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Earlier I ran across this nice looking old Gibson L1 on ebay (hope the link works)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1926-Gibson-L-1-acoustic-guitar_ W0QQitemZ130186697573QQihZ003QQcategoryZ33025QQssPageNameZWD VWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It looks to me that both the top and back woods are unmatched though they both look to be the same species (spruce and maple I'd guess).  I have seen quite a few old black L-OOs that had unmatched woods, but have yet to see a 'natural' colored Gibby like this.  To the untrained eye the back might be kinda hard to notice, but look at the wide grains on the bass side of the top; pretty different than the treble side.

Are there any makers out there who have used or currently use orphan tops, backs or sides?  Will this be something we might all see or do at some point in the future?  I wouldn't be too surprised if it was...

It seems that this was quite comman in the early 20th centuary.
I can only presume that they did it becouse wood availabilty was nowhere
near what it is today so they had to use whatever materials they had.
Also it would have made sense financualy.
In those days its was perfectly exceptable and as time has shown us
structualy there are no problems.

I think that in the future as was mentioned in another thread this week we
will resort to orphan,slipmatched and even 4peice tops and backs.

i know that i am looking at cutting 4 peice backs out some exceptional
peices that wont yeild three or two peices.

As for tops i think we are ok for a decade or so but as shane has said
once the current old grwth wood is gone we wont have any alternative
other than to use three and four peice tops.

Allthough personaly i would worry about using a wide grained peice on
one side and tight on the other.
Who knows what kind of stresses that put on the top.

Also there is allway the good old sunburst if we want to cover the visual
problems.

Joel.

several of the guitars I have donated through my church have been from orphaned sets. Usually stained if the match is bad.

The bidders are really flocking to his listing, aren't they? 

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'd agree Joel that a lot of it was for financial reasons if not to get rid of all the single(s) left over.  At this point I think these little boxes were going for less than $40.00.

Staining or just spraying them black seemed to be Gibson's regular method of using this type of leftovers.  Like MichaelP has done I plan on soon using some randoms I have and staining them dark.  With the unfigured woods as long as the color and grain aren't too different what would be the problem, as long as you didn't advertise the wood as being bookmatched?

Yes WaddyT, folks sure are lining up for this one .  I don't understand why folks try to start their listings so high.  Unless the item is already consistently going for high prices.  Go figure, I really do like this shape; kinda like a J200 someone left in the dryer for too long...

It's only in the 20th century that bookmatched wood became de riguer for all guitars. Most 19th century and earlier instrument builders used the best pieces of wood they had available. Certainly the great Torres only imfrequently used book matched wood, especially on his tops, but he did use the finest wood available.

I have built a couple of lutes with unmatched tops, using some very old wood that didn't have pairs, one of them was even sides, but the other had the join an inch or so off centre, as that was the best wood I had.

Don't be cocerned about unmatched or even multiple piece tops or backs, it's the quality of the wood that matters.

Colin

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

[QUOTE=Colin S]
Don't be cocerned about unmatched or even multiple piece tops or backs, it's the quality of the wood that matters.

Colin[/QUOTE]

Unless, of course, you plan to sell them.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] [QUOTE=Colin S]

Don't be cocerned about unmatched or even multiple piece tops or backs, it's the quality of the wood that matters.



Colin[/QUOTE]



Unless, of course, you plan to sell them.[/QUOTE]

Methinks the customers have been spoilt!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

At least the seam is in the center. I've seen a few old Gibsons with 3-piece tops, joined in rather arbitrary locations. Just an aesthetic issue, which is the true beauty of the burst.

That one is certainly starting at way too high a price though.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.