Official Luthiers Forum!

I am building a couple perfect reproduction guitars that were made in the 30's and 40's and I am trying to get the details right down to the very last detail..

The dots on the neck were some sort of plastic that seems to be yellowed through and through. They have also shrunk a little bit if that is a relevant clue. The material never seemed to attempt to look exactly like pearl.. no swirly-ness to it. The guitar was made in France.

Any ideas for what I could use to replicate this? I don't want to use the fake pearl as I have heard it basically looks just like pearl and it is not yellowed at all. I realize that I will have to find a machinist to with laser cut the dots or find some rod stock that the dots could be turned from (this would probably be easier - cheaper) so the material needs to be in some sort of regular shape so the machinist can manage it... Dots are 8mm, 6mm and 4mm.

Thanks for any input or ideas I can get.

Regards, Peter

Can't tell from the picture but possibly ivoriod would be a good match? Here is a pic if a les Paul style guitar I have with ivoriod bindings.

Possibly if it did not have a "grain" to it, but I think most of it does.. Is that so?

If folks think this might be a decent solution, where could I get stock such as sheets or rod or bar stock that I could have machined?

Thanks, Peter

Axiom is the only supplier I could find with a full selection of celluloid binding.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I checked out the axiom stuff.. It has a fairly prominent "grain" to it that wouldn't be appropriate for my use.

Any other ideas for materials that might work? Doe not have to be a traditional material.. Just look like the posted picture.

Thanks!

If you want authentic, get some white celluloid from Axiom, and set it out in the sun for a few days.

If you want it sorta close enough, stewmac has cream colored ABS binding in sizes big enough to cut dots from.

As an aside, cutting celluloid with a laser might not be a good idea.

I think the stuff you are trying to match started off as white. It has changed color as it has aged. If you are looking to make authentic reproductions, use white. Or if you must have something that looks like it is very old you could cast your own with epoxy and pigments.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

And you certainly don't want to try and laser cut celluloid.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

They have grained & white. Are you saying the white has a grain too?

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I'll get some of the white and have it water jetted into dots or something.. I was thinking the Ivoroid because I assumed the white would be color-fast. Hopefully under intense UV it will darken up a bit.. If it does, it will be perfect.

Thanks for all of your help.

Regards, Peter

What about gold pearl?
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pear ... _Dots.html

Michael

Gold pearl is what I usually use, but I am making a couple special guitars that are perfect reproductions and the originals used no pearl..