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I am bulding a OOO from southeast asian rosewood. I have inlaid a large leaf maple burl for my rosette and my bindings will be figured maple. I was wondering if good design requires my end graft to be of the same material as my binding or can I get away with the burl used in my rosette?

Thanks,

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

What ever looks good to you should be fine. I would worry a bit about lack of contrast if the binding and wedge are similar.
If there is not adequate contrast, try using the back and side wood with the grain running perpendicular to the sides.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Ken,

I would suggest taking a scrap piece of plywood and chisel out a relief the size of your end graft and then use it to mock-up various design choices. Lay it against the bottom of the guitar in it's relative position and evaluate each one. This will help you choose whatever you may think looks best. Photograph them and then lay them side by side if it will help you establish pro's and con's.

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Peter

I think the maple burl for the end graft sounds like a great idea. What I would do is visually separate it from the bindings by framing it in the purfling(s). In other words, don't miter the purfling(s), just make the purfs that border the bindings run continuously above and below the end graft, and put purfs on each side of the graft as well.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I never use the binding wood for the end graft, I prefer to use the same wood as the B&S. However, I do inlay it as Todd suggests, using the side purfling as a frame. I like to put a bookmatched wedge of the B&S wood with the grain at right angles to the side wood. A bit like this one, size will vary with the guitar design.

As to whether the maple will look good, only you can decide with the wood inhand. It's your aesthetics.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

there's no hard and fast rule as far as I know.

I like to match the end graft to the binding to make the side wood "boxed in".

I know this statement might get me in hot water and I mean no disrespect to anyone by it. I personally think that matching the end graft to the binding is just a classier look.

Here are my offerings

Curly maple



Ebony

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I pretty much like to do miters if doing a side purfling. Just my preference. I also in the past for the most part used the same wood as the binding for the rosette the endgraft. They were for the most part contrasting woods or plastic from the b&s sets.

I now like to make binding, rosette and endgraft using cutoff's from the b&s and back sets. I then use contrasting wood or b/w/b or other combo's to make purfling for sides, rosette and endgraft. On two doing now using coco the colors and grain are very different so making the binding and other stuff from one set and using it on the other. On two others using the cutoff's for binding and other parts,from the sets and using koa on one and maple on another to do the purfling. With the contrasting woods or fibers, still allows the binding, rosette and endgraft to stand out.

I do this because I got tired of buying binding and purfling's when so easy to make, and actually like the schemes more.

Great ideas, guys. Colin S, you have a novel approach that I have never seen before. For my previous guitar, I did as Rod noted (see below). I like Todd's suggestion and may go that route. I have abalone and thin bwb purfling bordering my burl rosette. As I mentioned earlier, I am doing maple bindings, but on the top I have an abalone purfling along with the bwb. The center seam in the back is abalone with bwb. I am not doing abalone purfling on the back just bwb. The reason I bring all this up, is that I could do as Todd suggested and run my binding and bwb all the way around then inset my burl, bordered by bwb. I could also add some thin abalone to further frame the graft. I'll have the top and bottom on within a couple of weeks and will then have to decide. I'll probably mock up a burl and maple graft and see how they look. Thanks for the suggestions.


Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

I made my end grafts with the cutoffs of the sides.

That looks really nice, do you still have a centre join as it looks like the grain matches both sides... very classy look though!

No, but that might just be a good idea! I pick one cutoff and have a wedge sawn. The idea is from John Gilbert's.

I once made an EIR OM with coco bindings and a padauk endgraft. I liked it.....

I like a narrow end graft, with little or no taper. I also like to orient the grain of the graft the same as the binding, when I can.



Just my own preferences.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Some real beautiful work here guys!

Sometimes an end graft can be an opportunity to introduce a different piece of figured wood than what is used in the rest of the build.

I have some cherry burl that was harvested by my Brothers years ago and I will try to put a piece of it into every guitar I build if I can.
But there is something about continuing the binding through the graft that looks so pleasing.


Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Very neat stuff, folks, with some stellar craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com