Backstrips

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I too am not a big fan of a center strip, but I did use one on my first guitar build; just a binding strip that matched the binding and sandwiched in. I did one strip that was BWB purfling, and it was too thin to sandwich so I had to route a channel for it and glue it in.
I believe whether you are going to join the strip between the plates, or route it in depends on how thick the center strip you are going to us is. If it is as thick or thicker than the plates, then sandwich it in. However, if it is a marquetry that is thinner then your plates, then you may HAVE to route a channel and glue it in. You may have a strip that you just have to use that is too thin to sandwich.

Kevin

[Jim_H]

Ugh, I shouldn't read/post past my bedtime. I completely misread the question, and thusly provided the wrong answer :p

[Darryl Young]

Like Jim, I had in the back of my mind that an inlaid strip would be stronger. Now that I'm about to do the process and I've thought through it, I'm not sure there is much difference between the two options.

Here is a question I didn't see a definite answer to. If not inlaying and gluing the back halves to either side of the back strip........do the sides of the back strips need to be leveled so they perfectly mate with the back or do the come from StewMac or LMI already leveled? I guess one would need to be careful not to remove too much material if they need leveling.

Does Martin typically join mahogany backs with no back strip? Not even a black line?

I'm leaning toward no back strip on the Cuban mahogany and using no back strip on the figured black walnut I'm using for a resonator.

[Herman]

In the past I did both ways, And both did work. The gluing way is easier imo. In theory I think a glued backstrip is better, because the gluejoint is squeezed a bit and therefore the thickness of the glue is minimal.

If you rout the channel, the glue has to fill up the defects of a non-perfect fitting.

Less glue=better

2 ct Herman