Has Anyone Ever Replaced A Rosette? Can It Be Done?

[bscur]

I was thinking of getting an old parlor, refinishing it and adding an abalone rosette. Can you route out an existing rosette? Anyone tried it?

[Woodenspoke]

I was thinking of getting an old parlor, refinishing it and adding an abalone rosette. Can you route out an existing rosette? Anyone tried it?

Not that I have done it or have known of anyone who has done this but the issue becomes the fingerboard. Its in the way. You can always make up some jig and use a router but again the fingerboard is over the rosette (or in most cases it is). Yes patience and hand tools will certainly work and you can freehand removing the old rosette with a dremel an a block to raise it above the fingerboard. You also have to properly mark out the circle and hand carve it.

I would not want to tackle that job unless the neck was removed first.

[ToneMonkey]

I agree with Woodenspoke. I'm sure that it could be done, but the area around the neck sounds like a right bitch. Sounds like something very easy to go wrong. I should imagine that you could put a plate of some description over the sound hole so that you have a centre hole for the router guide, but that will only get you to within an inch or so of the neck (or whatever the width of the router base is). To get this section on either side to carry on the routed circle and still look really neat is the issue.

[verhoevenc]

You'd have to remove the neck. But it can be done. My friend, the imfamous Todd Stock, on the OLF has done it.

Chris