[alohachris]

Aloha,

Either blended or contrasting on the binding. Trust the luthier's suggestions. Curly Koa looks awesome as binding on anything, especially African blackwood. But so do bloodwood, cocobolo, ebony, snakewood, rosewood & maple. Purpleheart & vermillion turn brown pretty quickly (unless you process them with Armour-all - really).

Traditionally, the rosette brought two functions: 1) bringing stability to a fragile, open-grained, central area around the soundhole, 2) a place for the luthier to express himself.

Therefore, I suggest that you provide a possible theme, but allow the luthier to do his thing with your rosette!

Look at all the design talent in the pictures of this thread!!! Look! Today's luthiers are so amazingly skilled. Don't tell them how to design & make your rosette! Encourage & allow them to create it.

I guess with custom guitars costing more today than the houses I grew up in, that players feel they have the right to break with tradition.

Rosettes are the luthier's domain.

alohachris

PS: Isn't Jimmi Wingert's fine marquetry artwork on that peghead overleaf exquisite? Maybe the nicest design I've ever seen for that & so understated. Wow! -alohachris-