19th-Century Rosette Marquetry for 21st-Century Guitars

from his 2004 GAL Convention workshop

by Gregory Byers

Originally published in American Lutherie #84, 2005 and Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume Seven, 2015



Ever since attending the guitar-making lecture series given by José Romanillos in Toronto in the summer of 1981, I have been determined to make rosettes that honor some of the old Spanish marquetry techniques and patterns, particularly those found in the guitars of Antonio de Torres. Being congenitally unable to copy without modification, I have used some of the old patterns as inspiration to develop modern techniques to achieve similar results. I say modern, but do not confuse with “labor-saving.” Patience and a clear vision are required to achieve inspired results. Since most classical guitars are appreciated and valued for their sound above all else, I have devoted countless hours to improving my rosettes — go figure!

My rosettes are built up from a series of purfling strips and decorative elements fashioned from other veneer strip glue-ups. Each rosette is assembled in situ from a more or less unique combination of these elements. This differs from the model exemplified by Ramírez and others that makes use of preassembled rosettes cut from a cylinder like sliced salami. In this style, a central motif of end-grain tiles made from bundles of tiny sticks is wrapped inside and out with sheets of veneer. Many identical rosettes can be sliced from this hollow log. The methods I will describe here are not as efficient, but are more flexible and offer the advantage that the appearance of end grain can be avoided. This will usually give a cleaner, more vibrant appearance.