Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm planning my first binding of an ebony fingerboard with maple binding. Does the surface of the unfinished maple binding next to the top of the fingerboard get dirty? The top surface of the fingerboard is masked with tape and the sides of the binding are finished. That leaves the unfinished top of the binding... Is this okay...? Don't worry about it...? ...any comments or suggestions?
Thanks,
Steve

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

The unfinished surface of the maple binding will darken from hand oils and dirt. One way to avoid that is to use a small brush and carefully seal that surface with whatever finish you're using on the guitar. It's generally easier to do before the fretting and finishing processes.

_________________
michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com

It won't take long for that to look quite grungy.

_________________
I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Maple doesn't show dirt as bad as the lighter colored woods like holly. The last one I did with holly was showing dirt too easily for me. The consensus from a post on this forum was to seal the exposed surface with thin CA. But since the guitar was already finished with nitro, I used the second solution and sealed the holly with a thin coat of lacquer. Seemed to work fine, but only time will tell.

Chuck

_________________
_________________

Does the soiled edge of the binding look so bad that I'll wish I hadn't bound it?

...so, is it a better idea to not bind the fingerboard at all, but only bind the body in maple?

(I'm building a L-00 in african mahogany B&S and carpathian spruce top and I'm planning to sunbusrt the top.)

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com