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Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA
Flamenco binding question
I'm gathering the wood for my next blanca build (cypress and Euro spruce), and I was thinking of binding with cypress with single black purfling lines everywhere. Does anyone have a feel for whether cypress will stand up as a binding material? I have no experience to go by.
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Jim Kirby Does anyone have a feel for whether cypress will stand up as a binding material?
Jim
Any wood you can bend can be made into bindings however cosmetically it seems to me that one would miss that nice dark outline on the top and back that rosewood provides.
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
I think you know the answers Cypress can be bent and therefor used. It´ll be softer than rosewood and will dent easyer. Estetically, I agree with Shelton, but you could color the whole guitar dark and leave the bindings natural. Then you´ll have contrast, but using flamed maple as nhills say would be more interesting.
¿Has anyone seen a Tobacco sunburst colored blanca with natural colored maple bindings.... Could be interesting. I would like to make one, but I dont work lacquer and I dont know how to make a sunburst with other finishing material
You could tint shellac and spray the sunburst with an airbrush, or probably just pad it on. I'm not sure how to protect the sunburst from subsequent polishing, though.
¿Has anyone seen a Tobacco sunburst colored blanca with natural colored maple bindings.... Could be interesting. I would like to make one, but I dont work lacquer and I dont know how to make a sunburst with other finishing material
We used to use a blush on our flamenco guitars (kind of the opposite of a sunburst). I got the idea from seeing Ramirez blancas done that way. I still think it looks really nice if not overdone but it's kind of a hassle. Of course it has to be sprayed.
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
Anders search online under "hand rubbed burst" you may find what you're looking for from the Mandolin and Archtop crowd. I believe just the black part is sprayed, here is an example of a hand rubbed burst on an Archtop by someone local to me Mike Robicheau, beautiful especially considering it's a first time attempt at this method.
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RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
Jim I have done what you're proposing about 6yrs ago, its a different look, you need some marquetry purfling on the soundboard like fine rope to give it some visual pop and I'm pretty sure I used bwb double lines around the body. It is one of those looks you will probably do once just to satisfy yourself and although you may think it looks pretty good not repeat again. I got the impulse to try it from seeing a black and white pic of a guitar in American Lutherie magazine where the bindings body looked the same.
Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
I'm sensing a resistance to the initial aesthetic idea That's OK, I'd rather be chased off the idea than built a guitar and look at it and think "why the heck did I do that?"
In a more subtle vein, maybe I will do a cypress back and tail strip but ebony bindings and some appropriate purfling scheme that ties everything together.
Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to El Burdo)
Thanks El Burdo. That doesn't strike me as bad looking at all, although the bindings look a little beaten up in the second picture?
I've done 2 with ebony bindings so far - I think I am going to make at least this one trip over to the light side I'm going to be using BWB purflings all around - maybe something extra around the soundboard but not sure what.
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
Hi Jim
I'm not sure where to jump. I've got some ebony bindings but most guitars seem to be rosewood. I'll improvise later - right now I want to make a standard instrument. What is considered 'normal'? (not a rhetorical question!) Yep, the guitar is beaten up. Actually, I took my forum name from my guitar - 'El Burdo' is 'the rough one' - as I have yet to achieve finesse! I don't know if the damage is down to the density of the bindings or my lack of care to be honest.
RE: Flamenco binding question (in reply to Jim Kirby)
There is no normal, ebony looks great, rosewood is more common because when a luthier is making classicals or negras they can cut themselves free bindings from sides instead of wasting the wood.
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That's OK, I'd rather be chased off the idea than built a guitar and look at it and think "why the heck did I do that?" 
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