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Hey gang -

I have a person with some figured indian rosewood stock, asking if it could be bookmatched and used for a figerboard. My knee jerk reaction is to say no, as adjusting the trussrod would likely split it in half....but what if you ran a reinforcement strip down the middle, underneath?

On the same guitar, they're asking for a ribrest bevel on the back and an armrest bevel on the front....but would like the armrest to be spruce, which I've never seen done. Sitka top, matching sitka block for the bevel stock. Anyone done this? Seems to me that if the grain lined up on both pieces, it should work....would look kinda cool, actually.

Thoughts?

I can't think of any problem with a bookmatched fingerboard. They look nice. A good glue joint should be just fine. No need for reinforcement. First, the glue joint should not be a weak spot. The whole guitar is held together with the stuff! Second, if the truss rod is pushing against the fretboard, it's the joint to the neck wood that it's really pushing against.

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

If you do the spruce bevel, please post pics! Sounds neat.

I've seen plenty of bookmatched fingerboards, and wouldn't hesitate to do so if the right piece of wood came along.

I'd probably use a truss rod that calls for a wood spline glued in above it, to keep the rod from bearing directly against the fingerboard seam.

Spruce bevel sounds cool to me. I doubt the softness would be an issue for just an arm rubbing against it, and the bindings would still most likely take the beating if it ever gets bumped into things.

On the idea of the bevel .. where will the purfling and bidning go ??? only on hte outer edge .. so that you carve the top right into a bevel ??? With most bevels, the purfling and binding define the inner edge of the bevel on the top, and as such the top and the bevel block dont actually touch. So you will end up with the binding spearating the bevel itself from the top ... Kinda like this .... except this one is in curly maple ...

maybe there is another way to achieve what they are asking ... not sure

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

Hi Tony -
Yeah, I was thinking of binding/purfling only the outer edge, not along the soundboard...so it would appear that the soundboard sorta curves right into the rib. Providing the grains of both the top and the bevel line up, that is.

Beautiful guitar, BTW! Niiice!

Why not bend the top like I have seen on some of Sheldon Schwartz guitars, they look real great. I have seen some spectacular book matched fingerboards so go for it.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Yeah .. i am with Fred .. might be easier to bend the top and the bracing to provide the bevel .... like a strat ...

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