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This is a cedar top with bubinga rosette and bubinga fingerboard binding.
The rosewood fingerboard as a lot of variation in it which I think is cool as it helps match the top.

I’m at a decision point on any inlay.
I like the “natural wood” look of this guitar so far, and I’m considering a simple inlay at only the 12th fret.

Anyone else feeling the “naked” look for this?

The sides and back are spalted tamarind. The binding will match the fingerboard and be bubinga.

So ... yea pretty simple.






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I rarely ever do any inlay on the top of the fretboard- just side dots. Simple is good.

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I think a single 12th fret inlay can be very attractive myself.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

If I do ebony (and it's fairly black throughout) I'll put the dots in, but on figured wood or anything with a cool grain pattern I just do side dots as well.

It looks good though, Brandon. Nice work.

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I’m with Chris. I don’t do anything on the face of the fingerboard unless asked. Although I’ve never done it, I like a discrete 12th fret market if it is justified by the design.

On that guitar, it seems to me like you already have a lot going on. The fingerboard binding, streaking on the top, streaking on the back, etc.


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That wood is too pretty to sully with adornment unless specified by the client.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Bare fingerboards are all the rage these days plus they are less work!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I left this Bocote bare.
I really like the look.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Bare fingerboards are fine. The customer even asked me to leave the high frets out on this one....

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

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I appreciate everyone’s thoughts. I like the idea of a really natural “tree” look. Not sure if that term makes sense haha.
When I’m fortunate enough to get my hands on something that is naturally pretty I always want to let that shine, although I’m still working on what that actually “looks like” for me.
Something peaceful about a naturalistic guitar to me. Some builders do a fantastic job at bringing it out.

I don’t even think I’ll do purfling on this one. Just the matching bubinga binding.



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It will look great with no inlays or a single.

For the 12 fret I've been leaning towards an inlay that spills into the 13 fret. This sort of thing.

I have also done an all wood celtic knot inlay at the 12th.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

If that is fresh cut cocobolo rosewood it will darken quite a bit over time and loose the color variation it shows now. It will still look nice. Classical guitars usually eschew fingerboard position markers (even side dots).
Sometimes I do them and sometimes I don't - usually just simple round dots if any.

That's some beautiful wood you have there. I agree - let the wood do the talking on this build.

It is bubinga.... is that the same as coco?


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I do a single 12th inlay sometimes but au natural is always nice. It certainly looks good in those colors you have there. I'd be tempted to leave it as is.

I'm surprised to hear so many are in favor of bare fret boards. I've been advocating this since the 90's out of pure laziness and a penchant for classical guitar design

In my experience, the majority of steel string players like having fret markers on the face of the FB. Even many good players. Unless I am asked not to put in fret markers on the face, I always do it. You'll have a wider audience of buyers.They also often don't care for markers that spill over into surrounding frets. I used to spill designs across frets, but usually avoid that now.It is a cool idea, but disconcerting to some players.

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Less is more.



Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/instrum ... or-guitar/

^^^^^ HUBBA-HUBBA! ^^^^^

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What planet is that from?


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Seriously... I have no idea what is going on there but I'd love to play that thang'.

Piling on here but. . . I prefer the look of a naked fretboard. I do have to admit that a single inlay at the 12th has been tempting me lately. I actually prefer the look of a naked peghead as well but to many it looks generic or unfinished. That is part of the reason why I have never settled on a "logo" design for my pegheads. I don't really know what I would want it to be and my motivation to decide is low since I like the look without it.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

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"It is bubinga.... is that the same as coco?"

Hi Snow,
Not the binding, but the fretboard itself. The color variation reminded me of some fresh cut cocobolo I have processed which later turned dark as it always seems to do eventually. The bubinga binding should hold it's color fine.

That rather minimalist guitar was an experiment that didn't work. But it was a failure that led to another experiment which has sold reasonably well, and for a decent price, and is probably my most "shared" design on the web.



Som folk like the inlay process. To them, a guitar without inlay is an anathema. But it's different strokes for different folks. I've always thought the term "tasteful inlay" was something of an oxymoron. In 30 years I've never inlaid anything more than a pearl dot. I've never put a logo on any of the hundreds of instruments I've made. And I never will. My boss didn't on the hundreds of instruments he has made, so the habit never developed. And I see no need. Whatsoever. I know who made it! And it kind of works in my favour. Often at gigs, people will go up to a customer of mine and ask who the instrument is by - because they couldn't see the name on the head.

Mind the last year, I backpedaled a bit from extreme minimalism. It's not as commercial as I would like. So I started using herringbone again. And it was nice. It feels quite nostalgic. Like the stuff I was making in the late 80s.

This is about as fancy as I get:



Generally speaking, I see the materials as sufficient luxury:



To my eyes, nice clean lines, clean joinery and nice woods are enough. Even something simple like this is pleasing to the eye:





Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com

It is rosewood


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#goals

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