Which wood or plastic and color to use for tele binding?????

[Trageser22]

I’m deciding on what kind of binding to use for my latest tele build.
The body is 3/4 walnut and maple strips, with a flame maple top. The neck is laminated curly maple, walnut, padauk. Maybe I have to many odd colors in this to go with wood binding. I need some inspiration please!
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[oldunc]

You're using some pretty choice woods there, why bugger it up with bindings?

 

[Trageser22]

You're using some pretty choice woods there, why bugger it up with bindings?

I’m afraid the cap will look odd without it?

 

[oldunc]

I’m afraid the cap will look odd without it?

Have you considered veneering the sides with matching (at least in color) maple?

 

[Greggorios]

Dark tort binding. It looks great with natural wood tones; both the lighter maple and darker walnut-the red/burgundies/browns will compliment the various wood tones.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I use plastic binding on those guitars where it seems appropriate, which is mostly vintage inspired Gibson stuff. Everything else gets wood binding. My cardinal rule is that the binding should tie with other colors and woods on the guitar - I try to have at most only three different woods. A lot depends on what kind of wood I will use for headstock, fretboard, pickup rings, bridge (acoustics), maybe pick guard.

I will frequently bind with the same wood as the back and sides but put one or more purfling lines between the body and the binding, which looks like the traditional violin purfling but is much easier. So, I won't tell you what to do, that is up to your sense of aesthetics, but these might give you some ideas

Mahogany body, flamed maple top and head plate. Rosewood binding, fretboard, knobs, pickup ring

Flamed maple back and sides, spruce top. Rosewood fretboard, pick guard, head plate, pickup rings. Flamed maple binding with dark purfling lines. The top and back as well as fretboard, head plate, f-holes and pickguard are all bound.

Flamed koa top, back and sides and head plate. Rosewood fretboard. Binding is flamed maple to bring out the flame in the koa. Front and back, fretboard, head are all bound. There is a maple strip running down the back of the neck and the binding has a line of purfling

This is very simple, western red cedar over cocobolo, coco head plate. The mahogany neck is stained to match the coco. Rosewood fretboard and bridge. The binding is simply more cocobolo but has a light purfling line to set it off

I mentioned plastic when it looks right. I think that ivoroid looked right on the archtop I just finished. Spruce over mahohany, rosewood fretboard, head plate, pick guard, and bridge. As usual, the f-holes, head and fretboard all got the same binding

None of those are right for your woods but might give you some ideas

 

[Freeman Keller]

One addition, while it is possible to bend wood to fit the horn on a tele some woods will bend easier than others. Flamed woods will crack, I had several failures bending the maple for the hollow body. Rosewood and mahogany bend pretty easily. You might just want to consider a faux binding using your maple top.

 

[eallen]

Just do faux natural binding using the edge of the top. Figured maple works excellent for it and if you are doing any shading on the top it will outline it as a lighter color.

 

[Trageser22]

I use plastic binding on those guitars where it seems appropriate, which is mostly vintage inspired Gibson stuff. Everything else gets wood binding. My cardinal rule is that the binding should tie with other colors and woods on the guitar - I try to have at most only three different woods. A lot depends on what kind of wood I will use for headstock, fretboard, pickup rings, bridge (acoustics), maybe pick guard.

I will frequently bind with the same wood as the back and sides but put one or more purfling lines between the body and the binding, which looks like the traditional violin purfling but is much easier. So, I won't tell you what to do, that is up to your sense of aesthetics, but these might give you some ideas

Mahogany body, flamed maple top and head plate. Rosewood binding, fretboard, knobs, pickup ring View attachment 973406

Flamed maple back and sides, spruce top. Rosewood fretboard, pick guard, head plate, pickup rings. Flamed maple binding with dark purfling lines. The top and back as well as fretboard, head plate, f-holes and pickguard are all bound.

View attachment 973408

View attachment 973410

Flamed koa top, back and sides and head plate. Rosewood fretboard. Binding is flamed maple to bring out the flame in the koa. Front and back, fretboard, head are all bound. There is a maple strip running down the back of the neck and the binding has a line of purfling
View attachment 973411

View attachment 973412

This is very simple, western red cedar over cocobolo, coco head plate. The mahogany neck is stained to match the coco. Rosewood fretboard and bridge. The binding is simply more cocobolo but has a light purfling line to set it off

View attachment 973413

View attachment 973415

View attachment 973414

I mentioned plastic when it looks right. I think that ivoroid looked right on the archtop I just finished. Spruce over mahohany, rosewood fretboard, head plate, pick guard, and bridge. As usual, the f-holes, head and fretboard all got the same binding

View attachment 973417

View attachment 973416

None of those are right for your woods but might give you some ideas

Those are all gorgeous! Nice work

 

[Trageser22]

Dark tort binding. It looks great with natural wood tones; both the lighter maple and darker walnut-the red/burgundies/browns will compliment the various wood tones.

I do like Tortise

Dark tort binding. It looks great with natural wood tones; both the lighter maple and darker walnut-the red/burgundies/browns will compliment the various wood tones.

i do like tortoise shell!

 

[Trageser22]

One addition, while it is possible to bend wood to fit the horn on a tele some woods will bend easier than others. Flamed woods will crack, I had several failures bending the maple for the hollow body. Rosewood and mahogany bend pretty easily. You might just want to consider a

 

[Trageser22]

I tried bending very thin curly maple on my last telecaster, to no avail. I ordered black plastic. The horn is way to tight. I barely got it to work on my dreadnaught

 

[Trageser22]

One addition, while it is possible to bend wood to fit the horn on a tele some woods will bend easier than others. Flamed woods will crack, I had several failures bending the maple for the hollow body. Rosewood and mahogany bend pretty easily. You might just want to consider a faux binding using your maple top.

I’m not sure what I did to your post there, but I apologize for whatever it was!

 

[Freeman Keller]

I tried bending very thin curly maple on my last telecaster, to no avail. I ordered black plastic. The horn is way to tight. I barely got it to work on my dreadnaught

Straight grain can be bent for the inside of the horn on a hot pipe. Build a little jig to clamp the binding in as you work, then use tape and CA when you put it on the guitar

 

[Greplington]

Dark tort binding. It looks great with natural wood tones; both the lighter maple and darker walnut-the red/burgundies/browns will compliment the various wood tones.

I was going to say no binding, but instead I'm going to go with this one... Tort would look really good with that mix.

 

[TN Tele]

Wood binding can be challenging. If you are cutting your own binding thinner is aways more flexible and you can add multiple thin layers to gain thickness. Using steam or a hot pipe to pre-bend your binding will help. Plastic binding is so much easier but looks wise wood binding is so much nicer looking. Good luck with your build, the wood is stunning.