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I've got a guitar order that's to have a paura rosette inlayed into some Aussie Blackwood and I'm still on the fence as to the width of the rosette I want to use.

I'm sort of thinking 1/16" is to narrow and maybe 1/8" is a bit to wide.

Anyway would you folks who have used pearl, paua etc.. as a rosette please post a picture and let me know what size it was. I think that might help me to decide.

Thanks.

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Here's a 3/32". I think it depends on the rosette scheme. The old Martin style 45 uses 1/16" and it looks perfect with multiple purfling rings.

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

That looks really nice Jimmy. Can you tell me the width of the inner and outer wood rings please.

Nice looking rosette

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I am of the school of smaller = better.

I have been using .047" shell with .06" of wood showing on both sides and micro b/w/b purfs on the outside. I think it is a classy look.

Rod,

These dimensions are pretty close.

.030 bwb/.125 brw/.030 bwb/.094 abalone/.030 bwb/.125 brw/.030 bwb

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

Here are a couple Rod.

The double ring is 1/16 paua, the overall width is a bit over 3/4. Its on a jumbo body (actually, you saw something very similar at the Tommy show, on the baritone).

The single ring is about .150 of shell in a 3/4 ring.

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

Rod, This one is 11/16" wide with 1/16" paua.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Rod, here's one with 1/8" wide paua shell.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Rod,

Here's my bud Jamie's rosette that he has on his current SJ (His no.1). The Paua is 3/32 and the whole rosette is exactly 1/2 inch wide. He used .040 b/w/b and some of that gorgeous koa/maple/koa purfling from Shane at High Mountain (shout out for Shane!!!). I think that pufling came in at about .060.

This picture is in the white, but this rosette looks stellar in person and the dimensions are just right, IMO...

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

G'day Rod

This is 1.5mm (about .060) in Blackwood
.


This ones about 2.5mm in Blackwood



Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Here is my thought on the issue. I have seen many wide as in 1/4" and wider Abalone rosettes that were just a single ring in the top with a purfling inner and outer boundary. They looked over the top, out of scale with the guitar. But when done with a contrasting wood ring looked OK.

I find when most clients see a 1/16” abalone ring on cardboard and they think this thing is tiny and thin. Then see it inlaid with purfling boundaries and assume i used wider shell. It is a visual elusion. A .02” black purfling edge around each of abalone will near double the width appearance of the abalone to the eye.

Personally I think 3/16” or so is as wide as you really ever need. You get wider and seams are more apparent and it becomes over kill real quick

Michael, I couldn't agree more. I'm very much of the 'less is more' approach when it comes to pearl. Although a fantastic looking element, it can become gaudy right quick.

That coming from someone who wants to build a D-45 copy some day!

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

Wow, very nice looking rosette's folks.

Thank you, that has helped me alot.

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

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson