Fancy WOOD bindings?

[RASHARU]

Why is it that you never see a Gibson with wood body binding? I have a luthier friend that says the wood actually "shapes" as easily as the plastic and really doesn't cost much more.

[BigKahune]

I'm not sure. But now that you've got me thinking, I don't remember ever seeing any Gibbys with wood binding.

 

I have a Taylor that has wood binding throughout and a wood rosette inlay. It is really nice looking, but it's not something I would specifically want/request.

[onewilyfool]

Curly maple, koa, rosewood, ebony, all make good bindings....I love it.

[BigKahune]

Here's a close up of my Taylor -

 

The binding, from the inside to the outside edge alternates rosewood and maple - R M R M R - to mimic b/w/b/w/b.

 

Also there's a band of maple under the outside rosewood binding strip.

 

[RASHARU]

Here's a pic of my HD Scott 000-Rosewood. Cedar top. Flamed maple binding with matching rosette.

 

 

Understated but elegant.

[BigKahune]

Hey RASHARU -

 

Is that one from your luthier?

 

Looks sweet. I like the flamed maple.

 

How about a front on pic?

[Red 333]

My guess as to why Gibson don't use wood more often for binding is that plastic is harder. Binding is suppossed to prevent the guitar's edges from denting and dinging due to everyday use, so a harder material may provide more protection.

 

That Taylor and Scott are both lovely looking.

 

Red 333

[BigKahune]

Red - Please give us a pic.

 

 

I did catch a pic here - http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/quality,85/brand,sameday/RSJLPNH1-12339f755b2dcfb8172f401190aea425.jpg

Blows up pretty big.

 

On that one the binding is banded like b/w/b/w. I take it the white is maple, what's the dark?

[RASHARU]

Yes. There's no doubt that the plastic is more durable & much less susceptible to daily wear & tear. Good point there, Red 333.

 

 

This is my latest "custom" build from my luthier friend. An HD Scott 000-slothead, cedar/rosewood with a 1-7/8" nut & oversized soundhole.

[BigKahune]

Ah, there it is. Very nice. As you said, simple and elegant.

 

I like the pickguard material too.

 

Does your friend have a website? I'd love to see more of his work.

[RASHARU]

Does your friend have a website? I'd love to see more of his work.

 

No. Not yet. He mainly builds for his family only at this time. He claims to be in that illustrious "experimental stage" in his career right now. I've actually gotten two from him.. a 00 spruce/hog & this 000. Numbers (7) & (9) of (14) built so far. He gets a kick out of me because I'm always wanting something odd-ball that stretches his ability.

 

Now that I think about it, I may be the ONLY person outside his family that's ever gotten one! He should be going public in a couple more years.

[RASHARU]

Does your friend have a website? I'd love to see more of his work.

 

Thought I'd show you the 00-spruce/hog too. It was a totally experimental build (no blueprint whatsoever) and it turned out with incredible "punchy" tone.

 

[pohatu771]

My classical has wood binding, and I love it. It's lighter than the cedar top, and much lighter than the rosewood sides.

[BigKahune]

RASHARU -

 

Nice. A bit larger than I expected. Interesting color on the top.

 

 

pohatu771 -

 

That would be your Rodriquez I see. How about a pic showing off the binding?

[RASHARU]

RASHARU -

 

Nice. A bit larger than I expected. Interesting color on the top.

 

 

pohatu771 -

 

That would be your Rodriquez I see. How about a pic showing off the binding?

 

That's my 7 year old playing G&R on it. It is indeed a smaller sized guitar.

[BigKahune]

 

 

I should've known those fingers were kind of stubby for an adult.

[Red 333]

That's my 7 year old playing G&R on it. It is indeed a smaller sized guitar.

 

I like the juxtaposition with the KISS T-shirt!

 

Red 333

[eds111]

The Songwriter Deluxe Standard has flamed maple binding.

[eds111]

The Songwriter Deluxe Standard has flamed maple binding.

[pohatu771]

I guess I can oblige. I hadn't even gotten around to taking photos of this guitar yet. It was replaced by Manuel Rodriguez and all my photos were of the old one.

 

[RASHARU]

I like the juxtaposition with the KISS T-shirt!

 

Red 333

 

Uhh... Juxtapo..what?!? You got me there. Please explain.

[rar]

My guess as to why Gibson don't use wood more often for binding is that plastic is harder. Binding is suppossed to prevent the guitar's edges from denting and dinging due to everyday use' date=' so a harder material may provide more protection.

[/quote']

 

Sounds plausible. Another factor could be the prevalence of sunbursts. On a sunburst, the finish has to be scraped off the binding. (The standard tool is a glass microscope slide, but scrapers can use whatever works for them. It's a very tough job that requires extremely steady hands. Done almost exclusively by women, BTW.) I can imaging that scraping down to bare wood could easily raise the fibers if done "against the grain", and the geometry of the guitar makes scraping in the same direction along the entire length of the binding rather difficult..

 

-- Bob R

[pohatu771]

I had heard that binding was to make joining the back/top and sides together by giving it more surface area. It doesn't make sense to me, but I assumed there was something I was missing.

[Red 333]

Uhh... Juxtapo..what?!? You got me there. Please explain.

 

You know, I had to look it up afterwards myself, to make sure I used it right.

 

It's nothing bad. It means when two (sometimes opposite) things are side by side by side. The effect is often comical or thought provoking. Some would think the classical guitar and KISS were polar opposites, yet your son makes them make sense together.

 

Red 333

[Red 333]

I had heard that binding was to make joining the back/top and sides together by giving it more surface area. It doesn't make sense to me' date=' but I assumed there was something I was missing.[/quote']

 

You're thinking of the kerfing (the slotted strips of wood) inside the guitar. The binding is the thin strips along the outline of the body, and sometimes neck and headstock.

 

Then there's purfing, which is kind of decorative binding. If binding is the protective outside layer of plastic or wood around the body's edge, then the purfing is the decorative layer or layers next to that (like Gibson's rope design, or Martin's herringbone), or around a soundhole.

 

Kerfing, purfing, and binding. Sounds like a lawfirm.

 

Red 333