Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm working on a prototype 13 fret "LJ" cutaway. ("LJ" = Little Jumbo) It's Cedar topped, EIRW back and sides, with Koa binding, and a narrow (.080") Koa center strip in the back. When I was getting ready to cut my neck joint I noticed my OPPS. I put the center of the back to the center of the neck block......but this guitar is a cutaway. I make my cutaway bodies flush with the edge of the fingerboard. The center strip in the back is off center ~5/16" at the neck end. (I guess it isn't a "center" strip LOL)

My choices are,
1. Leave it, it's a prototype anyway ( I don't like this choice)
2. Inlay a wider strip, making that strip centered. It would be close to 3/4" wide. It might look....funky
3. The top is going to be a burst. I could also burst the back, and make it dark enough to cover the last few inches of the strip. I don't think it would be noticable that way. I think a dark burst on Rosewood would look.....funky
4. Replace the back. If this was a comission that's what I'd do, and probably what I should do with this one.

I'll post a picture of it later.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Woody, if it's a "prototype" as in "proof of concept", strictly for you, "not to be seen & if it works I'll build a good one", I'd leave it. If it's a prototype as in "for display.. hopefully I'll get some orders", I'd make it right. Regardless of finish, I'm afraid I'd find it "weird" if the center strip didn't align with the neck, but maybe I'm wrong.

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Dave
Milton, ON

I believe I'd do #2.

Woody: If your are commercial or even thinking about it ,replace the back. If you don,t some one somewhere will see it and your stock will hit the dumper. I think you know this in your own heart. Sorry for your pain and good luck.
Tom.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Let me ad a new one. You can Wedge the perfling strip , measure over the other way the amount you are off and you have a taper. You can rout out the old perfling and the new line , and you have an opportunity for a new design.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I'd go with John's idea. It would look like a dramatic new style of backstrip.

Pat

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

I like John's idea too. The reason I didn't like the wide strip is partly because the end would be a little wider than the end wedge. I'll try that and see what it looks like.

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Nice idea John.

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I was thinking along John's idea as well except that I would just do another purfling line, so you would have a "V" with EIR still in the middle of the "V". I think it would be easier to do and I also think it would look more eligent.

Shane

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Canada

here is an example note the split ZigZag and BRW inlaid through the center .

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

that wedge back strip isn't a bad idea. are you against possibly a 3 piece back? i know that is pretty much replacing the back in itself but just another idea.

As I said earlier I love John's idea, but I'm replacing the back. The grain curves some near the neck. The strip is in the center of the grain, but the neck isn't. I marked it off like a "V" strip would be and the grain didn't look right.

_________________
I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/