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I had a first today... as I was scalloping the tone bar in a small-body guitar top, I ran into some sort of crystallized pocket in the wood. There was nothing visible on the outside of the brace stock, but when I ran into it, the wood along a 2-inch area was discolored, sort of amber/brownish, and very brittle! The chisel just stopped and caught repeatedly on it, as if it were some sort of calcified pocket or something.

Also, the tap tone of the top is lower in tone than it should be, given the thickness of the top, and the height of the brace wood still remaining. It may be due to some other influence, but after thinking about it, I'm leaning toward chiseling this brace out of there, and replacing it with another piece.

Has anyone ever ran into a similar situation? Would replacing the tone bar seem to be the thing to do? (My instinct say 'take it out and do it over').

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

I'd replace it. I call them "pitch pockets" but I'm not sure that's the right name. I candle my tops (hold them up to a bright light) to look for them before I use them. I doubt you could see then that way in something as thick as a brace. I've never found any in braces but I deflection test all my braces before I glue them on. I carved into one carving a neck once. That was a bummer.

I suspect some people who know alot more than me will explain them better, and maybe tell how to avoid them.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

A bear tooth?

ok, ok...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

You mean bear claw ??

Ti-Roux, t'es cajun, ou canadien?

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Daaaaah! Ok ok, claw!



Oui, je suis de Montréal! Et toi?

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Ah... Ti-Roux, I just looked back and saw all of your info. Vive le Quebec!

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Yep, Vive le québec! And you're from..?

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Caroline 'du nord', mais bien au sud des USA

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

Oh and there's a french community there? that's great!

Sorry, i've screwed up the bear claw brace topic...

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Ti-Roux, no problem! Maybe others will chime in on the topic.

Check your inbox for a PM.

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC