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I am going to be building a guitar with a decorative marquetry backstrip down the center.

In the past I have used single lines as a sandwich (i.e. the same thickness as the back sandwiched when joining the back).

I have done one or two where I inlayed (about a third the thicness of back) a herringbone or "zig-zag" type.

The one I am doing now is a complex multi-piece marquetry type.
My inclination is to inlay it for strength-Just wondering if anyone sandwiches this type-or will it make a weak joint (I will have an interior cross grain reinforcement of course).
Thanks,
Brad

I would think you should inlay it as the marquetry maybe too stressed if it is part of the joint. The Cumpiano book also references this and calls for an inlay rather than a sandwich.

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Brad, I've done it both ways and much prefer the sandwich method. I always make a point of running thin CA on and around the marquetry backstrip before sanding the back to the final thickness. I've seen quite a few of the commercial backstrips delaminate.

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

Simple lines sandwich is OK if well jointed and clamped, but I would not try it for marquetry. I vote for inlay.

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Build log

I agree with Laurent with the slight except that I thickness and then run the CA.Think the sandwich is faster and just as strong. Have never had a back joint separate.

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