need help with binding choice for BTO

[cigarfan]

I love the Curly maple binding, It gives a great contrast and usually "pops" the most in my opinion.

I would agree with Jack, curly maple is very nice looking and pops. Here are a couple photos of the Koa on my GA-LTD. Didn't pick it but it looks schweeet!

http://home.comcast.net/~dglair/pwpimages/DSC_0683.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~dglair/pwpimages/DSC_0686.jpg

[Cindy]

I know the OP didn't ask about the hardness of various bindings, but I do remember reading either here or on the previous Taylor forum about some of the wood bindings getting dinged.

Which might be harder...maple or koa...or are they about the same hardness? What about the hardness of other binding options? Perhaps the OP might want to take this into consideration?

[Herb Hunter]

I know the OP didn't ask about the hardness of various bindings, but I do remember reading either here or on the previous Taylor forum about some of the wood bindings getting dinged.

Which might be harder...maple or koa...or are they about the same hardness? What about the hardness of other binding options? Perhaps the OP might want to take this into consideration?

Wood hardness using Janka scale (pounds-force):


Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) 850


Koa (Acacia koa) 900


Bloodwood (Brosimum paraense) 2900


Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia ) 3170


Black maple is slightly harder than big leaf (and koa) which is what Taylor uses for the back and sides of their maple guitars but it seems reasonable to assume that the wood species used for back and sides would be the same as that used for the binding.


Wood hardness varies from one sample to another of the same species but the above still serves as a comparative guide.

[terrypl]

Thanks for all your helpful advice. I finally settled on figured koa on a AA grade rosewood body. Placed the order today with Jim at Guitar Rodeo -- great guy to work with, bought a BTO GS from him.

It should be a nice sitting-down-in-the-living-room guitar at the GA size. I used to have a 514-C, which was that size, but I sold it to finance the GS. I love the GS, but wanted to try a short-scale, smaller body, thus the new BTO.

The only fancy appointments will be the koa binding and small diamond fret markers. Otherwise, it'll be a pretty classic-looking gloss rosewood/spruce GA -- no cutaway, no electronics, no wedge, no pickguard, ebony headstock.

[Strumming Fool]

Thanks for all your helpful advice. I finally settled on figured koa on a AA grade rosewood body. Placed the order today with Jim at Guitar Rodeo -- great guy to work with, bought a BTO GS from him.

It should be a nice sitting-down-in-the-living-room guitar at the GA size. I used to have a 514-C, which was that size, but I sold it to finance the GS. I love the GS, but wanted to try a short-scale, smaller body, thus the new BTO.

The only fancy appointments will be the koa binding and small diamond fret markers. Otherwise, it'll be a pretty classic-looking gloss rosewood/spruce GA -- no cutaway, no electronics, no wedge, no pickguard, ebony headstock.

Great choices! That will be a classy-looking instrument...can't wait to see pics.....

[e8n]

I've got Koa on both my Rosewood BTO's and they look spectacular. 

-Dave

[michaelw]

I know the OP didn't ask about the hardness of various bindings, but I do remember reading either here or on the previous Taylor forum about some of the wood bindings getting dinged.

Which might be harder...maple or koa...or are they about the same hardness? What about the hardness of other binding options? Perhaps the OP might want to take this into consideration?

in terms of durability & protection, i believe that the plastic binding used on the 600 series
is the most 'rugged', as the 600s seem to be designed to be more of a gigging/stage guitar -
imho, it would have been nice to have the headstock binding on those models to cover
the entire area of the tops of the 'scallops', rather than just being on the leading edge,
because the edges, corners & 'peaks' of the headstock can get dinged quite easily ... ouch

wood binding, when compressed, dented, dinged or bruised, can also allow the force of
impact to continue to the purfling & edge of the top, which may allow finish chipping,
peeling, cracking or lifting to occur more easily than with a more resilient material

i would have thought that maple would be a harder material than koa or rosewood,
but i've seen rosewood bound guitars with their fair share of chips & nicks also -
ivoroid & faux 'tortoise' binding seem  to be more susceptible to separation on older models
that i've seen, especially where the body contours have the tightest curvature (waist, etc),
but it could be due to adverse conditions that the guitars were exposed to over the years

keeping maple binding clean on a satin finish neck may require a little more upkeep than
a darker binding, but this should not be concern if the neck/binding have a gloss finish -
maple can look pretty nice also, imho

hmm ... i wonder how transblack or other transparent-stained maple would look (if it were offered)

[CJAZ]

Look at the R. Taylor site.  The have some great pictures of the different binding woods.  I have personally fallen in love with bloodwood and long ago saw a McIlroy bound in pearwood.