Fancy WOOD bindings?

[Red 333]

Sounds plausible. Another factor could be the prevalence of sunbursts. On a sunburst' date=' 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[/quote']

 

Good point.

 

Red 333

[BigKahune]

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.

 

 

I like the light color of the outside binding (maple?). And it looks like a strip of rosewood between the top and the outside binding. Very nice. I like the colors in the rosette too.

 

 

 

eds 11 - Oh yeah. I got a look over at the Gibby site (Songwriter Deluxe Standard ). Flamed maple outside binding. Looks like R M R M. Cool.

 

[RASHARU]

Another factor could be the prevalence of sunbursts. On a sunburst' date=' the finish has to be scraped off the binding.

 

-- Bob R[/quote']

True, but there are also other methods like taping/masking. You could possibly even apply the binding after the top color was done (before glossing it). If the joints are properly routed, the binding will be a near perfect fit with very little sanding required.

 

Larrivee makes alot of sunbursts with maple bindings. I used to have a rosewood parlor that was beautiful!

[Red 333]

Red - Please give us a pic.

 

 

I did catch a pic here - http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/quality' date='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?

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

I just looked at my J160E Peace, and it does NOT have maple binding (that I can identify, at least). I thought I had read somewhere that is did. It does have what could be a layer of maple on the headstock, underneath the black veneer. I edited my first post to correct the error.

 

Looking at the Peace, I thought of another reason Gibson might use plastic so often for bindings: many models have the fret ends covered by the binding. I wonder if this is not easier to do with plastic.

 

Red 333

[Hall]

Love it on my Taylor 814 CE.

 

... Steve W

[rar]

True' date=' but there are also other methods like taping/masking.[/quote']

 

True. But The Gibson Way has always been to scrape, and most of us hope that Montana will always continue to build guitars The Gibson Way (to the greatest extent that current economic realities allow).

 

BTW, my wife reminded me that the "Custom Shop" does do some wood binding. One of the folks who works there told her that binding with wood is "a pain in the a$$", so I would guess there's a significant upcharge for it.

 

-- Bob R

[ksdaddy]

The first mandolin I built, I made my own wood binding. Mahogany I think. It was a whole 'nother deal as compared to what Gibson does, as I did a clear finish and could just sand the whole thing.

 

The biggest advantage I can see to using plastic binding is that I use Duco cement, which softens and swells the plastic a tiny bit, which helps fill little voids and gaffes which occur when routing with a dremel tool.

 

If I ever get around to starting my classical I plan to use wood binding but it's more cosmetic than anything else.

[watchunglava]

my gibson has maple binding . well you can't really see it in these pics. looks good though .

 

 

ohh here ya go here is a good one

 

 

[watchunglava]

[watchunglava]

 

[KL]

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']

 

 

Yes I think the plastic binding is a lot tougher. I've banged the edge of a few guitars with plastic binding by accident over the years and have always been thankful that it was so tough.

[larryp58]

You mean like this new Gibson?!!!

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/Square-Shoulder/Gibson-Acoustic/Songwriter-Deluxe-Standard/Features.aspx