Art Of The Inlay
This issue Alex Bishop gets the chisels out to create acoustic guitar rosettes from some extra-special pieces of wood
Ihave been busy putting together a pair of ‘000’‑size guitars for a couple of clients over the past few months. It’s been a great opportunity to reconsider one of my most popular models and go back to first principles to create new jigs, explore new ideas, and ultimately – hopefully – achieve an even better sound.
At the time of writing, I have reached one of the most crucial parts of the process: the soundhole rosette. A sheet of guitar‑shaped European spruce sits on the workbench in front of me like a blank canvas. It could be an opportunity to make a grand statement and show off my lutherie skills. Or perhaps it would be better to keep things simple and understated. Where to begin?
On a practical level, soundhole rosettes perform the same duty as a purfling line on the inside edge of a violin. In this instance, cracks due to impact or humidity changes are terminated at the purfling line, stopping them from progressing further into the centre of the instrument. In the same way, the unsupported wood at the edge of the soundhole may be prone to splitting, so the rosette acts as a barrier preventing further damage.
However, the rosette also offers an ideal opportunity for the maker to infuse their identity into an instrument and create something truly special. Since this is a largely decorative component, I feel that there are less ‘rules’ when it comes to designing a rosette. My own work has a geometric edge, loosely inspired by Kandinsky paintings, Art Deco and the Bauhaus movement, so the challenge will be to implement hard lines and subtle curves into the rosettes without making anything that looks too jarring on an otherwise traditional‑looking instrument.
I quite liked the idea of segmenting the rosette in places and perhaps combining sections that look like they ought to have belonged on different guitars. A few years ago I taught myself to use computer‑aided design software in order to create technical drawings of my guitars. I’ve found it to be very helpful for exploring inlay designs, too, so I started by mocking up a few simple layouts. Once I got my clients to choose their favourites, I was ready to put my plan into reality.
Inlay work, such as that found on soundhole rosettes and headstock logos, is the art of cutting out small pieces of material such as wood or mother‑of‑pearl to form jigsaw‑like patterns, which are then set into the surface of the instrument. Like much of guitar making, inlay work is an art form unto itself. The astonishing work of luthiers such as Larry Robinson and Grit Laskin shows just how far it can be taken. I’ll be keeping things simple this time, though. Firstly, I’ll need to cut out the largest sections of wood from my designs.
Interestingly, both clients have sent me some special pieces of timber to use in these builds. One delivered some 5,000‑year‑old Fenland bog oak – enough to build the entire back and sides of the guitar from, and the offcuts provide me with some alluring black patterned pieces to adorn the thinner sections around the soundhole. For the other guitar, I have some slices of olive wood from a tree in Spain that has a special connection to the owner. I think it’s these personal touches that really help make a custom‑built guitar extra special.
Getting each section to fit snugly into its excavation on the soundboard is a tricky process, especially where borders are to be added around each piece of inlay. Then the rosette gets planed down to the surface of the top, and the inlays appear to merge and become part of the soundboard itself. Yet it’s not until I begin cutting the soundhole that things really start to come together. As soon as the hole in the middle is cut out, one feels a peculiar thrill, and the timeless image of a modern acoustic guitar appears once again. I’ve got a good feeling about this one…
“The rosette offers an ideal opportunity for the maker to infuse their identity into an instrument and create something truly special”