Col Mustard
Well-Known Member
Personally, I don't really get it about binding... it's not something I think much about.
I do understand that other members like it more than I do. I have two acoustic guitars left, and
neither of them has binding. I own two Gibson SGs and with both of them it's "No binding, no nibs,
no problem..." That's the way I look at it anyway. I own two Epiphones, and both of them have
binding that's so nicely done, I didn't even notice that it was there until I'd owned them for a while.
So I read threads like this one with perplexity. I did, I shoveled my way through the whole thang.
I appreciate the good words mentioned along with my name. Thanks for that. I try to stay open minded
about some of these issues, even if I don't understand why anyone would get worked up about it.
The G-400 with the binding illustrated here looks very nice. But hell, so does my Gibson SG:
my mantra: No Binding, No Nibs, No problem... fret ends nicely finished by Gibson
factory guys. Neck fast and comfortable. What I like about having no binding is the ease
of a refret when that becomes necessary. So the picture above is an example of Gibson
elegance and grace eh? Baked maple fretboard, acrylic block inlays, and look at these Shexy Bevels
baby... There are guys who would tell me my guitars are no good because my bevels aren't like someone else's guitar from some other time (and space)...
But they can pound sand.
See, I take each instrument as it is, and play it for what it can do, and I don't think in terms
of what it is NOT, or what it CAN'T DO... (a very small item). So I don't care a fig for what
somebody else's SG might have for bevels. I just bond with and play my own.
But I'll tell you something. Once I finally noticed that my two lovely Epiphone guitars both had
binding, I liked it. Epiphone binding is done quite well in my limited experience. My two lovelies both
have "fret over" binding, which I have decided that I much prefer. No nibs, no problem.
Look at the Epiphone Wilshire below, and see that the binding is very well done
and blends so well into the neck and fretboard that it's not very noticeable. *shrugs
The frets go out over the binding, they are smooth and well beveled and dressed.
I also own an old Fender Jazz Bass made in 1966, and that excellent instrument also has 'fret over" binding on its neck. This is Ol' Leo's idea of how to do binding... and to me it's right on. I've been playing this
instrument since 1972, and the frets and the binding were so well made that I've never had a problem
with them or even looked close enough to see what was done here... until I joined this forum.
I have learned a lot here, and now when I look, I see more. Pretty cool. There's a lot to see.
So let's have peace among us and celebrate how lucky we are to be able to do what we do.
Playing music is a gift. So is owning nice guitars (and basses). Personally, I'm very grateful for
all of it. I'm grateful for every gig, and for every chance to play music, paid or not. I'm grateful for
being able to own some excellent instruments, and to be able to put them to use creating some
music that no one else can do.
If we forget temporarily how lucky we are to be able to enjoy all this and our own forum too, then
I for one will stand up to remind anyone, remind us all. One of my favorite images from 2016 (a terrible and hateful year) was of a guy from an African nation, who had a guitar made out of an oil can (for a body)
and a stick (for a neck). The thing about this guy and his home made guitar was: he has talent. He
could make music with this... having nothing else.
It's about the music we make with these things my friends...
If we were all stripped of our fine instruments
by the outrages of what we face for a "future..."
then my hope is that the human spirit we share
might guide us to make music
with whatever we have to hand.
We might look fondly back at the days when we had everything,
and then move forward and do
the best we can with what we've still got.
And we will.
If you have talent, then shortcomings of your instrument won't hurt you much.
If you have no talent, then the most expensive and beautifully beveled and bound instrument
will not help you much. There it is.
Merry Christmas to all
and to all a Good Night...
I do understand that other members like it more than I do. I have two acoustic guitars left, and
neither of them has binding. I own two Gibson SGs and with both of them it's "No binding, no nibs,
no problem..." That's the way I look at it anyway. I own two Epiphones, and both of them have
binding that's so nicely done, I didn't even notice that it was there until I'd owned them for a while.
So I read threads like this one with perplexity. I did, I shoveled my way through the whole thang.
I appreciate the good words mentioned along with my name. Thanks for that. I try to stay open minded
about some of these issues, even if I don't understand why anyone would get worked up about it.
The G-400 with the binding illustrated here looks very nice. But hell, so does my Gibson SG:
my mantra: No Binding, No Nibs, No problem... fret ends nicely finished by Gibson
factory guys. Neck fast and comfortable. What I like about having no binding is the ease
of a refret when that becomes necessary. So the picture above is an example of Gibson
elegance and grace eh? Baked maple fretboard, acrylic block inlays, and look at these Shexy Bevels
baby... There are guys who would tell me my guitars are no good because my bevels aren't like someone else's guitar from some other time (and space)...
But they can pound sand.
See, I take each instrument as it is, and play it for what it can do, and I don't think in terms
of what it is NOT, or what it CAN'T DO... (a very small item). So I don't care a fig for what
somebody else's SG might have for bevels. I just bond with and play my own.
But I'll tell you something. Once I finally noticed that my two lovely Epiphone guitars both had
binding, I liked it. Epiphone binding is done quite well in my limited experience. My two lovelies both
have "fret over" binding, which I have decided that I much prefer. No nibs, no problem.
Look at the Epiphone Wilshire below, and see that the binding is very well done
and blends so well into the neck and fretboard that it's not very noticeable. *shrugs
The frets go out over the binding, they are smooth and well beveled and dressed.
I also own an old Fender Jazz Bass made in 1966, and that excellent instrument also has 'fret over" binding on its neck. This is Ol' Leo's idea of how to do binding... and to me it's right on. I've been playing this
instrument since 1972, and the frets and the binding were so well made that I've never had a problem
with them or even looked close enough to see what was done here... until I joined this forum.
I have learned a lot here, and now when I look, I see more. Pretty cool. There's a lot to see.
So let's have peace among us and celebrate how lucky we are to be able to do what we do.
Playing music is a gift. So is owning nice guitars (and basses). Personally, I'm very grateful for
all of it. I'm grateful for every gig, and for every chance to play music, paid or not. I'm grateful for
being able to own some excellent instruments, and to be able to put them to use creating some
music that no one else can do.
If we forget temporarily how lucky we are to be able to enjoy all this and our own forum too, then
I for one will stand up to remind anyone, remind us all. One of my favorite images from 2016 (a terrible and hateful year) was of a guy from an African nation, who had a guitar made out of an oil can (for a body)
and a stick (for a neck). The thing about this guy and his home made guitar was: he has talent. He
could make music with this... having nothing else.
It's about the music we make with these things my friends...
If we were all stripped of our fine instruments
by the outrages of what we face for a "future..."
then my hope is that the human spirit we share
might guide us to make music
with whatever we have to hand.
We might look fondly back at the days when we had everything,
and then move forward and do
the best we can with what we've still got.
And we will.
If you have talent, then shortcomings of your instrument won't hurt you much.
If you have no talent, then the most expensive and beautifully beveled and bound instrument
will not help you much. There it is.
Merry Christmas to all
and to all a Good Night...
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