I got a commission to build a LS redwood 00 guitar. I decided to make it into a new model I'll be debuting at healdsburg. The rosette was going to be rather plain in the start, but then Inspiration struck. The client agreed to let me run with it. I love it when clients give you a green light! So some of my guitars lately have been getting a medallion in the rosette area. They have been more challenging to do that just a normal ring rosette, but I've been really enjoying the results. I'll be taking 4 of them to healdsburg with me. Three of the medallions have work by Craig Lavin, Jimmi Wingert, and Lauretta Newby Coker. I decide I didn't want them to have all the fun too! So I decided since I can't do inlay as good as Jimmi and Craig (not even close) and I'm not an artist like my mother is I wanted to do something artistic, yet original and within my range. I remembered when I was in New York City a few years back in the subway near the financial district/ground zero there was this massive mosaic. It was of earth, and then there was one that was an eye as well. So my mind started shifting towards doing a mosaic. The binding, and purflings on this particular guitar my client and I decided on African blackwood, Brazilian rosewood, and maple. Colors that look good together as well as look good with the body of the guitar that was to be made of LS redwood and mahogany.
So one day I was having one of them days where everything I touched I screwed up. So I put all guitars aside and sat down to work on this. Here is what I did:
Now I had the medallion, but to integrate that into a rosette. I wanted to do something different here as well. I wanted to do one larger ring that used black/maple/black lines, thin Brazilian lines, and radial cut African blackwood tiles. To make it even harder on myself I decide I wanted to double miter the purflings. Meaning that the outer black/maple/black purfling line would connect with purfling wrapping around the medallion, and the inner Brazilian/maple purfling would box inwards and frame the African blackwood.
I got off to almost a disastrous start. I drilled the hole for the rosette cutter and right before I was about to cut it (I had clamped down int he press lined up ready to go) something just didn't feel right about it. My spidey senses were going off so I stopped and look at it again and double checked everything. I had marked the hole for a 13 fret to the body version rather than the 4 fretter like it should have been. I would have ruined the top if I had went forward. So I re drilled and then proceeded.
Here is that process:
With the medallion laid in place:
Then to get the purfling around the medallion easily I pre-bent it as the radius is tight on the medallion and doing it on the fly is possible, but frustrating. I put them in here like this and then used a iron to cook them a bit then let the cool off.
The result of that:
Fitting initial miters:
Top section complete:
Starting lower section:
All installed and wicked with glue:
Sanded flush, and completed:
I am really pleased with how it came out. I spent more time on this rosette than any rose I've ever done before, but I think it paid off.
![[:Y:]](./images/smilies/smiley20.gif "Thumbs Up")
Reminds me of a stained glass window.
