Binding, often referred to as edging, is a strip which is recessed into the edge of a guitar giving a 'bound' edge. It is frequently seen on acoustic guitars, premium electric guitar bodies and other stringed instruments such as mandolins.

Our range focuses on plastic bindings. Plastic is a general term and in fact we stock 4 different varieties which are available in their own patterns, colours and sizes. They also differ in how they can be glued or laminated. The following table should help:

	ABS	CAB	Celluloid	PVC
Full name	Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene	Cellulose acetate butyrate	Cellulose nitrate	Poly vinyl chloride
Patterns	Plain colours	Plain colours	Plain colours Multi-ply Shell Pearloid Tortoiseshell Ivory	Multi-ply
Recommended glues	Acetone Binding cement (UHU Hart)	Acetone Binding cement (UHU Hart)	Acetone Binding cement (UHU Hart)	Binding cement (UHU Hart)
Dissolves in acetone?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Can be lacquered over?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shape with	Scraper Sandpaper	Scraper Sandpaper	Scraper Sandpaper	Scraper Sandpaper
Bending tips	Heat gently for tight radii	Thin pieces are very flexible Thicker pieces can be bent around tighter corners with a little heat	Brittle when cold - heat very gently for tighter bends	Very flexible, heating not recommended

To glue guitar binding we recommend UHU Hart, which is a clear cement that is compatible with wood, and all of these plastics. ABS, CAB and celluloid can also be adhered to wood (and to each other, for laminating) using acetone, which dissolves the surface of the plastic which will adhere to a surface when it then dries. Superglue (cyanoacrylate) is not recommended as this can be highly reactive with some plastics.

Whether you use binding cement or acetone, while the binding is drying it needs to be held in place. Due to the contours of a guitar body it requires clamping at many points to ensure a good bond, and therefore we recommend using binding tape, short strips of which can be used to hold down the binding at regular intervals with a focus on tight areas.

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