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You are here: Home / Pictorials / Making a Spalted Maple Rosette

Making a Spalted Maple Rosette

The rosette on an acoustic guitar, along with the peghead and bridge designs, is a big part of the custom builder’s signature. Often a particular design will immediately identify the guitar as being made by a specific individual. Perhaps the amazing artwork created by Ervin Somogyi is the most extreme example among contemporary luthiers. I favor a more traditional, old school approach to design and yet I am drawn to using unusual woods in an artistic way. I am especially drawn to spalted woods, and I have some in my stash that dates back to 1983. The pictorial gallery below shows some of the elements involved with designing and building a segmented rosette using spalted Maple.

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The Importance of a Good Setup, Part Three

In the first two parts of this article, we have looked at basic setup services, which include setting the neck relief and string action, as well as new string installation and other basic adjustments. We have also discussed some improvements and … [Read More...]

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Technical Articles

Bolt-On Necks: High Tongue Frets

I am including this article as a special page in the Services Menu because of the frequency with which the issue of high tongue frets arises. The tongue is the part of the fretboard that extends into the body of the guitar. On acoustic guitars, the … [Read More...]

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Viewpoint Articles

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There are a lot of choices out there for the prospective buyer of a fine guitar. It's no secret; a handmade instrument can cost a lot. For that matter, any of the better guitars purchased from a quality manufacturer is going to command what most … [Read More...]

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