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Plastic bindings have a tendency to shrink over decades, what about maple bindings?
Which of the two would be more durable in general?
Are there any disadvantages of ordering a guitar with maple bindings (apart from the additional difficulties to the bending process while building)?
TIA
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09-06-2018 09:27 AM
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I'd say maple binding would be more durable than plastic. I'd take hardwood binding if that was offered. Trouble is, maple tends to show dings more readily whereas plastics have some "give" when they are relatively young.
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It is likely just a matter of taste...
Maple reflects that modern Jimmy D feel and looks very cool on my 2009 Trenier Magnolia.
As far as wear, get back to me in 50 years (I'll be 112) and we can discuss!!
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Most of the plastic that is used for binding currently is abs which is not prone to shrinkage or decay. The plastic that was first used in guitar building was nitro cellulose plastic similar to what was used in old film. This early type of plastic slowly gassed off or dried out and cracked after shrinking. You can still find nitro cellulose plastic binding but it is expensive and often only available by special order. So modern plastic lasts much longer than nitro plastic does. Wood is harder than the rather soft ABS plastic. Wood can crack or split but you rarely see wood binding that has cracked, at least not that I have ever seen. As you may know, my personal choice to build with is vulcanized cellulose otherwise known as fiber. The fiber is super tough and it won't shrink or crack. I also believe wood and fiber binding tend to sound better than plastic binding on an acoustic guitar.
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I’m not sure I could tell an acoustic difference between wood and plastic. Judging from the recent age poll, ABS will likely last well longer than most members of this forum. Wood does tend to be prettier.
Aesthetics is really the only consideration from a consumers point of view IMHO.
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I don't know why but what I thought to be my best sounding mandolins have all had wood or fiber bound bodies. I am not as sure about my guitars. I know there could be many variables at play here but I can sense the difference after the body is bound. When the binding is tapped, the plastic and fiber sound out differently, probably due to the hardness variation. The binding does also play a role in the top to rib to back interface. I could easily be wrong about this, but I may never know because I probably won't bind a body with plastic again.
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Thank you all for the valuable input.
It helped me decide to go for flamed maple bindings.
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The original plastic binding on my '63 Super-400 is still all in one piece, no shrinkage at all. IMHO it's a matter of personal taste and whether the material fits with the overall appearance of the instrument. Binding F-holes with wood and/or fibre is more difficult and will cost you more ....
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I think you made a good choice in selecting flame maple as binding for your guitar. Maple binding looks great on a guitar IMO. It seems like all builders are different in what they prefer to work with as far as binding is concerned. I do not like working with plastic and I charge more for plastic binding. I have been using fiber for over ten years now. I am not aware of any other builder that is using it for binding. Fiber is not sold as binding that I know of and I have always had to cut my own. By cutting my own, I can use any width or thickness I like on a build which is one reason I like fiber so well. With wood or fiber, I can use hide glue for bonding it which is another plus for me. If a repair is ever needed, hide glue is easy to reverse.
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I own an Ibanez AF125. It is fully bound in maple and the binding contributes to the beauty of the instrument. It is only five years old, so I can't comment on longevity.
It's gorgeous!
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Hey Matt, can I ask where you source your fibre from?
Originally Posted by Matt Cushman
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Sure Jay, I buy the fiber veneer sheets from LMII. Originally Posted by Jehu
Veneers
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Originally Posted by Matt Cushman
matt c...lmii has addenda-to that link
NOTE: We do not recommend using fiber veneer for binding, as it doesn’t sand well.
what are your workarounds...i remember you mentioning this in a prior thread, but can't recall the details
cheers
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A couple thoughts:
Maples vary significantly in their hardness. Bindings purpose is not only decorative but is protective. As a result, when a builder wants to substitute maple for a plastic such as ABS, I ask them to use Sugar “Hard” Maple. I see many guitars bound in curly Bigleaf Maple which is beautiful, but fairly soft.
Bigleaf Maple - 850 lbf (3,780 N)
Sycamore Maple - 1,050 lbf (4,680 N)
Sugar Maple - 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)
There are also some very hard tropical hardwoods that are light in color.
Boxwood - 2,840 lbf (12,610 N)
East Indian Satinwood - 2,620 lbf (11,650 N)
Additionally, a variety of light colored rosewood sapwoods can be used. I have had guitars bound in Cocobolo sapwood.
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I don't know why they would say that. It sands OK for me. Have they ever tried to sand plastic? Sometimes it is best to just ignore advice from others and simply try things out for yourself. I'm glad I did. I find I don't need to do much sanding of the binding if I cut it to the precise size that is needed to fit the binding channel. Originally Posted by neatomic
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Fwiw, on solid body guitars, some "maple binding" isn't binding at all but rather just wood that was masked off before spraying finish. I think PRS & Carvin were among the first to do this.
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Raney and Abersold, great interview.
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