angry_jeremy Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Anyone ever seen or have a good pic of a 3 piece figured top on a geetar? I want to make a top for an explorer but because it's so friggin wide it's hard to get a normal bookmatched top that is wide enough (somewhere between 16-18 inches accross). I'm thinking about doing a 3-way bookmatch (think unfolding a map) and am wondering if it would look goofy. I haven't seen a guitar with one and don't really know if I should use the wood I have that's 6-7 inches wide and do the triple bookmatch or keep hunting for a wider board somewhere (that means paying more...). Any thoughts? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashBandit Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Here's a quadruple bookmatch I did for my headstock, just another idea to play around with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 the problem is getting a good match across all 3 pieces. when you do a book match you open it out so the inside pages of the book are your show surface. If you turn a book matched set over it doesnt always look as good on the back. if you use really good quality perfectly quarter sawn evenly flamed maple its possible that you can get it close enough because there wont be much difference between each face personally i would add a stripe of something else down the middle of the guitar with each half of a traditional bookmatched set going either side. It could be a purposely non matching piece of maple with a couple of pin stripes between the joins or just something nice and dark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashBandit Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Yeah, do bookmatched flamed maple on the L and R, but do a huge stripe down the middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angry_jeremy Posted February 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Yeah, the center stripe was another option I was thinking of. The only problem I could see is that if the alignment of the strips and their joints weren't super exactly parallel with the center line of the guitar and the strings it would stick out really bad. Maybe if it was wide enough to get away from the strings a bit this effect would be reduced. Thanks for the heads up about picking the best side for the bookmatch WezV. I've never done one and never really considered that that could be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Flamed Maple would be a tuff match(even perfect joints are visable) and of course no matter how perfect the match it will relect differently so the joints will be obvious. I would go for the intensional look (as some others have mentioned) if you are using maple. Now if you are going for a different type of figure (like landscaped grain) you can make a very good looking set. This is a four piece back I did. If you think you know where the joints are by looking, you are probably wrong, I have to get extreamly close and study to figure out where the joints are, and even then I can only find clues in a couple spots then try to follow with a straight edge. Piece,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angry_jeremy Posted February 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Nice match, I can figure there's a joint in the center but that's all! Never heard of this landscaped grain, that just mean unfigured with grain lines running fairly straight? I don't necessarily have to use curly stuff but there's a board in the woodpile at work that I have my eye on that looks like it would have a wave to it. That's part of the size restriction problem. We only have an 8" jointer at the shop so squaring up anything wider than that presnets a problem. That and the board that I've stashed away is only maybe 7" wide, not wide enough to span the whole explorer body if bookmatched. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 use the wood you got and a different one in the middle. like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalwarrior Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 You could also do a regular bookmatch, then take the off cuts add stick them on the widest parts of the wings and do a black burst of some kind to hide it if it doesn't look as good as you want in those areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Never heard of this landscaped grain, that just mean unfigured with grain lines running fairly straight? I believe it is called landscape figure because it kinda looks like a landscape (seperate my center bookmatch, with the grain running generally horizontal it kinda looks like a landscape with mountains and features). Some also call it spider web figure (dark grain lines forming patterns). These are usually referencing rosewoods, but also are used in Zircote, Blank limba and others. Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGW Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 If you think you know where the joints are by looking, you are probably wrong, I have to get extreamly close and study to figure out where the joints are, and even then I can only find clues in a couple spots then try to follow with a straight edge. That's really nice ! I'm still trying to visualize how you cut those pieces. Any hints? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angry_jeremy Posted February 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Thanks all, lots of good ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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