Official Luthiers Forum!

Ok, almost getting tired of myself posting this much .

I need help in choosing back for my build. its the same back but not sure what way to have it, sap in towards the center or sap out. ?
lets make it a contest, I´ll choose the one most wote for. and you win a free lapdance with Hesh.
can you see the look of a ghost on one of the backs ?


Also, I finished my mold , just need to glue her up and put the lock on etc. AND, tried to chisel one of the Xbraces, just to get a feel for using the chisels and see how I would do, please give me your say on the brace "am I on the right track in hight and so on ?.


Lars.

Lars,

I vote for #2.

I like sap ln the center of a back and I especially like the
interesting, mild non-symmetry going on.

Why don't you post picture of the sides, too? That might
make an aesthetic difference.

Keep going!

Eric

Thanks Eric. Ok here are the sides and neck striped with macassar and B-Limba. the bindings attaches to the sides are as you can see Maccassar to.
"keept voting"
Lars

Lars,
Buddy, I would put the sapwood at the center. To me there's just something about having that stripe at the center rather than the sides that has a certain charm about it.

I would love to see what this baby looks like once it's completed, make sure you show us! lol

By the way, I guess I am not confident as to what exactly the sides and back are, you mentioned Macassar Ebony, but to me it looks almost like Zebrawood. Again I may be missing the obvious - I am a teenager after all!

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Jake Archer
~~Make a joyful noise unto the Lord~~

I am not a fan of sapwood to the outside but I have to say I like #1 better. If you look at the back like a piece of art work. placing items of interest to draw the eye all around the image, #2 leaves a big empty spot right in the main field of focus. #1 is a much better balance of intrest in my opinion

#2

No respect I tell ya, no respect.......

I like #1 because it looks like the upper bout of the guitar is on fire.

Very nice work Lars my friend!

Well I think this is the first time I've ever prefered the sapwood on the outside..

I think 1 looks a lot better.

_________________
CVT Inc.
A tour of our shop (Somewhat outdated)
My Personal eBay profile. BCWoodBug

I like #1 BUT .. you are limiting yourself to these two, and there is more choice !!!! I think there is likely a way to recut the centre line such that the sap is in the centre, and most of the darker areas still fall into the pattern (ie you will likely trim some of the sap off each piece and draw the joint closer). Make a plexi template (or even a negative pattern in cardboard), and then move it around to find the best half pattern .. then recut the joint to match that.

Just becasue someone cut the pieces that way doesnt mean you cant change it (or flip the pattern end for end even) - I (and my students) do it all the time to suit what we think looks best.

One of my students bought a set of Madrw from the Zootster - he had a pattern marked on it which excluded some wilder grain that we kinda liked - so we recut the joint line to draw it in, and then flipped the pattern to put it in the lower bout.

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

Maybe 2 would look better if you'd cut off some of the sap, but whatever you do 1 is still more interesting.

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Build log

Tony beat me to it, simultaneous post

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Build log

I like #1, there's a ghost in there.

Lars,
Put me down for a #1 ghosting...
Normally, I like the sap in the center, but there's just more 'excitement' in the #1 arrangement.

I like #1 of the two possibilities shown. I'd like to see #1, but with the mold flipped around. Don't know if I'll like it better, but I'd like to see what that looks like, most of the dark towards the bottom.

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Aoibeann

I've just cut out a back in Black Limba for a OOO, I reduced the 'sap' section down in size to get what I thought was a better balance. With your set though I think I'd go with #1 for the greater interest in the figure, but what does it look like with the lower bout at the other end?

This is the back layout I settled on.



Colin

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

Beautiful back Colin!

I like sapwood centers, but your #1 looks best.

I was just down to check on more possibilities ! but what irritates me most is the darn black dot in the sap, cant get that out of the way. to turn it around and have more dark on the lower bout, makes a nice back, but takes away the image of a ghost and thats what attracts me in the nr2. I have at the most 1cm on each side that I can take off so the sap would come closer, but just 1 cm !! and that would still leave me with the dark dot.

Colin that will make a beautiful guitar.

"I´ll choose the one most put their wote for".

Lars

My vote is for number 1. Good luck...

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Jamie M

#2, lines are graceful, well defined.

I'm usually a sucker for sap in the center, but I've gotta' go with #1. Just plain looks better to my untrained eyes.

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Rob

I like sap in the center, but the visual appeal of number one wins for me. There visually more movement to the back in number 1.

I like #1 better. It is more interesting. There is a lot of blank real-estate in the #2.

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Brad Tucker

Lars, here's another vote for #1. More interest for sure.
About that black dot, or better put, the missing dot on the other side, if you got some graining pens, you could draw the missing dot on the other back half, and no one would know.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

hmm thats an idea !! I checkt it in photoshop, and it lookt better than with "one" but we all know that 2 is better than one . still I cannot maku up my mind, hmm I just love sap centers. time will tell. looks like the voting is leaning towards nr 1.

Lars