Help, please: acoustic guitar belt buckle

[Marrinan]

I have a request for a silver belt buckle in the shape of an acoustic guitar. I convinced the customer that having a full neck would not be practical. That portion would be to weak to hold up in use so there will only be a stub beyond the body (hook will be on the back of that stub). I have created an outline and established all the request parts including the strings, pick guard, fret board, rosette and the bridge.

Because this will be a using buckle I plan for the pick guard will be jeweler's bronze. I decided that the sound hole could be recessed and textured to hold liver of sulfur blackening with the strings left flush accross the sound hole and cut of the guitar body portion. I believe I have the cutting worked out so that it will wear as well as any sterling buckle.

What I can't figure out so far is the neck and bridge shading and how to deal with strings on the dark wood portions. On the model of guitar her boyfriend plays they are or appear to be walnut or perhaps rosewood. The top appears to be maple. I don't believe that fine line shading (bulino) will hold up well. (not to mention my poor skill in that arena). I have thought of using jewelers bronze but that would clash with the pick guard. She does not want scroll or a lot of decoration other than the guitar itself.

Any and all advice would be gratefully appreciated- Thanks for taking the time to consider my problem. Fred

 

[Mike Cirelli]

Fred is this going to be a some what of a functional guitar, with real strings? If so you may want to fabricate the guitar out of sheet then attach it to a buckle base. United has some diferent colored silver alloy metals that may be fun for this project. Maybe attach the tunners to little brass screws. Just some ideas.

 

[Marrinan]

Mike, Thanks for your input. The buckle is guitar shaped with the neck only about a quarter inch past the body. No strings although piano wire strings might be cool inlayed. I will take a look at United. The body is 14 gage sterling with jewelers bronze back for rigidity. I like the Idea of some colored silver for the neck and bridge. I was also thinking of some texture for the body. I have done some experimenting with my roller and added texture to dead soft fine silver in the past-perhaps---Thanks Fred

 

[RT Bit and Spur]

You could make the guitar out of steel Then add the silver and bronze where needed. If you did that you could make a decent neck on it because you could make the neck a little thicker and round the back. If it ts already made out of other material you could solder a strip of steel on the neck and brown it like they brown Kentucky rifles and it would be the dark wood look.
Rod

 

[Marrinan]

Thanks Rod-Unfortunately the boy friend has to much acid in skin for steel buckles. Currently paints his with finger nail polish or he gets a rash. Was going to use titanium but nobody around her could do the welding. The neck and bridge might just be the solution I was looking for. Would not have much skin contact and browning just might be the answer. Could even use Damascus and get a bit of grain. Thanks for the idea- Fred

 

[silverchip]

Hey Fred, how about a buckle with a guitar overlaid on the buckle.That way you could surround the guitar figure with some real classy scrolls and music notes or something to personalize for your client??