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So I am building my second guitar which has an Autumn theme. However on my first guitar I used a pre-made bridge. So this is my first bridge. I made it in Zircote to march the back & sides. The oak leaves tie into the fretboard/headstock inlay. Does this look OK or is it "over the top"

Bill I think it looks great.

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I like the inlays.

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John Mayes
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BEAUTIFUL BILL...
WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS THE INLAY LEAVES MADE OF?

WALTER

[QUOTE=WalterK] BEAUTIFUL BILL...
WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS THE INLAY LEAVES MADE OF?

WALTER [/QUOTE]
The leaves in the bridge are Koa.

Very impressive...your work is outstanding.

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Really tasteful. I like it.

Very nice bridge design and execution Bill. Some of you new to guitar building guys are starting out years ahead of where I started. Very nice



[QUOTE=Bill Greene] No GAS. No WAS. Suffering from TAS though.[/QUOTE]

Bill Greene, That happens to us all so don't feel alone. If the wood guy doesn't get you the tool guy will.John How38672.9280787037

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I like them too. Why not inlay your pins with Koa dots?
Or, better yet, turn your own Koa pins!
That would highlight the leaves beautifully.

Steve

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Very pretty Bill! And the top, boy is that a nice top!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hey Bill,
nice work. The only reason you could say it was over the top, is because
it's glued "over the top." As inlay goes it's actually fairly conservative and
is quite nice. The only problem with inlay is -- man, does it add to the
build time (at least for me it does). You may be new to guitar building,
but it's clear you're not new to working wood. Again, nice work.
Craig

Very, very nice. Not over the top at all. Outstanding work and very inspiring. Way Cooool..

I think that is really beautiful.

Ron

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[QUOTE=LanceK] Very pretty Bill! And the top, boy is that a nice top![/QUOTE]
Yes the top is a fantastic piece of Spruce...courtesy of Steve at Colonial Tonewoods. He also supplied the amazing Zircote. I couldn't be happier with the wood!

I don't think it is over the top in it self. Your inlay looks very nice. The big question is how does the bridge go with the rest of your design?   You say you are working with an autumn theme, so I'm assuming there will be more leaves and such other places, but that should only be "icing on the cake".   Do the curves and the points have other references in your design?

I think a key to good design is treating the object as a whole, where everything from the big lines to the smallest details share common themes and interact visually. If not your bridge could end up as one of many objects that look nice by themselves but fight for attention and take away form the design as a whole.

I'm not implying that this is what you are doing, but the more attention you are drawing to your bridge through its shape, the more demanding it will be to create similar shapes other places. If you can pull it off you could have a winner, if not it will just look busy.

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yes the curve of the bridge is made to compliment the curve at the top of the headstock and the finish curve at the termination of the fretboard. The leaves are the same leaf design as is in the fretboard.
The points at the ends of the bridge are also an exagerated form of the side to top of the headstock intersection.
I'll post some overall photos when I get a chance.

Looks great Bill...Definitely need some koa pins there to keep the theme.

Bill that's just Beautiful! I think it's perfect!

Very Beautiful Work. Let's see some more.

Great look to your bridge, Bill.   

What is your sequence for inlaying the bridge.Do you inlay the rough bridge blank first, or do you shape it, then inlay? What sort of holding device do you use while you route the pattern? What is the thickness of the wood veneer?

Thanks Bill        Rollo38677.5816435185

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[QUOTE=Rollo] Great look to your bridge, Bill.   

What is your sequence for inlaying the bridge.Do you inlay the rough bridge blank first, or do you shape it, then inlay? What sort of holding device do you use while you route the pattern? What is the thickness of the wood veneer?

Thanks Bill        [/QUOTE]
Most of the shaping is done before the inlay. Other wise I would need to use a really think piece of inlay.
I use a very aggressive 2 sided tape to hold the piece in place while I rout the inlay cavity.
The inlay material in finished thickness is most likely less than 1 mm