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Ivoroid vs other Bindings


foodermon

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I've been gassin for another custom and I'm leaning towards darker binding (i.e. Tort or Black). Hamer touts its ivoroid as high caliber binding, and it appears to have worked extremely well over the long haul for them. What about the non-Ivoroid offerings? Is the base material or properties different? Are they more/less prone to shrinkage/changes with the guitar? Easier/harder to apply?

I recall a few posts about tortoise binding. Were those isolated? Could those shortcomings have occurred with Ivoroid just as well?

Just trying to figure out if there's something inherently different between Ivoroid and the other choices.

;)

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Fooder, come to my house one night this week and watch the Hamer factory documentary DVD our local dealer rep gave me a couple weeks ago (excellent timing visiting Jody's shop LOL).

After watching that, I'm convinced they could bind the guitar with a Tootsie Roll/French fry laminate and it'll come out just fine.

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Fooder, come to my house one night this week and watch the Hamer factory documentary DVD our local dealer rep gave me a couple weeks ago (excellent timing visiting Jody's shop LOL).

After watching that, I'm convinced they could bind the guitar with a Tootsie Roll/French fry laminate and it'll come out just fine.

A chubby around every corner on that Hamer DVD. Anyone who owns a Hamer needs to at least see that documentary.

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We wanted 6 ply.

They swore and bitched and moaned but accepted.

The guys in the shop very calmly did it, like the masters that they are.

Wait until you see what we're going for NEXT.......

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Let me guess...an ALL binding guitar?

:rolleyes:

That is a seriously cool look and the efforts they put in are more than they have to. REALLY. Elduave ordered me up some on my new M3, and it totally works with the Caddy Green finish.

Each layer of binding is placed individually, they don't use a pre-molded/prefab multi-ply binding like Gib$0n and others do. That's a detail 99.9999999% of us wouldn't ever catch, but Jol pointed out that you can tell when you look at the sharper curves and angles - no distortion of the line as it stretches around the curve. Pretty neat!

BTW - I have Ivoroid binding on the back of my B-4m. I have looked dozens of times (since getting that bass in January) and STILL cannot find where they joined the seam. Unbelievable work.

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The weekend an eBay auction for an Epiphone Emperor ended with the high bid being more than I would like to have paid. The guitar needs to be totally rebound, and the Emperors had 13 ply binding on the bodies. I have seen some multi-ply bindings separate. Doing multiple bindings one ply at a time may not only be a way to have a more professional look, it may pay off in the future by not falling apart.

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When I read the "Twas a good day for Brother Bill" thread, and saw HHB's post concerning tortoise binding problems, I googled around and found something on the RMMGA usenet group about a problem with tortoise binding. The gist of it was that there can be problems, and that a maker of electric guitars (not Hamer as I recall) got some help from an acoustic company (Taylor? Collings?), being informed of a specific supplier for the binding, and a specific glue to use. It's driving me nuts now, because I've been googling for half an hour and I can't re-find this information!

Hopefully any problems Hamer had with this binding have been worked out - I take some comfort in that they do tortoise bindings stock on their Korina Newports. And, it does just look so fine on this guitar. Perfect for the junction of the tobacco sunburst finish with the back and sides color.

I'll keep looking for that usenet post...

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Hopefully any problems Hamer had with this binding have been worked out - I take some comfort in that they do tortoise bindings stock on their Korina Newports.  And, it does just look so fine on this guitar.  Perfect for the junction of the tobacco sunburst finish with the back and sides color.

I'll keep looking for that usenet post...

that's what I'm needing to hear as my eyes are definitely on tortoise. I'd like to think whatever issues may have existed are now corrected. BTW that newport of your's is super fine! congrats again.

Chris, thumbs up on that back binding! I noted it in the pic you have w/in the fall quilt thread. I think that rocks.

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We wanted 6 ply.

They swore and bitched and moaned but accepted.

Isn't that what is on the Improv? Do you count the white lines only?

Also, why would they bitch and moan?

F.

No, no and ask them.

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Straight cut and paste from Hamer's web site:

Improv® (IMPR)

The Hamer Improv® features a double-cutaway, ivoroid (6-ply) multi-stripe bound body with Honduras mahogany sides and carved mahogany back. Other features include:

- Fossilized Ivory Nut

- Ivoroid/multistripe bound 3-piece Mahogany neck

- Solid ebony headstock plate

- Genuine pearl inlaid Hamer logo

- Hand carved ebony tailpiece

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It is clear to me that Greg has implied again that he *invented* binding and therefore must be punished by the BCR police. It is also clear to me from his original post that not only did he invent binding, but it was obviously implied that he invented ivoriod. I mean...come on..isn't it clear from this post...

We wanted 6 ply.

They swore and bitched and moaned but accepted.

The guys in the shop very calmly did it, like the masters that they are.

Wait until you see what we're going for NEXT.......

....that Greg implied that he invented *both* ivoroid and binding and should be flogged publicly by the BCR police in all of their cloak and dagger personas?

Furthermore....it is also clear from that post that ONLY HE can get the binding and it is unavailable to anyone else.

Anyone who cannot see this clear implication is delusional.

Right? :rolleyes:B)

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