Official Luthiers Forum!

The post on repairing binding channels got me wondering. Sometimes, I'll see guitars here with more elaborate binding schemes that seem to be so elaborate, that they must be wider than the linings. How does that work? Is the wide part just shallow in the top like a rosette? How much top thickness are you comfortable leaving there? How much overhang with the linings?

Thanks,
Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

I like to leave the linings extend at least .125 and preferably .150-160" inside the purfling. So I make liners to fit my intended purflings.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I have no specific numbers about overhang, but yes, it's usually only the binding that is deep, and the purflings are rosette depth.

I don't really know, but I think violin purflings are usually inboard of the linings. I know that they are considered a fundamental contributor to tone.

I never thought about it much, maybe because right around the soundhole was an area under minimal stress (or so I assume), so thinning the top there doesn't seem like an issue, plus it gets reinforcing bracing under it. But if your purfling extends wider than the linings, aren't you weakening the top at a critical place? You do glue something back, but you've severed a lot of fibers. I'm thinking my next guitar will have binding and purflings that intentionally underhang the linings. Maybe I was just lucky before this.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

There's enough guitars out there like that without any problems to feel pretty confident about it's stability, made by makers of high rep who know what they're about. So I wouldn't fret about it...

You make fretless guitars? I fret mine. Do you think that makes a difference?

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom