As I was cutting the rosette channel in a very nice Italian spruce top, the set screw on my rosette cutting jig decided to work its way loose, causing a bit of a gouge in the top.
I didn't want to scrap the top, so I decided to do a little inlay to cover the offending area..I am not a big fan of soundboard inlays, but I couldn't see using this top for firewood!
Anyway, here are the preliminary results, the top still needs to go throught the thickness sander, and the inlay needs some engraving, etc., (possibly even some green ab antennae), but so far, it's looking OK.
The inlay is gold MOP, green ab, a bit of black MOP, and the whole inlay is framed in a thin black veneer. The rosette ring is paua ablam.
Inlaying into spruce is a little daunting, to say the least! Now that I have done this on the soundhole, I may have to go all the way, and make the rest of the guitar fit the butterfly (or insect) theme...maybe just a couple of small butterflies in the end graft...hmmmm....
Actually, I don't think it will need any more inlays to look good and might actually distract from the nice butterfly you created.