Special Inlay Works
The Art of FGN Special inlay Guitar
Our collaboration with Mr. Larry Robinson, a leading expert of inlay works, has developed into a very close relationship over many years. Larry Robinson is doing the inlay works in his own workshop. FUJIGEN provide the rough material and complete with coating and finishing.
The following pictures of Larry's inlay works for one of our FGN VIRTUOSO FL were taken in his workshop in California.
Go to Larry Robinson's Home Page
How do we proceed?
FUJIGEN staff offer ideas and concepts to Mr. Larry Robinson. He starts to create rough drawings on this basis.
The drawings are discussed between Mr. Robinson and our staff several times until the final designs are decided.
When using Mexican shellfish, the delicate cutting needs to be done by handworks.
On the following right-bottom picture, we can see inlay designs numbered for each meterial.
Fingerboards and body materials are supplied to Mr. Robinson's workshop in California, USA, by our FUJIGEN head factory. The shipment both to California and back to Japan needs extremely demanding packaging including humidity management during transport.
A Hondurian rosewood fingerboard by FUJIGEN. The design is transferred onto the fingerboard, the inlay pieces are cut out with jigsaws and fixed with adhesives. All inlay pieces are numbered like in a complicated jigsaw puzzle.
In the following pictures beautiful Abalone inlays can be seen under the design paper pasted on the board.
The puzzle pieces are assembled and bonded to one design element.
Ditches are added by tiny knifes, a mini-router helps cutting out the excavations for the inlays.
Then the ornaments are inserted into the fingerboard or body.
Back at FUJIGEN, the pieces are polished and, in case of a body-inlay, coated.
The following pictures show bird inlays made of various shell materials. Mexican abalone, a beautiful sort of mother-of-pearl, is dominant
on this arched body top inlay work.
Of course, also luscious ornated fingerboard can be equipment with our original C.F.S. technology.
*C.F.S: Circle Fretting System (Our patented fretting technology).
