Official Luthiers Forum!

i just put a couple sealer coats of shellac on this rosette for number two and i thought id show it off and get some opinions. im relatively happy with the way it turned out. i did get a little bleeding of the cocobolo purfling onto the spruce, but i minimized it and im moving on. the soundhole binding is a tad thinner than i was going for, but overall i think it looks decent.

the rosette is made from quilted sapele arranged in a radial fashion around the soundhole. purfling is cocobolo and flamed sycamore. the soundhole binding is also cocobolo, but its only about .020" wide. i think that might make it purfling and not binding. oh well. it is almost a full .250" tall and that idea was mostly stolen from paul woolson, so thanks paul if you are lurking around out there.

comments welcome.

i do have a question about the size of the soundhole though. i was shooting for a 4.125" soundhole and ended up with something over 4.250". it is an OM size instrument with a 12 fret neck. the soundhole is shifted south to account for the short neck, which is supposed to help support the lower end i believe. i wanted to balance things out with a slightly larger soundhole, but do you think i might have made it too large? i could close it up another .125" if i added a thicker soundhole binding, which i think might look better anyway. what do you think?

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sweat the small stuff.

Heath, you have nothing to worry about. Lot of my guitars have 4.25" soundholes and sound ok.

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

On a Martin OM the hole is 3 7/8 and the X braces passing near the sound hole may be too close . It depends on scale length and hole position.
Making the hole larger will take bass response away from the guitar . I don' think you will have any issues , just food for thought.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Moving it south also reduces bottom end ... move it north to increase .... ask Al.

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

i was thinking the same thing.

thanks for chiming in guys.

the guitar is adi over hog so hopefully it doesnt have too much bite. i went a little deeper on the body so maybe that will help.

thanks again.

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sweat the small stuff.