Official Luthiers Forum!

So I have a question,

Has anyone glued up 2 plys of wood and then bent them? If so what were the results? I have some really killer looking spalted maple( great ink lines and color) that I was thinking I would like to use for sides and back but I know they would need a backing plate as well for support.

I know tone wise not good but PRETTY!!!!

So please anyone with any experience with something like this please Chime in . I'm worried about the heat delaminateing the sides during bending? What would you do and what glue would you try? I'm thinking elmers white glue? It works very well for edge banding on cabinets and really has a lot of strenght if allowed to dry properly. Also worksvery well with heat for edge banding as well if applied to both sides and allowed to dry then apply heat and join.

So what do ya'll think? Maybe worth a try?

Thanks in advance,
Mike

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I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

Mike, there are several threads in the archives about laminated sides. And there are those that would argue that its detrimental to the tone.

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Aoibeann

Mike a number of builders here use double sides. But I believe that each of the two sides are bent separately and then they are glued together over a form with clamps.

Even though to some double or laminated sides are associated with cheap guitars the reason that some of the top builders do it is that it makes an incredibly stiff rim. It is also a lot of extra trouble when compared to single sides but the stiff rim has benefits for some building styles.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Mike, Bogdanovich shows one technique for constructing a 2 ply laminate in his book on classical guitar building.

The Selmer-Maccaferri gypsy jazz guitars were three-ply back and sides. According to Michael Collins in his book on building them, the three plies produce a better sounding guitar than the traditional one-ply guitars. Guess it is all in the eyes (or ears) of the beholder.

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm aware of using plys for sides, just wanted to know if it was possible to do it after they are glued up, and if anyone had tried it? Mainly because I believe the spalted maple will not withstand the process on it's own merit. I may be wrong So I guess I'll try it Wish me luck LOL!!

I'll post the results when I get it done.
MIke

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I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

If you are worried about bending it, try Super Soft II. Its a veneer softener. It might just do the trick.

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Aoibeann