The Art of Inlay: Contemporary Design & Technique (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Richard Lloyd (Photographer) "Two of my electric guitars with symmetrical silver inlays in the necks..." (more)
Key Phrases: inlay artists, router base, inlay work, Gibson Custom Shop, Grit Laskin

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An extraordinary book." -- Dirty Linen

"Larry Robinson's work truly transcends materials and technique to become pure art." -- Rick Turner, guitar builder and Bass Player columnist

"Provides a continued source of artistic pleasure even if you find you just want to look at the pictures." -- Vintage Guitar Magazine

"Without question the most complete technical and aesthetic book in the field...[describes] the technique and spirit which have made Robinson's work some of the finest in the history of musical instrument making." -- The Luthier's Mercantile --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This exquisite book is both a celebration of the art of inlay and a hands-on guide to its materials, tools, and techniques. Includes over 70 color photos, diagrams, and how-to instructions and design insights from Larry Robinson, inlay artist for Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and others. A must-have for anyone interested in this fascinating art form. 112 pages, 7-3/8 inch. x 9-1/4 inch.

Now in softcover! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Backbeat Books (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879303328
• ISBN-13: 978-0879303327
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,173,064 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written with the touch of a true master who loves his work., April 23, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews

Robinson's book on the Art of Inlay is terrific and instructive in two aspects. First, the examples of his inlays are beautiful and bound to give the beginning and even advanced students many ideas. Second, the instructive content and presentation are first rate. It is easy to see in Larry's lucid explanations, that he is an excellent teacher who has organized and presented his material in a way to make it easily accessible to students at all levels. While I bought the book to learn how to inlay a guitar fingerboard and peghead, Larry has given me many ideas on other forms of the art of inlay. I strongly recommend this book.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction - want more!, February 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Inlay: Design and Technique for Fine Woodworking (Paperback)

This book is unquestionably a fine collection of the author's work, which is beautiful, and a fantastic book for giving you a start on the process of inlay. Robinson's writing is excellent, as clear as you could get. And his sequence of coverage makes a lot of sense, too. This is a very good introduction to the possibilities and the process of inlay and if that's what you are looking for then it is worth buying.
But I gave it 4 stars because the book focuses only on his own work and because the promise of "design and technique" is not fully actualized. It's just that one would appreciate somewhat more depth of coverage, adding information on "pitfalls" in addition to "process", as well as a more comprehensive look at other people's possibilities in design. And, I would have really loved to have had some very close up photographs of inlay details, and even photographs of "bad" work and mistakes for reference. In that case, this would be a classic on the topic. It's probably more work than his intention of writing this book, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a new edition if that were the case, and as a fellow artisan I would truly appreciate it. How about it, Robinson?

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for beginners, February 4, 2005

By	James W. Thomson (Norcross, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Art of Inlay: Design and Technique for Fine Woodworking (Paperback)

I'm beginning to build guitars and wanted to do inlay work which was a little more intricate than simple pearl dots. The writer explains the process completely. The book also has many photos showing incredible inlay art which serves as inspiration for detailed guitar fingerboard art as well as inspiration for inlay art not associated with instuments. I've never even wanted to build a jewelry box with inlay and marquetry. Now I'm inpired to do just that. Good book.