Official Luthiers Forum!

I just priced enough Zip-flex to build a D45 copy, Approximately $600? Holy crap. I've always wanted a nicely decorated guitar like the D45 but that's a big chunk of change and that doesn't include the bindings. I suppose I could cut out some of it and still have a pretty stylish guitar from the top view. I'd like to see other options for creating something similar.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!

I don't see the point of abalone on the sides and back. Top and rosette are where it's happening.

I cut my own shell strips from a slab of ablam. Pretty quick and easy.

I haven't used any of this stuff but ebay might be a resource worth looking at - a number of sellers offer "knock off" materials of unknown quality but more attractive pricing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255044809656?


P.S. - abalone on the back and sides is done for the same reason as using highly figured woods on the back and sides and adds as much to the sound.

I posted something similar a few weeks back and got no reply. I am also going to be builting three 45-style OM's and was wondering about the edge abalone on the bottom of the binding that runs along the sides. Zipflex seems to be perfect for this. I was thinking of using regular abalone for the top and back but the Zip for the edge purfs. That would save a lot of money. But then I wonder if it would look funny?

But I have never done side edge abalone before. have you? I used Zipflex a few times for tops when I first started doing this and then I did it the traditional way and was quite surprised at how easy it was. I think I can get a whole top done in less then an hour. So it makes no sense to me to by the Zipflex for that. Plus I think the randomness of piece by piece looks better. So I'm wondering if it's actually easy to do the side purfs too. I just have never tried it.

Not bling fans here.... again guitars to us are tools for musicians not Christmas trees.

I have done my share of 45's Custom pearl inlay in Malone NY will set you up about $1.10 an inch and he has the poly and purflings to go with it.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

John, how do you do the edge binding on the sides like in this pic? Do you install the binding with a teflon strip, pull that out then hammer in the abalone pieces?

I hope John replies JF, I have wondered the same and was hoping someone would answer your original post. How do you break the abalam or shell on the outside radius without the top layer flaking off?

Same here. I was hoping someone would answer jfkckenna's question about the side purfling.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

What I started thinking was to just break it into really small pieces and just jam it all in there and sand it flush. The only hard corners on the OM will be the upper bout curve and the waist. I was thinking of using flush cut nippers and cutting like 1/4in sections or something like that. But it would be interesting to know what the pro's do or even the way Martin used to do it.

I've had such great luck ordering through Rescue Pearl, and I'm always astonished at how reasonably priced they are.

Good to know. I will have to check them out. I have been using the Australian pearl company for a while now and there too quite astounded by their prices compared to others.

Guess I’m lucky that I’m not a fan of abalone bling on guitars. Prefer to spend my $$$ on pretty wood.

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Andy
www.bounsallguitarworks.com

I have used zipflex and the Chinese equivalent. You can get a better deal with zipflex if you buy in bulk. I purchased 100 strips several years ago. I treated it like a group buy and offered members on this forum (through market place) a good price. Made a little money on that but probably didn't cover my labor. But did end up with all my zipflex at a discounted price.
There are differences between the Chinese and zipflex. The Chinese pieces were about 7 1/2" long and the zipflex is 15" long. Zipflex is encased in a 'U' shaped thin rubber like(or plastic) material while the Chinese has a rubber type material just on the back. the Chinese is tougher to work with as it really wants to twist. Zipflex is a little easier with the twisting. The small Pieces of abalone are easier to see in the Chinese that in the Zipflex. I have always used the Blue Pao zipflex and like the color of the zipflex better than the Chinese
Chinese I used:https://www.ebay.com/itm/233384747099?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D22e28a915ae34cfc8aaf868ddafa65eb%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D233384747099%26itm%3D233384747099%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Af064bd9f-012e-11ec-870f-fa649420b60f%7Cparentrq%3A602cf9ca17b0a4b4ca234526fffeb9c4%7Ciid%3A1

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

Doing side purfling is much the same as on the top and back. Just break it into short pieces to negotiate the curves. I have only used solid pearl for this. In some instances, I cut my own strips from raw abalone shells. It is a matter of using what you have on hand.
I have used both polyethylene and teflon fillers to create the channel.

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John

Many years ago i was duly impressed with some abalone purfs on a guitar being played in low light conditions at a party. Blinking like "Christmas tree lights" on the inherent chatoyance of the purfling, I was mesmerized.

I thought I had to incorporate that in some project, some time. At the time I never even thought I'd build guitars.

Was a little nervous about investing the $$$ for the purfs.

But I finally caved to the desire and ran abalone purfs around a top.

Zipflex or the solid shell were about the same price/inch. Zipflex looked easier. But I decided to go with the real deal.

Turned out to be really a fun experience. Sure, some care had to be taken creating the channel for the shell, but dang, it was really fun and not at all as scary as I thought.

If you are going around a top, sides and back, you better be sure to be able to get takers for the upcharge cause it isn't cheap to buy and it takes additional time to install.

But i love it, same thing as fancy wood bling IMO, just a different medium. I use curly maple for the exact same reason, it just lights up on light refraction and looks very cool.

How far you go with it or any bindings and purfs depends on what you think you can get for it unless you just build for the love of it, then it just doesn't matter.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Yeah I mean if guitars are not aesthetic then why bother even having bindings or at least nice ones like curly wood and so on. Besides this is what I am getting paid to do so I do it. And it's with some of the nicest BRW most luthiers would be lucky to have so believe me the wood is pretty too

To each there own I guess. It's just a different level of aesthetic. It never really was my think either till I bought a few vintage guitars with bling and then built a few myself. And it is actually fun doing it. It's also surprisingly easy, at least on the top and back, and people are almost always totally amazed at how you could possibly make such a pretty thing.

I have used both solid shell and ablam. Just break in . I find going side to side helps it snap I use tite bond or elmers white glue then once snapped I use a small 4 penny nail ground like a needle to adjust the pearl no need to hammer just a light push
one note is that when you set up this in the binding process I do a ledge for the purfling at about .o50 and the binding at about .065 and start and send all the miters first

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I used to do group buys here that made it cost effective. we all got a bunch of cheap. Last time I tried to do it there was a great big "meh" sound. I could do it again, But there would have to be some serious participation. No international.

Mike