Bookmatching is the practice of matching two or more wood or stone surfaces, so that two adjoining surfaces mirror each other, giving the impression of an opened book as applied to wood, bookmatching is usually done with veneer produced in one of several ways, but can also be done with solid wood. Heres what our customers are doing with our veneers and vacuum presses. Make offer maple burl wood 10922 luither natural f hole book matched guitar top set flame figured maple wood 9621 luthier carved top guitar set 20 x 15. Bookmatched guitar wood refers to finding matching pieces of lookalike wood for the soundboard, and back of the guitar. When considering the price of a book matched top and veneer. My client loves squares, and the square bulls eye on top sports quilted sapele, walnut burl, lacewood, and brazilian. Book matched is side to side and bank matched is top to bottom see photo.
The top of the classical guitar is most commonly made of solid bookmatched spruce or cedar. Making the top part 1 most guitar builders are clear that the top is the heart and soul of the guitar. The book matched tops are no different sounding than solid tops, all les pauls are book matched maple or koa on the really nice ones. To sum it up, i think some look great, and some baffle me. Quartersawn sapele veneer is very even in color and grain.
In this video i show how i make the bookmatched maple top from a. So it needs to be solid and if its carved, the grain is going to change the deeper the carve. Apr 30, 2020 within a certain panel, leaves can be balance matched or running matched. Mar 26, 2020 another pale timber, maple has a more whiteish appearance than spruce and often features highly decorative grain patterns. Wood grain figures match at the joints creating a pleasing look of continuity and symmetry in a bank of cabinets or drawers. Since it generates the least waste, a running match is cheapest. However, a guitar top is made for a primary purpose of sounding good, and its secondary purpose is looks.
Guitar tops 8 14 x 2223 x 316 size is approximate book matched typical d size a note about grades. The stationary box is redwood burl, book matched on all sides with a quad match on top. The new assassin fx6 highlights the return of the assassin shape. How to do a sweet book matched veneer top on a strat. Cocobolo bookmatched, sanded veneer for guitars 18.
Book match definition is to match the grains of a pair of sheets of veneer or plywood so that one sheet seems to be the mirror image of the other. Quilted, flame, fiddleback and curly maple guitar tops. If i was shelling out over two grand for a guitar id want a perfectly matched top. With full real abalone multiply binding on the body, neck and headstock, maple cap with flame veneer, custom revolver control knobs and an ebony fingerboard adorned with an abalone vine inlay, this is one goodlooking gun for hire. Music wood electric guitar bookmatched sets we offer a good selection of bookmatched guitar sets ranging in a variety of species and figuring. I have a whole lot of thoughts on what constitutes acceptable bookmatching of a guitar top. This method does increase the amount of waste from a flitch so consequently the cost is increased. There are several different methods of arranging book and slip matched leaves within a face. Hawaiian master grade premium quartersawn curly koa bookmatched aaaa tonewood guitar sets curly koa ukulele bookmatched sets curly hawaiian mango instrument sets highly figured fiddleback big island koa luthiers guitar builder artisan woodworker guitar bookmatched tops backs sides sets air dried.
Bookmatch definition is to match the grains of a pair of sheets of veneer or plywood so that one sheet seems to be the mirror image of the other. Jan 01, 2015 for a small cabinet im building, i want bookmatched doors, and a chunk of wonderfully spalted maple i bought seemed the perfect choice to create the two distinctive 8. Within a certain panel, leaves can be balance matched or running matched. Good place to buy book matched maple veneer telecaster. I contacted prs customer support and they were slow to respond and said they called it a book matched top which has what we call flipflop characteristics. A highly figured electric guitar top whether quilted maple or flame maple is the showcase of your guitar. Reclaimed antique english walnut drop top for tele style guitar. Two consecutive leaves of veneer are book matched and the next two are flipped, creating a fourpiece end match also called a bookandbutt match.
The first step is to join the two book matched pieces which will become the top. Bookmatch definition of bookmatch by merriamwebster. Stairs with landing and wainscoting view front door view patrick carroll construction. The opener itself, the handle and the legs are bloodwood.
By the way, veneer usually refers to much thinner stock than what youd use as a guitar top. Slightly rounded back edges at about 2 mm radius, ivory binding installed in the top. A flat and thin veneer used on an import is always going to be easier to. Telecaster rear routed body electric guitar 2 pieces. We can also custom resaw our thick billets to the size you would like. It is accomplished by turning every other veneer leaf over, and arranging it such that the grain opens at. The rich natural patterns and colors of the wood make it very popular and the sequence matched sheets in a 4 way pack allow you to create an intense visual impact. Hawaiian master grade premium quartersawn curly koa book matched aaaa tonewood guitar sets curly koa ukulele book matched sets curly hawaiian mango instrument sets highly figured fiddleback big island koa luthiers guitar builder artisan woodworker guitar book matched tops backs sides sets air dried. This is part 2 of a complete series on making an electric guitar at my home. There are two essential keys to a perfectly resawn workpiece, with the first being the blade on your band saw. End matching creates beautiful patterns and accentuates swirly grains and the irregular characteristics of veneer. Texas toast guitars is an independent guitar shop and this channel is a place for. In this video matt shows you how to make a book matched maple top.
Make bookmatched panels band saw resaw woodworking. Beveled maple top with flame maple veneer, mahognay back 24. The technique is used to beautify a variety of objects such as. Book matched veneer is sliced and every other leaf of the veneer is turned over like pages of a book facing each other. All our mahogany has natural air dried for more than 20 years. Made made and custom bookmatched guitar parts for todays luthiers,jewelry box,music box,thin lumber. Mahogany crotch veneers can add a dramatic appearance to any woodworking project. The highly decorative grain patterns of flamed maple, quilted maple and spalted maple can look stunning when finished with a high. Two consecutive leaves of veneer are book matched and the next two are flipped, creating a fourpiece end match also called a book andbutt match. In this video i show how i make the bookmatched maple top from a 2 thick slab of maple with handheld tools only. Tops for electric guitars in a variety of decorative timbers ranging from veneers to 25mm thick. If your building a guitar solid bodies are easier to finish, but figured tops are more attractive. This is done mostly on acoustics, but some electrics have book matched wood, especially those with figured grain and natural finishes.
A technique for matching wood veneer veneer book matching is the most frequently used method for matching wood veneer. There is a veneer joint in the center of the panel which provides horizontal symmetry. See more ideas about wood, guitar and custom guitars. Birds eye maple dyed with purple transtint custom guitar work created by mike hinderks veneer. This is the link i mentioned in the video for the bearing guide.
Make offer maple burl wood 10922 luither natural f hole book matched guitar top set figured maple burl wood 9593 luthier guitar top set 23. Learn traditional veneering techniques with this bookmatched panel that is the crowning detail of bob van dykes box project. It is accomplished by turning every other veneer leaf over, and arranging it such that the grain opens at the spine, similar to the pages in a book. Maple is often seen as a book matched veneer on electric guitars like the gibson les paul. Do you have a press, can you make a press, do you have the proper clamps, are you going to use heat lock glue, and etc. For more information on other types of veneer matching, be sure to read our adjacent leaves matching and balance matching articles. Bookmatched guitar tonewood top sets, curly maple, quilted.
This video shows how i use a 14 inch band saw to resaw a flamed maple board for a guitar top. These pages will detail the steps that i go through to build the top from raw wood to finished top ready to glue to the ribs. As applied to wood, bookmatching is usually done with veneer produced in. Texas toast guitars is an independent guitar shop and this channel is. This is a great veneer to complement darker woods like walnut and wenge. The top of the classical guitar is most commonly made of solid book matched spruce or cedar.
Supplier of high quality tonewoods specializing in figured maple and exotic hardwoods. If a number of panels are manufactured from a specific flitch, the number of veneer leaves per panel face may change as individual leaves are taken from the flitch. Ripping the maple into a bookmatched set using a 34. Bookmatching is the practice of matching two or more wood or stone surfaces, so that two adjoining surfaces mirror each other, giving the impression of an opened book. Hobby wood, exotic woods, curly woods, display cases, gun cases,luthier parts. Full kitchen view 70s motocross view checkerboard stratocasterstyle guitar. In the process of cleaning up the headstock veneer.
Book matched guitar wood refers to finding matching pieces of lookalike wood for the soundboard, and back of the guitar. Another pale timber, maple has a more whiteish appearance than spruce and often features highly decorative grain patterns. Sapele is a member of the mahogany family and like mahogany, this deciduous species grows quite large. Learn the basics of choosing veneer, flattening it, using mirrors to visualize the bookmatch, marking out the cuts and matching the seams perfectly, taping the sheets together and gluing them to the substrate. Flame figure tops welcome to bow river wood to works. For a small cabinet im building, i want bookmatched doors, and a chunk of wonderfully spalted maple i bought seemed the perfect choice to create the two distinctive 8. Furniture isnt made for tone, so fancy wood has no other purpose than decor.
Sep 02, 2015 this video shows how i use a 14 inch band saw to resaw a flamed maple board for a guitar top. The bubinga was fourway book matched before being applied to the drawers. Dr there is no difference in the sound, only the looks. Custom telecaster guitar build diary project electric guitar. Shop all northwest timber figured lumber, wood, and domestic exotic hardwoods for furniture and musical instruments. Curly and mottled figure sapele have a wild razor pattern that can be a bit mesmerizing. Wood veneer matching end matching there are three main types of end matching, which are used in combination with book or slip matching. Not my best cut but i have plenty of thickness to plane it. Graduating the top of a joshua alexander french guitar. It is an ideal soundboard, especially for aggressive playing styles andor large instrument sizes. Where lowerend builds tend to require less refined and, at times, questionably sourced wood variations, todays boutique flat top guitar builders rely exclusively on the most resonant cuts of solid wood. Every other leaf or component of veneer from a given log is turned over to produce a mirror image at the splice joint, much like turning the pages of a book, to produce a very aesthetically appealing look across the face. A major difference between laminate and solid wood guitars involves how the tonewood is sourced and processed. Aug 23, 2017 this is part 2 of a complete series on making an electric guitar at my home.