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I am working on an all mahogany 000 12 fret cutaway. The top and back have an aberration in the grain. The grain flares out (as is typical - see photo). The aberration is located in the portion of the grain that is wider. Normally, I would align the top and back so the the grain flares out at the lower bout. I am considering reversing it so that the aberration is in the upper bout, rather than the lower bout, which would likely be less noticeable. Would that look funny? Should I just go ahead and leave the aberration in the lower bout to have the grain flaring to the lower bout?

Does that make sense?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

If it was my project, I would have the grain spread out on the tail end. I would draw the outline on each way and take a picture, then you can compare them side by side and see which you like better.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I'd tend to favor the wide spread at the lower bout also.

The aberration is hard to see in the photo, but it's not all that bad. I guess it will give it character... Glen, my tendency is to put the wide spread at the lower bout, but Bryan has a good idea.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Yup, I like any 'V' pattern to be like ^, not v???with the apex at the heel!the wide end at the butt.

Cutting the shape of the guitar out of a big piece of paper and overlaying that on the wood gives me a better idea of how it will look than just drawing the outline. It's hard to ignore what's outside the pattern, unless you can't see it.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Use your mold when looking at your wood. Line your wood up on the bench, table ,floor etc and cover it with the mold. You see it exactly as it will be seen in the guitar. Also I see nothing in that wood that would preclude me from using it with the flare opening at the bottom bout.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Yep, I have outside templates that I take with me when I go to look at lumber. It allows me to move around the board and see a good alignment and ignore the area outside of the pattern. In the shop, I often use the mold as tom suggests to see both sides at once.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Check out the back grain match/pattern on this $8400 McPherson African Mahogany -- its is common on their guitars

http://mcphersonguitars.com/inventory-a ... 1&action=2

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

That wood looks wide enough that you could cut a wedge shaped piece off of the center side and have parallel grain if it really bothers you...

Whatever!

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The Biggest Little City, Nevada
www.hammondguitars.com
I love building guitars!

"That wood looks wide enough that you could cut a wedge shaped piece off of the center side and have parallel grain if it really bothers you..."

One way to visualize what the grain will look like (before trimming) is to place a mirror on edge on the proposed trim line.

Michael,
I hadn't even thought of that... I could do that, but I have already joined the top (even though I could cut it and rejoin it. This is why I like this forum, because there are a lot of good ideas out there and a lot of smart, talented people...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com