The Luthier Community

Sweet, sweet lines there, my Brother!

Okay, I've started on the top bracing.....
- -
Gluing down the longitudinal tone-bars,
-
- -
Shaping the tone-bars with a mini plane.
-
- -
The ladder braces being glued down,
-
- -
Rough shaping with a chisel,
-
- -
This shot shows the mini Stanley toy plane I cut down to use for shaping braces along with a chisel.
- -
Just getting going good.
-
- -
And after much planning, carving and tapping here it is about 90% carved and sounding pretty good when I tap on it. Just need to add the soundhole bracing now,
-
- -
And here they are in the go-bar deck.

So the top is nearly braced and tapping good, always makes me feel good.
Thanks for stopping by!

A thing of beauty, Joe. I am intrigued by your asymmetrical approach to the bracing. Have you done this type before?

Some very nice pictures. Keep it up.

John

Looking good, Joe. I thoroughly enjoy following your builds!

Thanks Fred, it's good to be back in the shop and building again!

And John I used this pattern on the last 12 I built about 3 or 4 years ago and it sounds great. Hope I'm that lucky this time around...…. I borrowed the pattern from a 12 that Hans Brentrup posted a few years back and he used the longitudinal tone-bars to counter the potato chip curl that ladder braced guitars are prone to after years of string tension. Since then he's gone back to straight ladder bracing and using a thicker top to counter the curl. Who knows, it made sense to me. And the asymmetry to me just seems to be to keep too much bracing from winding up in one spot with the angled bracing around the bridge.

I just kind of feel my way through these things, tapping and listening, who knows for sure...…...

Hey John, the 12 string with the sandblasted top I had at your first Stringfest had the same bracing. Can't remember if you played it or not...…

Anyway, I spent a bit more time today carving and tapping the top and I think I've got it dialed in as best I can at this stage. Looks and sounds much better to me. I lightened the bracing up quite a bit...….
- -
Much less clunky looking. A new luthier term for a finely tuned instrument!

Looking good Joe,
I wonder how that brace pattern would work on a dreadnaught type guitar?
Jess

Joe, I love the built-in independent nature of the braces - ladders flying over the longitudinal tone bars. You just look at it and know that it something that is designed to move.

So, you've got a big sanding trough for tops (I've gotta make one), and you do backs in a radius dish?