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Hello everyone,

I’m currently experimenting with non-traditional rosette designs for my upcoming guitar build, and I’d love to hear your insights. Instead of the usual concentric rings, I’m trying out geometric, organic, and asymmetrical patterns that give a more distinctive visual character.

My main curiosity is how far we can push rosette design without compromising the soundboard’s vibration and tone. For those who’ve tried unusual materials or deeper inlays — have you noticed any tonal differences or structural issues?

I’m also looking for advice on materials and installation techniques especially woods, veneers, or composites that offer contrast but remain stable and lightweight.

If you’ve done similar experiments, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked (or didn’t). I’ll share photos of my prototypes soon once the finish is ready.

Thanks in advance for your feedback. I’m always amazed at how much creativity and precision go into something as small as a rosette!

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https://talung.gimyong.com/index.php?topic=13202.0

Sonically the area "size" of the sound hole matters a lot, I would feel free to play with rosette however you want. I suppose you can muck things up adding massive amounts of mass.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Unless you inlay some big thick pieces of brass or something, it's unlikely to make any noteworthy effect on sound. I do recommend keeping the radius reasonably small though. Not too far outside the area covered by the upper X legs and soundhole braces (and reinforcement patch if you use one).

However I do often use the area to the left of the fingerboard as a canvas. It's above the upper transverse brace, so outside the main vibrating area, and I have a headblock extension glued to the upper transverse brace so the soundboard wood is not really structural there. The most "out of the box" I've done is on my Halloween-themed harp guitar, I made a punpkin out of pernambuco and left the eyes and mouth open to the inside of the box. I had originally planned to glue gold MOP to the back of it so it looked lit up inside, but I like this even better. I added a rosewood veneer across the grain inside, carefully carved so you can't see the edges of it from the outside, and it has remained intact through 12 harsh winters now


I normally don't use a soundhole reinforcement patch, but I did have to in one case where I built a .070" thick rosewood top with pink ivory inlay right to the edge of the soundhole. The inlays started peeling up in the winter, so I took the back off and added a walnut layer across the grain inside the soundhole braces. It worked.

made this rosette for a small travel guitar.

Routed a "pool" just deeper than the thickest gear. Put in a veneer bottom. Spot glued watch escapement gears, then slowly filled the pool with CA a couple drops at a time to prevent the heat from foaming the CA from the exothermic heat from the CA solidifying. Built up the CA until it was above the level of the top and then it easily sanded down to level with a glass like surface using micromesh through all the grits. The gears being below the level of the final sanded down CA prevented the gears from tarnishing over time.

No accoustic effect that I can recall.