Binding

A strip of plastic, wood or celluloid inlaid around the edges of a body, neck or headstock, historically there to protect the wood and now mostly decorative.

On an acoustic it covers the joint between the top or back and the sides, where an impact would otherwise chip the edge, and it is part of how the plate is protected during a lifespan of knocks. On electrics it frames the shape, and a multi-ply or abalone binding is one of the standard ways a maker signals a higher trim level. It is glued into a rabbet cut around the perimeter, so repairing damaged binding means working on the edge of the instrument.

Example: a cream binding line around a sunburst body is what makes the edge of the guitar readable from a distance on stage.

Binding

See also