Rosette

ROSETTE

Rosette
The rosette illustrated here is a mosaic fabricated of dyed holly veneer. It is used to reinforce the soundhole of the guitar.
The rosette is a composite mosaic designed to reinforce the area around a guitar's soundhole. It helps prevent the delicate top wood from splitting along the grain and also helps prevent vibration near the area of the soundhold. The rosette mimics the mosaics often found in the stain glass windows and marquetries of Europe. Typically rosettes are mosaics made from thousands of pieces of dyed veneer, laminated into planks and then logs that show a marquetry design on the end. Pieces sliced like bread from this log are then inlaid around the soundhole to implement the design. There are many types of rosettes currently being manufactured. Most commercial makers simply use strips of celluloid plastic let into the top. Others use a composite of plastic and or wood and shell to ornament the soundhole.

I have experimented for years with alternatives to the traditional marquetry. I have used shell, wood, precious metals, and even fiberglass resin to facilitate the rosette design. Nothing seems to be as pleasing to the eye as a well designed, carefully constructed mosaic. Often times the design of the rosette, as well as the shape of the peghead are trademarks of the luthier who built them. Rosette closeup
Look closely and you will see that the design is not painted on, but rather is made up of tiny pieces of dyed wood laminated together to form an image.

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