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Yesterday turned out to be one of those days. Not only did I have my fiasco with the back bracing but later in the night I had placed my rosette in my redwood top, and after sanding it down flush I realized that I had hit an area in the top when sanding and got the top way too thin. Now the top is around .100 or thinner in that spot, and the the strength seems to be too weak from just bending by hand. Right now I am just planning on chalking it up to learning and ordering a new top from LMI. Then salvaging the rosette out of the old top and placing it the new top. I just thought I would run this by everyone and see if you thought there was any other reason to keep the top. I realize I could probably brace the top more heavily to compensate for the weak spot, but then the guitar would probably sound overbraced and stiff. Any comments?

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--Kyle Burner--

Man! Stop being so hard on yourself! And brace yourself, you are bound to do much dumber mistakes than the ones you have just made! Trust me, you will, we all did.

My tops are never thicker than .100". So I say go ahead and keep this top. And don't overbrace or you will overbuilt it.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

I don't know .100 is pretty thin for redwood and Kyle said that it feels pretty floppy in his hands. Remember too that the finish sanding is yet to be done which could result in losing another .005ish.

Thats what I was worried about, it will get thinner yet with the final sanding. I was just making sure that I was thinking rightly before I ordered a new top and cut into the old one to save the rosette

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--Kyle Burner--

Oops! Redwood han? Indeed I don't know about redwood, never used it for a top. So I'll let others be conselors this time..

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

100 thou is too thin for a redwood top..... believe me.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Thanks Todd I think that is exactly what I will do.

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--Kyle Burner--

Kyle...I just completed my first build and managed to build almost every part of my guitar more than once. I can't tell you how much I learned from having to do those things over and over. Every piece of the build nearly has it's own science category. BTW...I consider myself to be a fairly accomplished woodworker (3rd generation).

In short what I am getting at here is don't sweat the do-over's. Be happy you get them. Your next guitar will display for all too see just exactly what you learned on your first build.

Chris

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

You could brace the top and shave them down to where you think they go, thats a potential learning curve in itself.

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

If you build with out mistakes then you never learn anything We have all been there and most of us still visit from time to time

I did exactly what you did and over sanded around the rosette, Mike Collins said to carry on just thicken the bridge plate .010" and I made the sound hole braces beaffier, but this was in spruce. After help with the bracing I was told by several luthiers that it sounded and flexed about right. We'll find out when it's finished. I'd of carried on, but I've always said the first guitar will be done cheap as practice for the second.

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

well I contacted Dave Maize and he is in the process of moving to a new shop so he won't be taking any orders for another few weeks. I think that I am gonna stick with another top from LMI for this guitar, and possibly get a hold of dave for the next build. Hopefully I can get the new top soon so I can get back out in the shop and have some fun.

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--Kyle Burner--

WOOHOOO Dave just emailed me back and might be able to get me my order before he breaks down his table saw today.

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--Kyle Burner--