "green select" stuff.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I was calling it FlexAb but its real name is FlexiAb....

Anyway, here's a link to Kevin's site that may answer many questions you guys may have:
http://www.ryanguitars.com/theworkshop/Luthiers%20Corner/FlexAbalone.htm


Also, I am talking to Kevin and will try to arrange a special deal for the OLF if any of you want to try this stuff.
Paua Abalone strips in a .047" wide by .075" by approx. 4.7" long in real real good quality shell will be available.

Please let me know if anyone is interested.

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

hit us with the digits Peter. I'm sure most of us are interested. What kind of $$ are we talking about?

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Straight to the point hum?
The regular price will the in the neighbourhood of $8.00 per strip but Kevin will work out a "try-out" price for us here!

I'll have that info soon.... this weekend.
Right now I'd like to know if people would be interested to try it....

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

no point beating around the bush I say

$8 sounds a little steep for one strip, but if it really does save a lot of time it may be worth it. I guess that would be about $45 or so more per guitar top purfling job.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Considering Abalam is layered abalone in an epoxy matrix there's all kinds of things that one could do to get it flexible!

Pretty cool idea!!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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

We all know that time is one of the biggest factors in abalone purflings...specially sides. This will definitely make a difference.

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

True, but how often do we use abalone purfling on sides? I bet less than 1% of guitars are this way...then again maybe this product will change that...

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Abalone trim was once the hallmark of the most expensive of instruments. That has all changed with the advent of computer controlled machinery, abalam etc. Now it can be seen on quite inexpensive (under $500.00) guitars in all forms including trim and elaborate representational inlays.............it may behove us to consider other ways of enhancing our instruments ................I don't mean to downgrade Kevin's invention...it will be widely and entusiastically used by manufacturers, however this group might want to consider ways to keep our products distinct from those of mass market manufacture.

Best!

David,
when I posted this thread the intention was to bring this community a new product that may help some of us take our guitars to a different level. While many cheap asian guitars come with abalone purflings, CNC is not the reason behind it. As a matter of fact, asian guitars use solid shell mostly from Vietnam which is fas less expensive than Abalam.
While the argumement over CNC use has been exrtensively discussed in this forum, there are many people that benefit from CNC use....necks, bridges and inlays along with many tools and jigs are widely used by this community.

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

Peter,
I have no issue at all with CNC, and I have gladly made use of parts produced in that manner when they were appropriate to a project.
What I'm seeing (whether produced using CNC, inexpensive overseas labor using abalam or not) are things like a 000-45 style abalone encrusted guitar for $1200. or an inexpensive imported acoustic electric with a huge multipiece abalone pictorial which, one would think, seriously encroach on the price structure for this type of instrument based on what used to be (I know, I've made lots of style 45s) a large material and labor expense.
As far as makers using this new material, I'm positive they will and I wish them the best in their efforts to take their work to higher levels. My comments only question whether the ever increasing use of abalone across the board indicates that is the best route to that new level.
Best

David, I have seen those guitars....man, they look awesome!!!.....FROM FAR AWAY!!! you get close and you realize what you get for that price!

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