botched "kit" repair

[Diane Kauffmds]

Here are engelmann spruce top sets. If you search the site, you'll find other spruce. These are 50% off.

https://exoticwoodzone.com/collections/ ... pruce-tops

[Stray Feathers]

It might also be worth your while checking these two Canadian suppliers. Your dollar goes a lot further but I don't know how shipping will be. Cascadia was formerly Bow River Wood to Works:

https://www.woodtoworks.com

And Ed Polk used to be with Bow River, but now operates his own business called Edco:

https://edcofinewoods.com

Bruce W.

[warren47]

Diane
I am familiar with grain runout. Does such a thing occur on quarter sawn spruce? BTW thank you for the link to Exotic tone wood zone. Very tempting "just in case",,,

I found a description of runout on another site.

Strayfeathers
Thank you for the links. some pretty wood to be had if my skills were up to the quality....some day.
Also, just saw your answer. You also bring up a question I wasn't going to ask...how to see in pictures.

[Stray Feathers]

You haven't had an answer yet so I will chime in here until others add their two cents'. The short answer is "yes". The grain may be perfectly parallel to the edges of the board in one plane, but it may not be parallel to the flat surfaces of the board. It can show as grain lifting towards the lower bout on one side of a guitar top, and towards the upper bout on the other side, and the wood grain may shimmer differently on the two sides. I find it hard to see it until you have started finer sanding, but maybe others can explain how to see it when the wood is rough. Bruce W.

[warren47]

Here is what I am studying to understand runout. Hope the post is acceptable.
https://www.lutherie.net/frankford.runout.html

[warren47]

I finally got the back attached. I chose not to add purfling nor binding at this time. I put one coat of poly on the back and sides to protect them. While sanding and smoothing down edges I discovered that the builder had put black/white/red purfling on the front. Then he stained it. So much for black/white/red. I sanded most of the stain off only to discover that ~ 20% of the binding was loose. So, what to do next?
It sounds ok. Merely ok.
I have a 1960s Japanese Ryoji Matsuoka no. 20 guitar and a Cordoba C10 guitar. This beast is not in that class.

As I ponder the next step I cannot help but remember the personalized form letter I received from the Dean of Engineering. He suggested that my skills might be better applied to another discipline. Hmmm.

In time I might sand out the rest of the discoloration on the front but I think I will pause for a while.