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.