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You are here: Home / Building A Monarch / Building a Monarch: Binding

Building a Monarch: Binding

The quality of the binding and purfling work is one of the factors that makes a guitar a true work of art. Some builders install bindings and purflings in one step, and this can lead to less-than-perfect results. Dogwood guitars are bound using a multi-step process that ensures a tight, no-gap installation of the purflings and bindings, especially in the waist and shoulder areas where the curvature of the body can make installation challenging. The selection of purflings and bindings are a big part of the artistic design process and many colors and combinations can be used. Abalone shell has been used to dress the finest guitars for decades and is one of most visually stunning ways to add flair to a guitar. The images below show the process of installing purflings and solid wood bindings on a Monarch body.

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Legacy Benchworks Furniture

Greg owned his own custom furniture making shop from 1983 through 1996. The company was called Legacy Benchworks, and most of the work involved high end one-off custom furniture, as well as the more standard cabinetry such as kitchen cabinets and … [Read More...]

Ordering your Dogwood Guitar

Please Note: Due to my heavy repair and restoration schedule, I am no longer building custom acoustic guitars. This is an archive page. Thank you for choosing to order one of my handmade acoustic guitars. From the day we begin to design your dream … [Read More...]

Blog: Jumbo inlay

Work continues on the Rosewood Kingston Jumbo this week, with the gold Mother of Pearl and Abalone fretboard inlay work. These crown type position markers are beautiful and I love the old-school appearance that calls to mind the Gibson SJ-200 and … [Read More...]

The Eminence

The Eminence is a Grand Auditorium sized guitar that I designed to provide a slight boost to the treble response, along with the clear and balanced tone that all Dogwood models are known for. A slightly smaller body depth and a more narrow waist … [Read More...]

About Our Name

Many people ask about our name. One of my wife's friends even asked her if I made guitars from any other wood besides Dogwood! For those familiar with the Dogwood tree, this brings a chuckle since this flowering beauty attains only a small size… … [Read More...]

Bending Machine

Building a Monarch: The Box

Bending the sides begins the process of making a guitar body. A bending form is required for each type and size of body, and the appropriate form is installed in the bending machine. This jig uses a heating blanket and spring loaded cauls to gently … [Read More...]

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Technical Articles

The Science and Theory of Tonewoods

Search out any discussion about tone and tonewoods on the internet and you will quickly find a wide variation of opinions among players and builders alike. However, the majority will almost always list "tonewoods" and/or specific species of Spruce … [Read More...]

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Viewpoint Articles

Exploring Common Guitar Myths

I am going to divide this article into two sections: Myths and misunderstandings about playability and care; and myths about tone. We will take these two topics in order. Playability and Care So, your guitar is a little hard to play, the … [Read More...]

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