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Hi all, just bought some EIR and Lutz spruce for dreadnaught guitars 2 and 3 and was wondering what kind of wood bindings i should use to make my guitars stand out . All suggestions are welcome, PICS would be really appreciated also!

thanks, Serge

Bloodwood is a very classy look.

Koa is always nice... but a little bold.

Snakewood looks good too...

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Flame maple is my choice with rosewood

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

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HI SERGE,
MY FIRST GUITAR WITH EIR AND I USED FLAMED MAPLE AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
TRY IT...YOU'LL LOVE IT.

WALTER

my favorite with EIR is Koa.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I do quite like the look of flamed maple, ergo using it on my first. Nothing too heavily flamed, just something pleasant looking:

i tooo love the maple or sycamore binding with the rosewood

You guys never sleep. I just finished a Rosewood flamed Maple binding and it looks nice for a first. I'm a plastic man myself. But the maple has it all on looks over most plastic. All these examples are great.

Curly koa with EIR is one of my favorites. My best looking OM that I have built has that combination and I really like the look of it.

I've used a fair amount of quartersawn sycamore as well. Gotta be careful with it though, it gets a little busy looking.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Ebony, though a little difficult to bend, looks gorgeous against EIR but you need a BW or BWB purfling to get some separation.
I just started another SJ(ish) guitar EIR / Engelmann. I was thinking about bloodwood, but the colours weren't complimentary to my eyes. So... out with the flamed Maple. YES! Decision made.

I like koa with EIR, this is what I used on my first, but I think EIR bindings
with a maple line, or WBW, or even RED/W/RED purflings would look really
classy.This is my 000/long scale:



This is a Sobell guitar (I think it's Braz RW):

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

WHEW!, i'm havin' a tough time decidin' here guys, everything i saw so far is so gorgeous, i think i'll let more people post in before i make my decision! This is a treat! So far though, i must admit that koa and flamed maple are very attracting choices maybe with BWB purfling? Let'em pics get here! More please!

Serge

This may not help your decision but I've decided, on my EIR Martin Kit, to use the Koa with the laminated BWB from StewMac mated with a BWB purfling.

Even more excited about the decision after seeing Laurent's post and pic. That trim with just a single white line (BWB) would be very elegant to my mind.

I have a hard time with light bindings with EIR. I would also be tempted to use EIR binding with just a fine WBW line around it. It is somewhat a reaction to my factory Martin with White plastic binding and Bolatron end piece - to me the white plastic is SOOO ugly - the maple is very nice but reminds me of the white binding and I do't likw so much contrast.

Sorry no pics to share - yet.

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Thank You and Best To All

Serge,

Here's one I am working on with Flamed maple with BWB top perfling. No side perfling here, those compound miters at the cutaway scare me at this point (no pun intended)

I agree with Larry that plane maple is boringish for a wood binding.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

An option to consider if you're thinking of ebony is just to use black fiber bindings instead. After finishing, it's pretty hard to tell the difference between black fiber and black ebony.

I'm getting some of Bob C's curly eucalyptus binding to try out. Check it out on his web site (RC Tonewoods).

It's all subjective, of course, but I prefer woods with a bit more color, e.g. koa or perhaps eucalyptus, against the dark rosewood. The pale maple can be too much contrast for my eye. I've never liked the white or cream colored ivoroid/plastic bindings on many rosewood guitars, and the maple is a bit too close to that look for me.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I find most koa a little soft for bindings, but that's just my opinion. Remember that koa, even though it looks a lot like mahogany, gets lighter with age under many finishes, and should be treated as a light wood, with a dark line next to it.

I find that rock maple bends better than soft maple, if you've got the choice.

I always think of dark bindings as more 'formal' looking.

Macassar ebony bends better than the blacker stuff, and the heat seems to darken it.

I'm using a lot of Morado, AKA pau ferro, for bidings these days. It contrasts with most woods but seems to 'go with' everything too. It finishes well, bends nicely, and is good and hard.

Thanks everyone! Your thoughts on this and your pictures are very appreciated, kinda open my eyes on such a great variety of combinations but the final choice will be hard to make!

I guess i'll have to decide between bloodwood, koa and snakewood for bindings with BWB perfs on top, on each side of the rosette and on the sides. My final choice will probably be made when my wood gets here, then, it will probably be easier to make that choice! That's the most beautiful dilemma i have ever had to face. Feel free to send more pics, i still have plenty of time before i get to that part of the build, so i'll check this thread from time to time for those who didn't have the chance to post their pictures!

A delighted Canuck!

Serge

[QUOTE=LarryH] This may not help your decision but I've decided, on my EIR Martin Kit, to use the Koa with the laminated BWB from StewMac mated with a BWB purfling.
[/QUOTE]

CORRECTION: The StewMac Koa laminated BWB is NOT Black/White/Black as is stated in the catalog - it is actually Black/Koa/Black. If you look at the picture it is pretty clearly BKB but who would look there?

Should be nice but I intended to match it with the BWB purfling, I'll still use the combo but was looking forward to the White with the Koa. Will be a bit harder to match everything now - just a heads up.

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Thank You and Best To All

Could I just say that it's a treat to view these pix?
You guys are truly inspiring, and I appreciate such inspiration.

John, Mattia, Paddy, Laurent and Rod: thanks mucho!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Serge

I have a picture of the bindings I stock on my website. Mine are mostly laminated with something else but I do have curly Koa, curly Maple and EIR. Look at the ones there and if you want a better picture of any particular one let me know and I will get one for you.

Good luck on your decision. I am still scratching my head on the Australian Blackwood guitar that will soon be a completed box. May be Koa? Maybe EIR, I have bloodwood too.......Ah!!! I guess I will deside when it is time to cut the channels!

Shane

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Canada

Shane , that is exactly how i feel, and i also have to take neck wood into consideration. If i choose to make a three piece laminate neck with black ash coupled with i don't know what, it's gonna make that choice even harder!

Man! That's the beauty of lutherie, we never get bored, do we ? I'll let you know as soon as i have a clear choice in my puzzled head!

Serge