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This is the first one I've done with pearl of any sort, and I was surprised at how relatively simple it was (bit of filing to get pieces lining up more or less nicely, colour-matching, then glue, then done). Tony Karol's rosette jig (built courtesy of Sylvan Wells' instructions out of some scrap swamp ash, because I couldn't find anyone who carries 3/4" UHMWPE or similar plastics, works fine, although I'll probably have to build a new one when I get the materials. Takes less than an hour to do, though, so...)

Top's WRC, 10/10/10 black/maple/black purfling to either side of a 1.3mm line of abalone with a spalt maple rosette ring. This is fresh off the thickness sander after a spot of sanding @ 220 grit and a dust wipe-down. Hope to get the bender tested and running this week (life keeps getting in the way of building) and bracing/gluing the top by next weekend or so.



Overview:

Mattia,
Youve done it again. There is lomething ??? between colors and grains that grabs

Mattia...nice execution on the rosette and Abalone in particular.

One question...why did you orient the spalted maple the way you did? As soon as I saw it, I immediately thought its grain should have been oriented in the same direction as the top. To my eye and my design preference it seems unbalanced.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Mattia, excellent job. I think the grain orientation could be really nice
depending on the rest of the guitar. I like asymetrical guitars. Very nice.

Mattia, nice execution on the rosette, I like the maple.

JJ, I always orient the grain on my rosettes at about 45deg as well, I don't like the look of either with the grain nor across the grain very much so like Mattia I put it at about 45deg.

Like this:



Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

JJ: I originally had it running with the grain, but to my eye that left too much 'blank space' along the outer edges of the rosette with this piece of spalt, with a significant part/majority of ink lines running under the strings, in line with the strings, and being hidden by the fretboard. Running it at a perfect 90 degree angle also seemed too 'symmetrical', even jarring for this kind of wood, 45 degrees off the cardinal points again, little too 'premeditated'.

I wanted something with a little movement to it, a splash of figuring, with the majority of ink lining in the areas not obstructed by strings. Ergo, the angle you see up above. Bit of asymmetry thrown into the mix, bound and controlled by purfling and abalone.

Thanks Colin, and don't worry, I've got a few non-pearled guitars in the works after this inlay encrusted country music geetar is complete.. ;)

I have that picture up there saved in my 'file of pretty guitar pictures', by the way; very inspirational stuff.

Very nice Mattia!

Being the sort who has all the screws that hold the electrical outlets and light switches on in my home oriented vertically so as to not collect dust and to match each other the 45 degree orientation caught my attention too.  But I am nuts so forget that I mentioned it.....

Beautiful work and nice to see you building again Mattia.

Mattia, that's very nice. I dig it.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

very nice i love the under staed thin lines of abalone.

Not too bling but eyecatching at the same time.

Welldone,

Joel.

Looks good Mattia. That double peral around wood rosette is one of my favorites.

John

Mattia, are both of the abalone rings pre-cut with the same radius? I've heard people say you can just fit them in even if the radius is off by a little but I'm not fully convinced.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

It may just be possible that Hesh's Obsessive Compulsive nature is rubbing off on me. Nonetheless, the rosette looks great!

Thanks for explaining the rationale.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

David: the rings are cut to perfectly match the outer radius (at least, they did, although I'm fairly certain it's wider than the 127mm inner diameter I specified) and were a touch too wide for the inner ring, but nothing a few snaps (1 or 2 per 1" piece) didn't solve, and the result speaks for itself, I think.

It turned out beautiful.

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Aoibeann

Nice piece!

Craig

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Great looking rosette, Mattia.  I actually like the angle, and your logic seems sound to me.  Good work.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Mattia, that's quite handsome.
Is that maple spalt from local trees?
It's a fantastic piece.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Mattia - I, too, really like the angled grain.  Your reasoning above, like the execution of the rosette, is flawless.  The spalted wood is stunning.

Steve

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK