Rick Learning Curve Question

[prestoj]

I like the feel of a neck that is bound. It just feels a bit more comfortable in your hand. A well-crafted guitar without neck binding should feel nearly as smooth as one with binding if the frets ends are tapered with care. Bound necks have a snazzy, formal look to me. Well-crafted unbound necks have an elegantly simplistic look......an under stated beauty. Just my two cents-worth.

A couple of years ago I toured the Gibson factory in Memphis where the ES hollow-body electrics are made and one of the stops on the tour that I found interesting was the shop area where the body and neck binding was dressed. As I remember, there were three ladies wearing white cotton gloves carefully scraping the over-spray off of the body and neck binding by hand and closely examining each guitar to assure a crisp transition from finish to binding. Very detailed work.

Now I haven't recently looked at a Gibson ES up close and personal so I won't weigh in on the current level of craftsmanship. I do love the finish detail of my 4003 FG, particularly the precision of the binding. Doesn't mean I'd hesitate one mSec to jump all over a 4004Cii given the opportunity.

[bassduke49]

Jack, your description of the three ladies scraping finish off binding is identical to what happens at RIC (OK, one lady here without gloves):