Official Luthiers Forum!

I was wondering, when beginning, before you find your 'sound', if you put on the binding last, you could still hear the guitar play if you really need to take the top off, and you would not have to bind it twice, and it would be easier to take the top off.

Anyone ever build that way?

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Frei, Yes you could hear it play perhaps ? BUT, have you ever tapped on a guitar without the bindings on ? it sounds almost dead ! but as you put the bindings on, the tone comes back ! its like night and day. - you could not hear how the guitar "really" sounds without bindings. and what about the bridge ? if that is not glued on just screwed on then that to will not give you a direct sound on how it really would sound. three is the neck that will be a bit of a hassle to get on and off. I think it would be to much to loose and to little to gain to do what you´ve been thinking about.

Lars.

Frei: May not be a bad idea if you wanted to cobble together a mule guitar to learn a lot about top voicing. If you don't cut your binding ledges you will find that the guitar will sound quite close to what it will be after you install your binding. Also you could glue your bridge on with white glue to make it relatively easy to take off later on for finishing. From what you learn you could no doubt move your learning at a much faster pace. Good luck with this project.
Tom

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

Usually, things sound just fine before you route the binding channels... Then it starts sounding a little funny.

I am meaning to do just that -- build a really simple guitar -- White, no bindings, no rosette.... A really quick knock-this-up experimental build... I keep saying I am going to build the next one as a fun/test mule... and it is still on my list... but now, it's just not really next..

I think it would be a good idea.... just not totally last... I think it would be much easier to do the finishing after binding....

Good luck

John

I am now doing the bindings after the epoxy (or whatever pore filler) and side leveling. This is of course assuming wood bindings.

Mike

Agree to what others are saying, ! I was refering to the binding channels already being cut but no bindings on.

Lars

I left the top unbound on my first build. I removed the top several times, and also used 3 different tops. I wasn't trying to find a specific tone, I was learning how to shape the tone. That guitar now has binding and I use it at gigs. I used the other 2 tops on other guitars.

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

Wow! You guys are brave!!! So far, I have been "tuning" the plates (still not sure exactly what I am doing) and stick with the sound once the body is put together.

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Don't confront me with my failures--I have not forgotten them.

No Binding Channel Lars! Hey, do you have any soundclips of Scandinavians playing guitars? Were all waiting! You guys ever gonna try and take Norway again? That Nationalised Oil Deal is pretty sweeeet!

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Its too dam easy to thin the binding when scraping and leveling the sides. Do those activities first then do the binding.

m