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I've just closed the box on my second guitar. I've used the Mayes DVD's which are really excellent, but really need help in what to listen for when shaving the braces!
I feel that I'm just shooting in the dark at the moment, terrified of taking off too much wood.
Any help or advice would be really appreciated, though I realise that a fair amount of tap tuning must be subjective.

Thanks in advance,
Charles.

Charles my friend I am curious if the Mayes DVD instructs you to shave the braces after closing the box or if this is just something that you want to do?

I know that the Mayes "Advanced Voicing" DVD shows John tap tuning tops before they are attached to the rim.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

I didn,t explain too well. It's advice for the next guitar that I'm looking for.
On number 2 I just did as on my first one, shaved away until I thought I got a 'better' sound.In fairness, I don't really know what I'm listening for, and where to shave next. Really in the dark!!!

Good timing on this topic. I made six inexpensive tops to do a little practice voicing. 3 OM and 3 Larrive L shape. The first was an L cedar. I carved that down till a got a good ping like the fingerstyle example on Johns DVDs. Feels nice and light. The cedar had a better ping to start. Next up was a OM sitka. I spent yesterday chomping away at it and think i have a good sound. I started with the OLF OM brace profiles. I ended up cuttign the fingers WAY down to about 0.30. Theye were huge to start. Now I'll start taking it a little further and see what happens.

My question is, without putting it together and stringing it up and seeing it explode, how do you know when you went too far?

Johns DVDs only show voicing before joing it with the top. I've said it before and wil continue to say it. Great DVDs. Thanks John.

Zach, I can't answer your question, but I do want to let you know how nice I think it is that you're practicing the way you are. What a great way to really hear and feel the way each top differentiates from the other.

Charles, do you have any recordings of your second guitar? How do you like the sound of what you did? I think you should go off that.

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