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So. Ever get tired of your own aesthetic?
Ever feel trapped by what you've done over and again?
Colin Symonds will think this is long overdue, but I'm wanting to branch out some, in this area.
Trying to analyze what I'm weary of doing...maybe seeing...is this area: the purfling.
I need some inspiration guys and gals.
If you would like to help, I would love to see pics of some of your faves.
Top, side, back...any or all of it. Pearl, veneer lines, marquetry, whatever.
I know there is a radial thread going now, but I'd sorta like to open it up for everything. Anything.
Wanna help? TIA,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Here's one that really stood out to me recently by Mike Baranik. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/foru ... nik&page=3 (2 posts down). And I know it's binding, not purfling, but Kevin Pederson's segmented binding looks amazing.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Now there you go...that's creative. Thanks Peter!

Any others?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

i really like ray kraut´s new-déco aesthetic.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Here's where I'm heading. Using this on #19 currently and probably a few more with the matching rosette. Not for everyone I'm sure. T

Interesting Tim...thanks for the pics.
Is that basically radial purfling, with several different species?
This is the kind of thing that gets the juices flowing.
Keep it coming guys?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Nice Waddy. Ain't no moss growin on any of 'em.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Yes these purfs are basically radial in seven different species/woods/colors. I was working on an eighties interior for a client one night and thought of the whole Memphis design thing and came up with the idea. This is the third rosette and second purf scheme. This one will carry to the fretboard, headstock, and heal. Thx for posting the ? T

I grew up in Mmphis, but somehow missed that design thing.
Ah well....

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve,

I did this top purfling last year, using amboyna burl.



Nice stuff, Timo!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I wish I was one that could inspire you. Lord knows you've done a lifetimes worth of that for us Steve ....... and thanks for that my friend. Hans Brentrup use to hang out here. I'm not sure what became of him but he did some pretty cool purf lay ups.( not to mention a whole lot of other cool stuff) http://www.brentrup.com/page2/page2.html . I suspect he may have been feeling like yourself and did some very bold purfling lay ups that went into some very unique looking guitars. Only other thing I could suggest is, if you're feeling like you need to change it up, build a fiddle. No wait, how about a ba*#o. That should give you a whole new appreciation for the guitar.

Cheers,
Danny

Again, thanks fellas.
Pat, I like Amboyna burl as well, and I appreciate your use of that material. Nice idea. Looks like a matching rosette, yes?
Danny, what a generous comment. Hope there is more up my sleeve to qualify for "a lifetime".
Yes, Hans' work IS inspiring. I'll be doing a Hans-like guitar really soon, this one inspired by my Grandad's little guitar.
I've posted pics of it in the past, but that was back in OLF aniquity. One thing I like about Hans' work is the use of color in his purfs. And the elegant patterns he copies from the Larsons, etc.

Good stuff guys, you're helping a lot.
Any more out there? (This is no contest--you're just helping an old guy out of the doldrums.)

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I have no preference with purfling, just as long as it doesn't cost an arm and a leg!! Those black/white veneer sandwich sure cost a lot. I hadn't bothered to make my own though.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Mine are typically quite minimalist.

Hardly visible from a distance, but adds just enough detail to look "complete" up close. A lot of it is just that I'm too lazy to bother with the fancy schemes, because they don't add that much artistic value for the effort. Better to focus on a good rosette, bridge, headstock inlay, fingerboard inlays, tail inlay, backstrip (see Peter's challenge build, although it also includes fancy mitered side purfs)

However, I'm also fond of insanely elaborate marquetry work, such as Alan's autumn guitar:

I have an idea for a thorny vine tiled purfling like that, although I'm not sure if I can pull off the super tight bending necessary for the vine... but I can just do 2-3 layers of veneer rather than a thicker bent strip and force it, if necessary.

Another thing I want to try sometime (feel free to beat me to it ) is "gradient" purfling... say, strips .010" thick of black fiber, Indian rosewood, walnut, mahogany, maple, white fiber. Or bois de rose, purpleheart, dark pink ivory, light pink ivory, maple. Or curly walnut, curly koa, curly movingui, curly maple. Optionally mirroring, like dark, medium, light, medium, dark. I think it could look pretty cool on certain guitars. May need some really high clamping pressure to minimize the glue lines though, especially between the lighter colored strips. And that means gluing before bending, which puts a limit on how wide you can make them. Although you could pre-glue just the lightest ones, then bend, then add on the darker strips during the whole binding/purfling glue-up on the guitar.

The red in the purfling of this one:

was 3 strips of bloodwood (brosimum rubescens). Everything was glued in in one hit, snakewood binding, B/W, 3 x bloodwood, B/W; so six pieces in all. No big deal really, because only the snakewood has to fit real well and the rest bends real well. I just taped them on using Titebond. Having messed with bloodwood previously, I didn't want to try fitting that thickness without it being laminated. Just make sure you line up the run-out of the laminations which helps it look more like one piece.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Thanks again! Remarks:

Tai Fu--I bet one day you will be making your own!

Dennis--I'm always impressed when someone puts white as their inside line. At least that's how it looks in your pic.
Not easy to do, and a place where any deviation will show. As for Alan's work---there's not enough hours in my day!

Trevor--Nice! Can't see the joints in those 3 lines. Do you cut your own veneer lines?

Filippo--spot on. I've actually derived lots of inspiration looking at the engraving work of knife makers and gun smiths.
Those guys have some serious engraving chops. And usually beautiful ideas.
And even if that doesn't translate into a guitar design, it's enjoyable viewing, and like you say tends to stoke the
creative furnace a bit. Thanks for the nudge.

Many thanks guys!

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Sort of. That stuff was pre-thicknessed strip that I then slit into lines.

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Steve,

Yes, the purfling and rosette match.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Dennis vy cool .That mulberry bridge looks familiar lol

I laminate my top/back purfs in the mold I use to laminate my double sides then cut strips as needed. No width limit, glue line, no bending, no wrestling multiple little strips, and they fit the shape of the guitar perfectly.

I'm just curious William. You laminate and bend wide widths and then cut them to the width you want? If I'm reading that right, how do you cut them once they're bent?

Thanks,
Danny

Thanks for the answers guys.
Keep 'em coming!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I'm just curious William. You laminate and bend wide widths and then cut them to the width you want? If I'm reading that right, how do you cut them once they're bent?

Thanks,
Danny[/quote]

I used to use a relatively fine-toothed blade on the bandsaw but now just use a Japanese style hand saw, works surprisingly fast. Saves having to change blades on the bandsaw.

The first time I used this method I tried the bandsaw with my general purpose blade and got some blowout in the waist. I've never built a jig, etc to support the back side as it goes through so the waist is unsupported as it's cut-hasn't been an issue using a fine toothed blade or cutting by hand.

Hi William, help me grasp this: I would think if you were making bindings (and not purflings) this way, that would be a perfect fit. They are the shape of the rims after all. Whereas the purfling, stepping inside your binding ledge, employs tighter radii. I realize we're talking minute amounts and perhaps that is the explanation? I'm guessing so. It sounds like a nice system.

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com