Official Luthiers Forum!

It appears there is a restriction on the makers of Rocklite (located in the UK) on exporting outside the country.

Anyone know anything about this? I love that stuff. I hope it's not a permanent ban. I really hate paying $15 for one stick of ebony binding.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

LMI is running a 20% off sale on Rocklite Sundari materials right now--it's the more rosewood looking version. They didn't mention anything about restrictions, but did say "while supplies last."

Dave

Good point. I should've specified Rocklite Ebano' in my post. This is the ebony substitute. Makes me wonder if the Sauduai wasn't as popular and they are just getting rid of their stock.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

Why is it strategic to the Ukraine war and UK weapons production?

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

Yes, word is all rocklite supplies have been requisitioned for immediate bouzouki production

If I could thank that last post again, Josh, I would. Top tier punning.

Pun of the Month, at least if not better.

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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

Good one Josh!!!

Spoke to the UK supplier couple of months back and he had plenty of ebano, just stocked up on it.
https://www.rocklite.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/1848?opendocument&part=3

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Or you could pay 15 cents for a piece of black plastic binding.
I bound one instrument in black ebony, accomplished after much tribulation, and when I compared it to one I bound in black plastic I didn't notice much difference under finish.
Some wood bindings look nice and are worth the effort to do - I'm not sure ebony is one of them.
Persimmon is related to ebony, and the persimmon I have worked with seemed pretty porous. If it was cut into binding strips you might be able to dye it completely through and have a black wood binding cheaper than ebony or ebano.

Has anyone ever just used black fiber? I did once on a very old uke that was a repair and just a few coats of semi glossed shellac over the top to match the rest. Looked pretty good to me but not sure how it would be under a full buffed gloss.

Pat

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Pat

I've used black fiber for peghead overlays and backstraps, and it's been fine under a buffed gloss finish.

Dave

I'd used some Rocklite Ebano bindings from LMI a while ago, and yesterday when I looked for some at LMI, no joy. Does anyone know if another vendor in the US is offering it?

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

Black "fish paper" has been a staple of the guitar building industry forever. Looks like ebony under gloss finish. Ebony looks like black plastic though under gloss finish....

LoL

Pat

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Pat

If you can find black ebony veneer You can glue several layers together (a La double side technique) on your bending caul, and if well done it will look like solid wood and be bent to shape.

I got three sheets of ebony sliced into 3/32'back in 1995. I was told that was as close to veneer as possible with ebony. Still have one a portion. 40X 4". Too good to use.

It was used to make small boxes about 5"X8" or so that contained the keys to the city for the 1996 Olympics. For Sponsors.