In 1999, tutorial student Gary Williamson asked me to persuade my dear friend, the classical guitarmaker and master marqueter Alan Chapman, to come in for a day and show us how he makes his fabulous rosettes. I kept a documentary record of the process. Links to it are found below.

Rosette by Alan Chapman on a Cumpiano guitar made entirely of undyed, natural woods.

This was the stuff Alan brought to the shop in order to do the tutorial. He used my table saw with a fine slitting blade and my drill press. Everything else he needed he brought in a large paper bag.

At left is Alan Chapman himself, a wonderfully talented luthier from whom I've learned a great deal. Specializing in lattice-braced designs, Alan taught Industrial Arts for years before entering luthierie, and currently builds world-class instruments for prominent guitar teachers and recitalists, principally in the Eastern US.

1- The veneer sandwiches are glued up and sliced into columns

2- The columns are assembled into logs

3- The logs are sliced into tiles

4- The tiles are inlaid into the soundboard, forming the rosette.