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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.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Very cool, John! Thanks for sharing how you did that.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Understated elegance! Very nice, John.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

that looks great, but how do you cut out the sound hole?????

Very cool, John. It gives an elegant and distictive look.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

with a router pinned on the center hole. Then I stop before I hit the inset part of the medallion, and do that by hand.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Why didn't you miter the purfling in the medallion?
LOL Very nicely done. That's quite an intricate rosette!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

John, it's like advertising. It "pays off" later. But that WILL pay, my friend.
Thanks for thinking outside the box--or is that inside the circle?
I like the stately swing of the orderly pieces which come up to a jumble in the mosaic.
A bit of whimsy that will no doubt delight the customer!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

It's just a great piece !
Mc
do some more when ya can!

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Mike Collins

Beautiful.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Would you be offended if I "borrowed" that idea?

Wonderful craftsmanship!
Steve

That's craftsmanship. Brilliant work.

Love it! Your medallion rosette style is brilliant. So simple, yet I don't think I've seen anyone do it before. The mosaic looks great in it Reminds me of a stained glass window.

That's going to become your "signature lick". Better get used to doing them. Very Nice!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Mighty fine work John!
Thanks for showing us step by step.

Joe

Excellent artistic touch, John.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Truely unique and beautiful.

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Aaron Craig

And I thought it was hard to make a dark colored top look good. You certainly figured it out.

Very nice llok John.........and thanks for the tutorial as it helps me learn and gives ideas.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Very nice original design. I really like it.
Chuck

Very neat. Another idea to stea...., er, borrow.

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Beautiful! Can't wait to see it in person at Healdsburg.

John, what are you using to cut out the sound hole area of the medallion? Are you using a jewelers saw or some other fancy jig? Also, that is a very small circle radius. Did you have to build a separate circle cutter for it? The min mine goes is ~3".

I'm using your design concept for a new sound hole idea. You'll get all the credit!
Steve

Here are a few pics of cutting out the soundhole. I just use a Ryobi lam trimmer. This lam trimmers only use in life.. it's a crappy lam trimmer otherwise... well I suppose it still runs so that's a positive, but the height adjustment is a joke. It's the first lam trimmer I ever bought... about 14 years ago.

No fancy jigs here!! The medallion pocket was cut with a forstner bit. The pilot does go through the top, so keep that in mind. I put a soundhole brace over the 1/16th hole (give or take depending on how far you sand on the back), and then I use a small half plug backer on the part that extends into the soundhole.

After I cut this initial pass I break out another lam trimmer and freehand the area around the medallion. I leave it rough and slightly oversize for now and clean it up later by hand with sandpaper and files.

I don't mind if people borrow the idea. I think you would be best served using a rough idea and morphing it into something different and unique, but if you are resolved on copying it straight away I would appreciate credit for the inspiration/design.

Heck my original inspiration for it was a mosaic in NYC subway combined with a Somogyi rosette. Of course it looks nothing like either really, but they got the juices flowing and I used that to create something unique. I suggest the same for anyone inspired by the idea.





And as it so happens I took pictures of the mosaic in the subway. Like I said the two don't look anything alike, but they served inspiration to get my own creativity going.





And this rosette of Ervins gave further inspiration. Combine them both and throw in a big part of my style and there you have it.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com