Guitar and ukulele sets (redrawing from scraps by hand)

[custard]

I suppose you're saying it's a bit ostentatious. ]

Seriously I'm not, you commented that the book match was disjointed and I was saying that book matching quilted maple will always give that effect, so if you thought that was a problem (and so would I by the way) then don't spend a lot of money on something that'll just grate once you have it.

I guess I'm saying it's an inappropriate use of a timber. Surely the beauty of a book match is when the symmetry suddenly opens up a new and harmonious window into the staggering beauty of the grain? But quilted maple will never do that, it'll always have that disjointed and jarring jointed edge. It is possible to view it from directly above so that the effect is minimised, but move your eye just a fraction of an inch and that disconnect will suddenly re-appear.

That's all.

Enjoy your purchases, but this is one that may well have a sting in the tail.

Good luck!

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

But a simple string line to separate the two pieces, and all would be fine. It is also about designing with the wood not just letting it dictate.

Mike.

 

[bugbear]

[...and a home-made frame saw.

I hope he didn't copy Fidgen's joints.

He uses a totally suitable, if overkill, double tenon, but the orientation of the mortices in the handle is across the grain, so there's a tiny little shortgrain wall in there,

This is a published plan/book/video by a "professional" (in the sense that he's paid).

The "making of" video is quite funny, as he's ever so tippy-toes careful not to break that little wall...

BugBear

 

[AJB Temple]

Re the (not) book matched back. There are ways of dealing with this the results in a less eye-jarring look. One is to use a three piece back. The other is to use an inlay (often matching the bindings) between the 2 or 3 back pieces. This takes the eye away from the imperfect symmetry. This was commonly done years ago and was a feature towards the tail end of the Honduras mahogany period for guitar backs when lutherie supplies were running short.

Highly figured wood has been in vogue for 10 or more years now, I suspect led by Paul Reed Smith to quite a large extent.

Good luck with the purchase. Let us know how you get on. Some Gibson custom shop guitars are really nice.