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how do you finish celluloid??? ,sand and pore fill with z poxy as normal??

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MK5acoustics.com

No , I just shoot finish on it.


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I've noticed a discernible difference in the tap tone of a sound box when routed out for bindings. It goes from a vibrant beautiful sustaining tone to a dull thud. I can't imagine wrapping that in plastic and hope to get it back.

Flame away but I had these words written on my first web site circa.. oh when ever the web came out. hahahha

I will say no more for now

In general, can one use veneers to build up any purfling and it look right?

Edit: I meant binding

I've only used veneers for Ebony the glue line is invisible with such dark wood. I have heard of guys using veneer strips for Bloodwood (it can be a PIA as well) and Mahogany but I did not see those instruments.

Regarding hearing some difference celluloid vs wood bound guitar -- maybe a space being of some sort could -- a human earthling I think not. $.02 -- Brain Burns however, has an article regarding and describing the quantum improvement resulting from binding an instrument originally constructed with no binding. I'll try and find it -- the story was compelling.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

In my experience building a guitar with solid versus kerfed linings you will not hear a tap difference on the box after cutting the ledges. I think it's an air thing. Maybe. Possible?

Tim

Very definitely an "air thing". Until the binding is applied and dry, there is air leakage and that inhibits the box from functioning correctly.

I don't think its an air thing, hopefully Trevor will weigh in and do some "splainin", solid linings on the top help to improve the responsiveness by reducing energy loss to the sides...helping the sound waves get reflected back across the soundboard..

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MK5acoustics.com

Gee, that's odd...
I can hear the difference in tap after I rout bindings in a guitar with kerfed linings. The box leaks like a sieve and it doesn't pump through the soundhole. After the binding is applied, it pumps again...

Perhaps one of you guys should start a new thread -- getting way off topic.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Yeah no doubt about it. Hey... Sound ports anyone?

Soundports?
No thank you...

Use kerfed linings, rout the box and leave the bindings off - micro sound ports, the latest Feature!

Hi Mike,
I glue veneers together in the same order they were sliced, and the darker woods often appear to be "solid" even when looked at on edge. Lighter colored woods often show the glue line.

That statement has virtually no basis in reality... I understand the emotion of it, but the reality of it is there's no hard evidence to support that.

Out of curiosity, what are you using for a finish? If you say any form of poly, and not nitro, shellac, or (oil) varnish, you just contradicted yourself...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I don't have any problems with ebony. Actually, it is one of the easier woods to bend for me. It doesn't kink and there is very little spring back. I bend by hand on a hot pipe. I soak the binding for a few hours in the bath tub with fabric softner, then bend with the hot pipe cranked up to 400-425 degrees (tested with a laser temp gun). When the wood dries out I re-wet with a water/fabric softener solution.

For me it depends on the finish I will use. As others have stated, ebony looks just like black plastic under a film finish like lacquer. So for a lacquer finish I would just use black celluloid instead of ebony. But if I'm doing a wiping varnish finish I would use all wood, and wouldn't use any plastic or celluloid on the instrument at all, because that finish lends itself to a natural "in the wood" satin look.

Has anyone ever used holly for binding? That might be a good wood alternative for white plastic.

Hahahaha I am almost only FP now. Bug poop, eggs, n' licker.

But I do agree with your statement 100%! And if you were to finish my original quote then you would note that I said that this was something I wrote on my website almost before websites were even known to the common man (or woman). I only had ten guitars under my belt and thought I knew what I was doing... I didn't.

I still don't

Same here. The more I know, the more I know that I don't know anywhere near enough.



Edit: Man I wish I could learn to French Polish..... I suck at it.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I only have 7 under my belt - all classicals (or at least that's what I call them) and all with wood bindings. Have never tried celluoid, but am gearing up to try steel strings, and I do believe I would try celluloid if I were trying to emulate a vintage guitar. I also suck at French polish, but I'll keep trying (at least on the tops).

Wood is King

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Purely a design choice for me. A clean job looks great in either wood or plastic. I'd only use grained ivoroid, tortoise shell, or black for the plastics though. I think solid white or cream looks unnatural.