MIMF

I think your right Michael. I've drawn up plans for a parlor last night that will accommodate the dimensions. I would like to thank everybody for the ideas and theories.
Let me know if you guys are interested in seeing my parlor plans.

Andrew.... that is awesome! Bravo!

Butterfly key joint might look neat.

And here is the idea so far...

Ok.. so I'm thinking if I bookmatch the cocobolo top to bottom with a scarf joint per left and right side and use the rest of the cocobolo as a reinforcement strip over the joint. All of the cocobolo grain would be running the same direction. If not I'll just design a parlon body that is 17.5" ...

Really nice!

Thanks Jason. Another great idea but I'm still leaning toward the scarf. I'm just wondering about structural integrity. Is a longer glue line better than a shorter one?

Nope, a little more tricky. I would have no problem with just a 3 piece. It's the joining together of cocobolo pieces along the back that worries me.

I like the scarf joint idea Alan. Maybe using a 22.5º angle would work for the glueing surface. That way I could still brace along the seem on the inside.

Has anyone ever pieced together a back similar to this? I have a nice piece of cocobolo that is two inches short of being long enough to make a back plate. It's dimensions are 6 3/8" x 18" x 7/8". I would use H. rosewood for the center strip and cocobolo for the side strips.

Looking good Randy! I'm still building my guitar so I haven't glued it in yet. Working on the fingerboard now. Almost there.

Thanks... I decided on using heavy weight acid-free drawing paper. I'll glue it down with a thin wash of wood glue, let it dry and shellac it for a vintage look. In other news I've edge banded the back of the body now.

Used illustrator and photoshop. I like to use the strengths of both.

Here's the design I made.

Should I give a wash coat of shellac to the inside of the guitar and to the underside of the top?

That looks really nice!

Thanks all, this has been very informative. Much appreciated! I should have my design done today. Going for a vintage look.

That was my first thought except for spraying it with lacquer. Does that seal the ink?

What do you all use to make your sound hole labels... type of paper/inked or printed.Just looking for ideas

No arches or domes on the braces. The top will have 2º angle from the waist to the neck same for the back. I should've arched the back but I'll see what happens to it in time. The struts are pretty stout.