1950's Brazilian Rosewood Veneer for Guitar Head Plates

Our 1950's Brazilian Rosewood Veneer came from The D.R. Webb Veneer company in Edinburg, IN.

Rude and Mr. Webb became good friends during that time trading wood and pieces our dad would make for him. A couple times I rode up with my dad and once went up with the trucker dad had hired to bring a load of slats back. The veneer here was packed in crates — some were flitches to show prospective buyers, a couple were canceled orders.

This Brazilian Rosewood Veneer is 7.84" x 3.54" x .039-.042".

In the 1950s, veneer mills soaked whole logs in steam-heated vats before slicing — a labor-intensive process made possible by the era's abundance of old-growth timber. The result was a dramatically thicker veneer (.039-.042") with tighter grain, fewer defects, and the structural integrity of solid wood.

For luthiers, this thickness is a game-changer. It provides the rigidity to anchor tuning machines without flex, bonds cleanly to mahogany, maple, or carbon fiber necks, and offers enough material to sand, bind, and finish to a glassy surface. A headplate with history — and the performance to match.