Hi James,

I would glue the strip into to outer layer of veneer before laminating it if for no other reason than it’s quicker/easier than doing it afterwards. You may need to scrape the inlay strip flush with the surface of the veneer prior to laminating as inlays/purfling are usually a little thicker than std veneers.

Cheers

Darren

@jamesbissett

Trying to cut a centre strip on a finished laminate would be very difficult. One of my early mistakes was trying this method on solid wood and the knife goes goes with the grain not when you want it to. It took me years to realise that the strip is glued between the two halves. One other problem you might find is that ready made centre strips are quite hard and need a bit of clamping pressure to make a good join. This might be difficult with a thin single layer laminate as it would break. I have to say also that it wouldn't look correct as carved arch type instrument never have a centre strip as far as I know.

Hi @darrenking, thanks for that.

While I have your attention...

On the Bagpress video you say that most veneers come in 200mm wide strips. If I want a ‘two piece’ book matched front or back, am I advised to design my guitar less than 400mm wide?

I have to say also that it wouldn't look correct as carved arch type instrument never have a centre strip as far as I know.

And that’s another problem solved 🙂

Thanks @rocknroller912 

Hi James, lots of veneers are available wide than this but in crown cut rather than quarter cut. What species are you looking for?

Darren

I’m open to suggestions, Darren. 😘

But my initial intention was to make an electric guitar that I could take into folk clubs and open mic nights without raising suspicion. Pale, natural woods - possibly like a fiddle with spruce top and figured sycamore/maple back and sides. A guitar that looks traditional rather than one of those new-fangled electrified things!

And yes, we do live in reactionary times.

Is this a good description of the different veneer cuts?

https://www.bord.com.au/resources/timber-veneer-cuts/

Hi James, yes, pretty good except that the crown cut diagram shows the cut going all the way to the middle of the log. It wouldn’t, as this central section would actually give two lots of quarter cut material, top an bottom, and crown would probably stop 1/3 of the way through the log. The only traditional soundboard species that I have been able to source as a construction veneer ie 1mm+ in thickness, is cedar and this could make a really cool ‘under the radar’ folk club buster electric guitar! Let me check what the available dimensions are but I think it was easily wide enough for me to make a composite Maccaferri soundboard in only two pieces ie approx 210mm wide.

Darren

@darrenking Yup, cedar sounds like an good option, though I'd prefer a pale, yellow style rather than a red cedar if there was a choice. I must confess to a weakness for the look of John Lennon’s Epihone Casino.

Hi James, no problem. If you have a Pantone reference you’re trying to match to I’ll take it with me next time I go veneer shopping 😂😂😂😂

Seriously though, I’m afraid the constructional cedar is red cedar and the only other option might be Douglas fir but this is usually very wide grained and really not a soundboard grade material. I have some hemlock boards but they have quite a lot of sap pockets and so would be mostly suitable for internal layers. I just haven’t found a source for the high quality spruce constructional veneers used for the large scale production of this type of instrument in the states. I suspect I would be having to buy it by the pallet load which is a bit beyond my comfort zone just for now. However if anyone knows of somewhere.....

You could try bleaching the veneer but I’ve never done this so I can’t offer any advice I’m afraid. Happy to let you have some offcuts to play with though.

Oh, and I’ve gotten Yoko’s mobile number if you fancy making her an offer for the Epiphone!

Cheers

Darren

Hmmm.... I've already got a couple of orange guitars.

Hang on, what's this?

. I have to say also that it wouldn't look correct as carved arch type instrument never have a centre strip as far as I know.

Correct is in the eye of the beholder.

😉

Could you use a similar technique to inlaying a rosette around an acoustic’s soundhole ?  Obviously you’d be inlaying a straight line instead of a circle, but that should make the job easier?

Or am I misreading what you’re trying to achieve?

If you’re feeling slightly braver ...

... give it a tattoo!! 

Looks like some bugger has scribbled on your fiddle there! 😉 

I was idly speculating because I’ve seen decorated joins on flat top backs and thought it might be prudent to work out at what stage in construction such a thing might be achieved when working with lamination.

But at this stage I’d be quite happy to have a plain and playable hollow body if the alternative is a highly decorated ensemble of bent plywood art.

@tv101

Interesting that you should post a pic of the inlaid fiddle. It's a very old technique that was used on instruments in the 16th & 17th Centuries (typical on Baroque instruments). It involves scribing out a groove, with a point, and filling with a paste type mixture. In theory it should work on what James is looking to do as the scribing is very shallow. Not for the faint hearted it's probably at master craftsman level so I won't be trying it any time soon.

After thought black superglue would probably work.

Anyone heard of Sharpies? 🤣 🤣 🤣 

Hi James, I think the order you do things might depend a little on what technology you have available to you. It would be possible to rout or laser cut a shallow engraved pattern into a layer of constructional veneer (1mm+) so that you could fill it before you laminate it. The technique options open to you for this type of inlay after lamination would have to be largely performed by hand and strike me as likely being a massive pain in the ass!!

If you just want a pretty inlay strip down the centre join then this is definitely done before lamination and damn convention, if you want one, its your guitar, put one in! Maccaferri never used them but it didn’t stop me and I really doubt that Mario is spinning in his grave!

Cheers

Darren

@darrenking Wow the back on it that acoustic is stunning..

Wow the back on it that acoustic is stunning..

@deej

You’re right, it is!

I need to click on more of these photos to really appreciate them better...

I need to click on more of these photos to really appreciate them better...

@mattbeels I was looking at it on a large monitor are well 😍

sone sort of Birdseye (maple?)? It really pops with that finish..