The edges of each Boulder Creek acoustic guitar are tastefully trimmed with a stripe of binding- an accent material that visually sets off the guitar’s form as well as contributing to its sonic properties and construction.
The significance of “binding” in an acoustic guitar body transcends mere aesthetic embellishment. While tasteful binding undoubtedly enhances the visual appeal of a well-crafted instrument, its purpose extends beyond surface aesthetics and deep into the world of sound. Functionally, binding serves to establish clean demarcations at the junctures of the guitar’s body, while also bolstering the structural integrity of glued unions and guaranteeing enduring stability of adhered surfaces to create the ultimate sound box.
Upon the successful assembly of the guitar’s top, back, and sides, the subsequent procedural step involves meticulously trimming the back’s periphery to achieve seamless alignment with the sides.
Then, a precision-driven manual router is employed to meticulously carve a well-defined channel encompassing the intersections of the top with the sides, and correspondingly, the back with the sides.
Subsequent to this preparatory phase, custom binding is aptly dimensioned to impeccably fit within the established channel, and is appropriately contoured to harmonize with the intricate curvature it will inhabit.
Concluding this meticulous preparation, the binding is affixed within the channel using complimentary adhesive bonding agents, positioned and held in place by temporary taping to immobilize it during the drying process.
Of note is the ongoing construction featuring rosewood sides and a spruce top, where the binding manifests as an exquisite figured maple.
The binding material is balanced and matched to the body materials for both stability and tonal resonance, with an extensive diversity of guitar binding materials available, ranging from unadorned black or white ABS plastic, to classic grained ivoroid, and an array of exotic wood variants.
Selecting, sizing, fitting and installing the best choice of binding for each guitar is a process that Boulder Creek guitars carefully follows to successfully encapsulate the metamorphosis of the guitar body, an endeavor harmonizing both form and function.
