Abalone Rosette Vs. Wood Rosette

[Kerrigan]

I'm about to order my hand built dream guitar.
An abalone rosette and gold tuning pegs are included in the price.
Abalone is featured on many expensive guitars including Martins…
But these days you can also find abalone on $300 guitars from China.
My feeling is abalone and gold tuners are just ‘bling’... and detract from the aesthetic beauty of a wooden acoustic.
I’m I alone?

[jpricewood]

Everything can be found on Chinese guitars.

Abalone is one of the most beautiful organisms on our planet, which makes it a great compliment to wood. It’s more than bling to me. However, I do think we should use it in a responsible and sustainable manner.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I'm about to order my hand built dream guitar.
An abalone rosette and gold tuning pegs are included in the price.
Abalone is featured on many expensive guitars including Martins…
But these days you can also find abalone on $300 guitars from China.
My feeling is abalone and gold tuners are just ‘bling’... and detract from the aesthetic beauty of a wooden acoustic.
I’m I alone?

Depends on the guitar.

[Scott of the Sa]

I love abalone, but I really dislike gold hardware. It will fade over time and not look very good. I think nickel or chrome looks just fine.

[srbell]

Originally Posted by Scott of the Sa

I love abalone, but I really dislike gold hardware. It will fade over time and not look very good. I think nickel or chrome looks just fine.

Same here - I'm a fan of abalone, but not gold hardware.

[L20A]

I have guitars with Abalone and also guitars with wood around the sound holes.
I love both.
It is your choice.
Sounds like the OP will opt for wood.
Great choice. Hope you live the Custom build like I do mine.

[gmel555]

Not alone. Fall of 2020 I ordered a custom Bourgeois and went with a wood "tile" rosette, cocobolo outlined in maple. I like abalone alot but I have that on multiple guitars already. I wanted something different on my one and only custom. It's not "in your face" but I like it. It goes with the cocobolo binding on the guitar which is Swiss Spruce over Panamanian Rosewood. I very happy with the decision. Re the tuners. I generally dislike gold tuners, HOWEVER I am a big fan of Gotoh's "vintage/antique" gold. With the soft, lo-shine surface IMHO they look great and of course, the Gotohs are awesome patina. I've got those on a Taylor guitar. I did go with gold Waverly's on the Bourgeois but the buttons are snakewood.

[llew]

I'm not a fan of gold hardware either generally speaking but owning a couple of acoustics that have it I find it doesn't really bother me particularly. Both sets are 510's and one is on a Yairi DYM60HD the other on a John Walker Wise River.
Abalone I'm not wild about but a tastefully done rosette would be fine. The Yairi DYM60HD has a Mahogany inner ring and abalone outer ring.

[TyB]

Wood > baloney (no offense to abalone fans, I just don't get it)

[TBman]

I like abalone. I have gold tuners on a couple of my guitars and black on some others. It's not a big deal to find drop in replacement tuners.

[Shadowfox]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I'm about to order my hand built dream guitar.
An abalone rosette and gold tuning pegs are included in the price.
Abalone is featured on many expensive guitars including Martins…
But these days you can also find abalone on $300 guitars from China.
My feeling is abalone and gold tuners are just ‘bling’... and detract from the aesthetic beauty of a wooden acoustic.
I’m I alone?

I concur. I think Furch does a good job of wood rings with some abalone.

[birkenweg42]

My two steel-string guitars have abalone in their rosettes. It looks good to me and seems to go with the overall design appointments.
Should I ever commission a guitar I would make it an all-wood theme just to mix it up.

[CollingsPicker]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

I'm about to order my hand built dream guitar.

I would say that this is your “dream guitar” so only your dream applies here. Every $300, $3,000, $30,000 wooden guitar shares tuners, wood, marquetry, strings… in common so don’t let what’s common between all guitars worry you. Order YOUR dream guitar with the appointments you want and dream on. I couldn’t care less if my guitars have abalone, wood or no rosette. Standing behind my guitar I don’t see the fret-board, purpling, rosette, binding….. so, I don’t care which guitar has what. Only, that they play, sound and make me feel the way I want to feel when playing them. However, I would like to see your dream-guitar when you get it. Pictures will be nice.

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by srbell

Same here - I'm a fan of abalone, but not gold hardware.

I vastly prefer gold hardware on a quality guitar... Chrome is better served for cars, not a primo instrument made of wood! I view that deterioration in gold hardware over time, as "mojo"...... YMMV...

For either shell, or wood appointments, the workmanship matters more than the material being used, although it's hard to beat shell on a fretboard...

Don

[islandguitar]

When I helped design my one personal custom with Tom Doerr, I wanted wood and "no bling" as my choice just as you mention. Just seemed to fit where I was then and still my preference today. Tom did a nice"cross grain" Cocobolo rosette with matching cross grain Cocobolo purfling to tie it all together. For me, elegant and showcasing the beauty of the wood.
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