The Heelcap

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The Heelcap

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JBASHORUN

Posts: 1839
Joined: Jan. 23 2005

The Heelcap

Is there really any functional purpose to the "heelcap"? I would guess not much, other than to prevent the wood chipping at the heel.

But IMHO the humble heelcap is the proverbial "icing on the cake" of a guitar, and is very underrated.

It allows the luthier to stamp his mark on the guitar, a bit like the headstock design and rosette... It also serves to make the the heel "aesthetically pleasing", and shows off luthier's woodworking skills.

Here's a design one of my colleauges at college came up with recently. I like the way he has created the effect of the rosewood binding and white/black/white purfling continuing through the heelcap. the rosewood colours aren't a perfect match, but its a nice idea, que no?

here's another one. I think this is one of Jim's guitars. but it just goes to show that you can make heelcaps quite ornate and decorative if you want. Something pretty to look at rather than just a piece of wood.

Last one, from an unknown luthier. But I like the way the heelcap is an EXTENSION of the back of the guitar... like its one piece. I think I'll use a similar method for my next guitar.

So... anyone else got any "heelcap porn" they wanna post? Maybe something you made yourself, or even just one on a guitar you purchased...

Jb

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 16 2007 18:03:45

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: The Heelcap (in reply to JBASHORUN)

I've always found this really interesting.
I once had a Montero y Bellido guitar with a large but very fine heel shape. I noticed that when I picked the guitar up the heel sat nicely over the thumb base joint on my left hand. Very tactile thing and it just felt right. That for me is why the traditional shape deleloped. I would not buy a guitar with some other shape because it points out that the maker doesn't understand the tradition.
Some top makers do a rounded heel as your pic but when ever I see this I just move on to find something else.
One other issue. Gerundino blunted the heel point and that just seems to be a very artesan detail, a functional thing to make the guitar a working instrument. I like that.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 17 2007 19:39:54