Chapter 11
Banding and side joint inlay
Page 1


Banding and side joint inlay at bottom of the guitar must be installed before the fingerboard. Note the fixture for holding the guitar,it has many uses,banding fretwork,finishing etc. The tools in the image are used for cutting the channel that will receive the banding,a violin purfeling cutter with one blade can be used. A router can also be used to cut the channel ,a special bit for this purpose can be purchased from luthiers supply companies—Stewart Macdonalds-21 N. Schafer St.-Box 900- Athens,Ohio-U.S.A.-45701-----Luthiers Mercantile International-P.O. Box 774-412 Moore Lane- Healdsburg,California-U.S.A.-95448. Using a router will save you time and will do a good job. The banding strips can be made of trimmings from the sides, which are cut oversize by wood suppliers,multi colored veneers are added for a decorative effect. The banding strips are not glued before banding but are fitted and glued in loose,starting at the waist,held by a good quality strong masking tape.The channel to receive the inlay where the sides meet at the bottom should be cut also.