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I've decided to make the dive into building a classical guitar for myself. I've settled on a spruce top, with birdseye maple sides and back, and mahogany neck. Any suggestions for the wood to use for bindings/purflings? If you can refer to any photos, that would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

From the flamenco world, spruce on cypress would typically have an ebony or rosewood binding. Koa would work in the same vein, or any other contrasty wood. Personally, I like the self-bound look without contrast, which is unusual. I'm not sure what extra requirements birdseye would place on the bindings.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Any dark wood will look great between the lighter sides and the top. For purfling almost anything will work, google maple acoustics and you will get plenty of ideas.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Curly Koa - check Patrick James Eggle , looks really smart

Here's one I recently finished with ebony bindings and purfs made with cocobolo and black and white lines.

Gary, that is simply stunning!

I think Indian rosewood goes well with maple. With black/white/black purfs all around (top, back, sides) if you want a really sharp look, or something less contrasty and maybe no back/side purfs for a softer look.

I also like medium/light binding woods on light colored guitars, such as this one of mine (still haven't done the back binding yet...)

Binding is eucalyptus, no back/side purfs, top purfling is curly maple/walnut burl, although the burlyness isn't really visible so I won't be bothering with that brittle stuff again. Neck is Port Orford cedar, which I'd recommend for maple guitars. Light weight and light color

Curly koa would look great with birdseye, perhaps with a single line of rosewood veneer for the back/sides purfling.

Holly would be another interesting choice for binding. Maybe koa purfling on that for a very soft look

Not Maple, but close. EIR binding with Bloodwood/Maple/Black/Maple purfs. on top and Bloodwood/Maple on back and sides.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

The wilder the wood, the simpler the trim I think,
Bosnian Bird's Eye with simple Brazilian rosewood bindings and back strip:


Domestic Bird's eye with Brazilian rosewood bindings simple b/w purflings and marquetry back strip:

Matching Bird's eye peg head with marquetry center strip:

David, how tall are those bindings, .150 plus purfs? Nice.

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Pat

That's pretty close, I like them at around 5/32" or 3/16" w/purflings........7/32" with the wide purflings.

Love that birds eye. What a pretty guitar!

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

David, that birds eye is simply elegant. Got some quilted maple myself and can't wait to try it; unfortunately I can collect wood a lot faster than I can build.

Waddy, I'm a big fan of sycamore, and although not as well executed as yours, I used EIR as binding on one I recently completed. It's aesthetically my favorite so far.

Always like seeing everyone's work, gets me motivated every day.

Seconded! The wonderful aesthetics and expert craftsmanship so generously shared here are simply amazing.

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George :-)