Official Luthiers Forum!

I am a new member. I started an acoustic guitar kit when I was in high school, but didn’t have the skills or patience to finish it.

I’m getting interested in the hobby again and had a question.

I see some reputable wood vendors sell orphaned back and side blanks. I think this means that they are not book-matched. Is anyone building guitars from unmatched back and sides? I’m assuming that the tops need to be book matched for maximum strength and stability.

Curious to hear everyone’s thoughts.


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I am not so sure about maximum strength and stability. I think it is aesthetics. Sometimes orphaned sides and the same with orphaned backs are missing a corresponding back set or side set but are book matched.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Yes - like John says, the orphaned back and sides I have seen are a pair of sides or a bookmatched back, sold alone one without the other

I sell quite a few orphan sets of sides for uke builders. For 1 thing, it is very common for beginners, or sometimes even oldies, to break a set so orphan sets save the day. I don't see it s an issue. In addition, because I have collected so many orphan sets over the years of selling wood, last year I started making my "Natural Series" of ukes. So far I have sold 8 of them. They have T/B/S from different trees and I advertise them as showing the variations found in koa. They are fun to make. I also finish them with a satin finish to minimize the extensive time my gloss lacquer finishes take. I've not gone this route with guitars, but there are plenty of factory instruments the have.

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

Some builders laminate backs and/or sides. The interior lamination does not need to match. Orphan backs and sides can be cut up for head plates. Orphan sides can be cut up for bindings.

One of the greatest classical builders of all time, Antonio Torres, is reported to have made at least one guitar with a three piece top, not matched. The theory is that he found some particularly resonant pieces of wood that were not wide enough for the usual top. Some builders have made tops with more than one species of wood to get the combined benefit from each species.

Bookmatching is just about getting a symmetrical look. There is no reason why you can’t mix different woods. Look at the three piece back of a Martin D35. Taken to extremes, you get this by Howard Klepper.

Gibson made TONS of mahogany guitars from the 30s to the 50s with completely random, mismatched pieces. In other words, 4 different leftovers for each side and back half. They sprayed a tobacco stain over the wood and the Gibson burst was born. I've played a number of these mismatched guitars and can say the tone was excellent.
As wbergman mentions, Torres made quite a few guitars with mis-matched soundboard halves and even 3-piece tops with the seams towards the rims (not the customary center seam).
Personally, I like this aesthetic. To me it indicates a confidence the builder has in his/her abilities to judge a particular piece of wood by its own merits rather than a traditional aesthetic. There is always a fair amount of off fall from milling guitar backs and sides. A billet might only yield an odd number of slices. What do you do with the leftover piece? If combined with other pieces that are similar but not identical we can still wind up with a great instrument.

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

Since you are essentially a beginner using cheap materials makes a lot of sense. We all make mistakes at the start of the learning process (And indeed for ever after as well!) The precise matching of the timbers is less important than learning how to get the processes right.

You probably won't get the aesthetics right on the first few builds but the concentration should be on the sound and playability which is about correct thicknessing, bracing, and construction technique etc.

So if some of these orphan timbers appeal then go for it.


Dave M

Thank you all for the insight. I was thinking the same thing with regards to mistakes. I will let everyone know when the build starts.


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