MOP abalone. Is it real?

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Author Message Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Monday, July 04, 2005 - 10:46 am:    Is the mother of pearl and abalone used for block inlays real? When looking closely at it, the abalone looks like the real deal. I guess this stuff is cheap and plentiful. The MOP looks fake though. -Sven Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, July 04, 2005 - 1:50 pm:    I think the MOP is just as common. Ace Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Monday, July 04, 2005 - 6:17 pm:    It has always been my understanding that mother-of-pearl IS abalone. So, I looked up the definition of "mother-of-pearl": The pearly internal layer of certain mollusk shells, used to make decorative objects. Also called nacre. Since abalone is a molusk, anything made from it's shell is mother-of-pearl. Therefore, the discussion should be whether it is natural or synthetic MOP. Steve Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Monday, July 04, 2005 - 7:02 pm:    Wait a minute Steve. That's like saying an apple is a fruit and an orange is a fruit, therefor an apple is an orange Just because abalone is a mollusk, and MOP is from certain mollusks doesn't mean that abalone IS MOP. MOP has a white pearl look, hence the word "pearl". Abalone has a psychedelic iridescent pattern. Maybe MOP can come from an abalone, but the terms MOP and Abalone refer to 2 different inlay materials. Stewmac describes these as White MOP, Gold MOP, and green abalone (left to right) Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Monday, July 04, 2005 - 8:09 pm:    Abalone inlaid comes from shells of abalone and MOP inlaid comes from shells of the kind of shell fish used to culture pearls. (That's a mouthful, ain't it?) I don't know the name of the shell fish involved but it has a different appearence for sure. Ace Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 01-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 12:01 am:    Ace......Don't pearls come from Oysters ? MOP=Oyster shell Abalone=Abalone shell Abalone shell is a type of MOP apparently-according to the fine folks at Encycopedia Britanica.Mother of Pearl is "The smooth lustrous lining in the shells of certain molluscs – for example pearl oysters, abalones, and mussels. When this layer is especially thick it is used commercially for jewellery and decorations. Mother-of-pearl consists of calcium carbonate. From a biological standpoint both oysters and Abalone are Mollosks, but the Abalone falls under the classification of Gastropod-the main differentiation being that these beasts have a single piece shell. My personal preference is the irredescient shimmer of the Abalone, especially when conbined with the Japanese Lutherie of the mid 70's ! Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 1:42 am:    Something like this? Ace Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 1:49 am:    Or this: Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 2:03 am:    Thanks for the logic lesson, Funkle. Now pay attention! Mother-of-pearl is made from shells. The color is irrelevant. Only guitar people seem to have this obsession with using a different name for the different varieties (colors) of MOP. To put it in simple terms: MOP comes in different colors depending on the type of shell and which part of the shell is used. Just 'cause Ibanez incorrectly used two different terms to describe the inlays doesn't change the definition of MOP. Steve Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 2:54 am:    Only guitar people seem to have this obsession with using a different name for the different varieties (colors) of MOP. I don't think i'd call it an obsession. It is terminology that is widely used and understood in the guitar community. Technically correct or not, it has become an accepted way to describe something. A tremolo bridge is not technically a tremolo, but we all know what somebody is talking about when they use the terminology. -Sven Spiro Username: Spiro Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 3:28 am:    to answer the question funkle asked : the middle section which is made from the shell of an abalone, yes it is real.... but the 2 pearlescent whiter sections come from a korean native animal called a ..... crylic or for those who dont get my joke plastic!!! To correct Mr.roadstar and everyone else here goes the INLAY AND MARINE definitions The white stuff is know as Mother of pearl (PINCTADA is the correct name) in the inlay business be it gold silver or black (there is also brownlip but less common) The abalone shell (comes from the HALIOTIS which does not produce a pearl) in a variety of inlay materials lip, paua, rim, heart and so on.. it also comes in a huge variety of colours green red pink and blue are the most common.. Turban (green Snail)is also commonly used in place of Silverlip Mother of pearl.. Awabi is very common as well (look at your fleur de lis inlay on your 1982 artist and others from the same era that is what they are trying to copy there) There are a multitude of other inlay material as well but not used in guitars (mostly knives and guns but here are some.. Nautilus shell Mammoth ivory (cause elephant ivory is banned) Trochus shell (pinky white shell)used in knives Washboard mussell (sometimes used on the gun (cant remember its name but the wooden bit..) Purpleheel splitters (again knives and so forth) Loggerhead turtle shell(banned as well)(more commonly known as tortoise shell) knive handles and so on.. Ok everybody this concludes your first lesson in inlay.. And for the Asian guitars a whole lot of native korean animals called a....... crylic!!! thought I'd throw that one in again ... Spiro Username: Spiro Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 3:44 am:    Oh and the reason they used plastic is as follows: 1. Very hard to cut Mother of Pearl 2. Cost is about 6000 percent higher.. for example. enough blanks to inlay a gibson Les paul custom fretboard inlay (square blocks) is about $30 usd and the same in plastic is about 60 cents Spiro Username: Spiro Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 3:50 am:    here are 2 pictures.. 1 is an Abalone shell 2 is an Oyster shell or pearl producing oyster known as mother of pearl ! Harry Username: Harry Registered: 03-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 5:56 am:    Hi all! For a moment I thought I ended up on a the Sea Shell Collectors Board ........but at closer look it was the Ibanez collectors board after all. Just joking; I think it's good that every little detail should be open for discussion. Spiro, you hit the nail! Kind greetz, Harry Guitartim Username: Guitartim Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 10:08 am:    Great information about inlay materials! I've always thought they were beautiful on Ibanez fret boards. Here's a good example of green abalone inlays on one of my Gibson girls. Its a one-off CS356: http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/40b60c91_f1d6/4b27/__sr_/dd64.jpg?phtTpyCBZNKIawW Q Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 10:16 am:    I've also heard of the white stuff being called MOT: Mother of toilet seat So is the abalone technically part of the MOP family as Mr Roadstar suggested? -Sven Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 12:09 pm:    This is what I've found: "mother-of-pearl (nâ´ker) or nacre , the iridescent substance that forms the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water mollusks. Like the pearl it is a secretion of the mantle, composed of alternate layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin. Among the chief sources are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, chiefly in Asia; freshwater pearl mussels, which live in many rivers of the United States, Europe, and Asia; and the abalone of California, Japan, and other Pacific regions. Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, Copyright(c) 2005." According to this, abalone comes under the MOP umbrella. Ace Agr Username: Agr Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 12:25 pm:    What Spiro said...right on the money. Thanks for clearing that up. Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2005 - 4:11 pm:    I just noticed that Spiro says that abalone does not produce a pearl. Which would mean it is not in the mother of pearl family, which would mean Mr. Roadstar spoke a little too soon Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2005 - 12:59 am:    Funkle, Read the post Ace put up with the definition from Columbia encylopedia. Do you see where it lists peral oyster, pearl mussels, and ABALONE? Where does it say that MOP has to come from a pearl producing organism? Steve Spiro Username: Spiro Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2005 - 2:01 am:    ok then, to be completely correct we need to call each piece the following.... from now on we need to call the standard artist inlay as follows (or as steves definitions states) inlay is MOP/MOP/MOP ??? confused?? me too to be completely correct it should be known as follows Silver Lip Mother of pearl / red abalone mother of pearl / Silver lip mother of pearl !!! (even though the outers are realy plastic.. I think Mother of pearl has become the common used name for silver lip and gold lip... If we were to take encyclopedia definitions as the only definitions our life would be much simpler.. who cares really if it produces a pearl or not when it comes to INLAY it is known with the names I am going to list below. Agoya Awabi Black abalone Black Mother of Pearl Blacklip abalone Brownlip Mother of Pearl Donkey's ear abalone Green abalone Greenlip abalone Green Turban Fresh water Pearl Gold Mother of Pearl Paua Pink abalone Purple heel splitters Red abalone South African abalone Trochus Washboard mussel Nautilus Brownlip abalone Silver Mother of Pearl Green Snail or just look at the following website http://www.rescuepearl.com/sample.htm how would you know the difference if they were all called ..... Mother of pearl ? Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2005 - 12:12 pm:    How about by color? It seems to work pretty well for paint and other finishes. The original question had to do with whether the 2 different materials were synthetic or organic. I was simply trying to point out that using the terms "abalone" and "mother-of-pearl" in that way was redundant. If it's easier for you guys to use those terms, go for it. I prefer simple dot inlays anyway. Steve

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