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 Post subject: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 6:34 pm 
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I need to make two Macassar Ebony guitars this year. I do have a traditional set with a 2 piece back I'll be using, but have been having a hard time locating another set I like.

I was able to located a few boards that I think will work, but none wide enough for a two piece back. I came up with these alternatives.

Which of the two would you prefer? If you don't like either please say so.

Thanks for the help!


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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 6:42 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I like the top one, but I would taper the center section similar to what Martin does with the D 35 series guitars (and also use the added purfling lines).


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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:56 pm 
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Thanks Clay, i might experment with a couple backstrips. It would also be a good way to pick binding. I'm thinking gaboon ebony or flamed koa

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:14 pm 
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I agree with Clay, I like the top one better. The symmetry of the center piece in the lower one is nice, but for me, the two type of woods don't go together as well as the three panels in the top one do.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:16 pm 
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Top one for sure.



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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:57 pm 
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Top one for me,



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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:58 pm 
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Top one for me too.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:12 pm 
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I'm beginning to think the top one may have it.

Any thoughts on using back strips between the pieces? Or maybe just glue them together and go for a 'one big board look'?

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:19 pm 
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+1 on top
+1 on tapered
-1 on back strips (it is busy enough as it is).



These users thanked the author rlrhett for the post: Joe Beaver (Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:12 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:46 pm 
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Of course top one. If a strip black and maybe 1/8" wide at most. Or (ok things are getting weird now) maybe a strip of the same wood you have shown, cut from the opposite side or cut and flipped around so that it has the same texture (visually) but it declares separation between the boards. I do like how most of the joined areas blend in with its mating surface but the lower right hand side of the middle one does not seem to work with the adjoining piece.

I hope that made some sense. Otherwise, I love the wood.



These users thanked the author printer2 for the post: Joe Beaver (Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:12 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 10:49 pm 
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Top fo sho.
Bottom one would be good if you were doing a Flying V shape.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:41 am 
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No backstrip on top one which I prefer. You have a got a nice grain match there so you don't need a back strip. Bob



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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:06 am 
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Nice set of macassar in the classifieds



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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:47 am 
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Top one, no backstrip!

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 3:03 pm 
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Top one, no backstrip.



These users thanked the author davidmor1 for the post: Joe Beaver (Mon Jun 12, 2017 3:04 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 3:07 pm 
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Top set, tapered, no back strip.



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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:20 pm 
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printer2 wrote:
I hope that made some sense. Otherwise, I love the wood.


It does make sense. I was leaning the way you suggested, but then I decided that since I had three bookmatched pieces I would join 2 and rip the other one and make a 4 piece back.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:57 pm 
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I like the top one and agree that tapering the middle slice would look good. Especially if you can get the taper to go well with the angle of the grain in the upper bout.

I'm assuming you only have 3 slices. If you have 4, it would be cool to bookmatch two halves then bookmatch that but still tapered. By that I mean tat the center section would be wedge shaped but bookmatched and the outside of those pieces would be bookmatched to the outer two pieces. The 4 seams would not be parallel but each seam would have a repeating pattern.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:38 pm 
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I like the bottom one. It's unique.


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These users thanked the author ChuckH for the post: Joe Beaver (Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:04 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:06 am 
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Chuck,
The bottom one is kind of interesting. Actually, the center wood is also Macassar ebony.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:06 am 
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Wow, triple post... don't have a clue how that happened

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Last edited by Joe Beaver on Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:07 am 
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Wow, triple post... don't have a clue how that happened

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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 8:31 pm 
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ChuckH wrote:
I like the bottom one. It's unique.


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I'm with Chuck. Top is nice but looks like every other high end guitar out there.



These users thanked the author Edward Taylor for the post: Joe Beaver (Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:13 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:17 am 
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"Top is nice but looks like every other high end guitar out there."

And that's a bad thing?

To me, the pieces in the bottom picture have an interesting look individually, but don't work well together. I may be just a "stick in the mud" and sticking with an option I have seen done before. When I first saw a D35 I wasn't too keen on it, but later appreciated it for it's original raison d'etre - a way to use good wood that was too narrow for the two piece back of a Dreadnaught guitar. The tapered center section allowed for the maximum utilization of the wood (two tapered pieces from each back half and less waste of side pieces) and the back purfles created some visual separation of the three sections.
But some people prefer the unusual and unique - if you are building these for someone they would be the person to ask.



These users thanked the author Clay S. for the post: Joe Beaver (Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:12 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Need a Little Help
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:30 pm 
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Not a bad thing at all. Variety is however, the spice of life.

The bottom piece strikes me less as a piece of wood and more as a scene. There is drama... a focal point of darkness is cut through by the light, in the periphery is chaos.

:P



These users thanked the author Edward Taylor for the post: Joe Beaver (Sun Jun 25, 2017 2:12 am)
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