Bending herringbone without breaking it 

Thumbs up for Fred revealing the secret without hesitating !

Love how all these amazing builders share their secrets for free with each other and also with us. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone treated everyone else with that type of friendship and respect?

Thanks Dan. Please don't stop making these instructional videos, I've been playing guitar for 50 years and have learned sooooo much from all of you at StewMac from the videos !!! I wish I had access to this stuff 55 years ago !!!

The whole thing is ingenious but what I think is the most ingenious is coming up with the binding separator

All of his videos are pure gold.

Dan, you are a wizard! (Not just on this video, but all of your collective knowledge is amazing!)

Love watching Dan's videos!

Man, that is slick!

awesome tip... thanks Dan and Fred!

Nice work! Thanks for the tip, Dan!

Thank you for your videos.

You’re awesome! I hope someday I can make my own cool guitar. I’ll definitely cite you as my source of knowledge.

the legend himself

Good job Dan!

Great tip thanks, that curve in my future

Thanks Fred!

Dan - genius-in-an-apron... !!

Awesome 👌

Thank you for the knowledge

Dan earl wine is a genius!!

Sweet! I'll have to try that with a few projects.

Hmm, that might actually be better than what I came up with. First I taped plastic wrap around the edge of the guitar to protect it. Then I soaked the herringbone in a tray of hot water for 15 minutes. The whole thing bent like al dente pasta and got around the horn with no problem. Taped it down and left it overnight. The next morning it had dried out and "set" in the bent shape. Gluing it on was dead simple after that. I worried some about the stuff coming apart or swelling from being soaked in the water, but it appeared to do just fine.

That looks like my Fender Paramount PM-3 Limited. I wish they'd build a matching Stratocaster like that, Is buy it.

GORGEOUS

Wait, David Crosby builds Telecasters??

Any reason not to set it all up in the routed breadboard jig?

How about trying it just with the heat gun?

Fred didn't say anything about cutting it. The way he put it, it sounded like he was separating it, like disassembling it. Try turning the blade around to the dull side and see if it works. That way you don't run the risk of biting into the material with the sharp blade by accident. Or maybe Fred's tryin' to mess you up. I'm starting to think he's not your friend.

Seems to me it was never going to be possible to bend it around tight corners while it's assembled and it's never going to be used in an application with out tight corners, so why isn't it sold unassembled?

why not warming it only and applying it to the guitar

XActo Blade: Fade

Well ill be

God bless Dan Erlewine. When he's no longer around there's going to be a huge loss in lutherie knowledge.

imagen it ona a flying v

Just like bending laminate

Ahhhh i thought heat should be key when i saw the vid- i would never want herringbone on a tele though-

is it actual fish bone

lol sounds like you think it's actual herring bone

Just got a couple of strips of herringbone purfling to make ukulele rosettes, and gently attempted to bend one. Nope, that ain't gonna bend into no 3 inch circle. Searched for 'how to bend herringbone purfling' and this was the first thing that came back. Problem solved. Gotta love the internet! Thanks Dan and Fred!

Do you have to use fish glue because it's herringbone?

This was really a gem to put in the build book for future reference! Thank you so much!

thanks fred, stewart, and youtube for showing me another tip that i'm probably not gonna have a chance to use.

Amazing job. That binding is very beautiful. A great educational video. Thanks for sharing.

if you find an exacto knife is too sharp and is damaging the herringbone an alternative that may work well is the blade from a small pencil sharpener. honestly a CHEAP pencil sharpener would have a slightly less severe shape, the heat will do a lot of the separation. if you want an extra guide simply attach a small block of wood or two. if you're worried about damaging the wood heat shielding or high temp paint will help prevent that (rustoleum makes spray paint for charcoal grills that will help shield the wood, just do light powder coats so it stays smooth)

This man is a LLGRH (living legend guitarpedia repair hero)

That's fantastic!! Makes sense when you think about it!! I guess each strip wants to bend at its on rate without the glue, kinda like a marching band taking a corner!

priceless

Hope you can make a tutorial about binding a guitar with arm rest contour. Similar to a richiekotzen fender tele and suhr mateus asato. I can't seem to find a tutorial here on youtube about it. And most of the nearest luthiers here in my place are afraid to do that.

I watched a video from the Martin factory. There is one fella that does the binding on curaways and he seriously need to watch this video. One of my gripes about Martin's with a cutaway is the premium you pay. If they started doing it this way, the future would be very bright indeed.

I just realized herring is a fish and this is made of its bones

I really wish Dan was my grandpa. So inventive and full of enthusiasm for his trade. Love him.

Precious tip. Thanks

Mr Dan you always make the most interesting videos

Thanks fred! ❤🎸 awesome secret

Lindo trabalho, parabéns.

nice

Fabulous tip

What a gorgeous tele!!!! Damn!!!

Dan is the grandpa I have always wanted.

That's is very interesting method.Thank you!

ya thanks Fred!

So cool!

I really want to be a luthier. My dad is a carpenter. And i'm a guitar player. It would be so cool if i can built guitar by myself.

Thanks for the tip. I have a really beautiful piece of quartersawn Doug Fir that is going to become the top of my next "Tele" build. Herringbone binding will look really elegant.

I like playing guitar but I have no interrest in building one but I appriciate knowing how things like this are done! Very cool

I've learned a lot watching this guy!

Just like they do it in all of those Chinese factories.

Is that really herring's bone?

that is a nasty knot in that tele body

Thanks Fred .....and Dan!

GENIUS LUTHIER!

heat gun

where can i get the herringbone?

Great! BTW you’re old enough to not need gloves:-)

I knew either heat and/or wet the binding...its science folks. Besides how do you think standard binding is installed?