Veneering compound curves

[Michael Rowan]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum and was directed here by Joe at Veneer Supplies. My question is in regard to veneering over compound curved shapes, mainly guitar bodies. I am a boutique guitar builder and I am concerned with the longjevity of the flamed and quilted maple supplies as used in my industry. I would like to see if veneering would be a viable alternative for my products, one of which has quite sharp break-over angles on the top. The model in question is the Sweet Six listed on my site at rowanguitars.com. I would appreciate any advice/guidence anyone could provide.

Thanks in advance,

Michael Rowan
Owner
Rowan Custom Guitars
Garland, TX

[Frank Drew]

Michael,

If I understand your question correctly, as far as I know no one has come up with a method to make veneer curve in more than one direction just with pressure; it will take a pretty tight curve in that one direction, but after that (compound curving) you have to start making cuts.

In other words, you can probably veneer a globe (or a basketball), but there'll be a lot of cutting and fitting involved.

[Rick Akl]

On the Wood Whisperer website there is an interview/ shop tour that I saw with David Marks of the "Wood Works" TV series. In the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0D6Jey28dI) he talks about one of his current projects and explains how he accomplishes the compound curve lamination which I believe has a solid core. I do not know if that will help you with a curved bodied guitar build but it is probably worth a look. Alternatively you could laminate a thinner 2/4 or 3/4 stock contoured top surface with a solid back body but I know nothing of guitar acoustics and do not know how it would affect the tone. Best of luck and let us know how it goes!