Check out Sobell in the UK, he is frequently making 6 piece backs from Brazilian 'scantlings' - dont believe he has 5 reinforcment strips and the way he manages to selct the pieces to match is great. Never played one, but he has a VERY fine reputation.

Frank,

Stefan does use reinforcement strips on his scantling guitars as this picture from his website shows:



He also does multi-piece scantling sides - amazing craftsman.

When I do multi-piece backs I only use a central decorative strip, figuring that if the joints are perfect, then the back bracing will do the rest. So far so good.

I only use a center seam reinforcement, mostly for the traditional "look". This is a four piece back with only the center seam reinforced. I used west system epoxy to join the coco.

Dave, is that reinforcement strips or sapwood?

…of course, my coco center seams have never opened up, but if they should (and as I say, this would be strictly rhetorically speaking in my case) and I would like to add the cross grain reinforcements as extra insurance of the repaired crack after the fact, it is a lot more difficult to do when the box is closed. At least as neatly as I'd like. Just saying.

Frank,

Stefan does use reinforcement strips on his scantling guitars as this picture from his website shows:



He also does multi-piece scantling sides - amazing craftsman.

When I do multi-piece backs I only use a central decorative strip, figuring that if the joints are perfect, then the back bracing will do the rest. So far so good.

Have you ever played one? They had one for sale second hand recently in the Acoustic centre in Brighton, was going to go done and try, but it was already sold....

They certainly look stunning and if they are good enough for Martin Simpson!

Martin lived in ithaca, my home town for a bunch of years, and played all over with my father and a bunch of other local musicians, it was a great time. I was lucky enough to be around him a bunch and hear him play in informal settings, he unquestionably "has it".

It was also nice being around his fancy guitars, a friend described the sound of his sobell as being like "lazer beams going straight through your brain at a million miles per hour". Last i checked, Martin was using a .014" or .015" for his high E, going down to god knows how heavy on the bass, with pretty high action. His guitars would cause most of us to instantly spout blood from our fingertips, but he makes it look completely effortless.

I have always loved sobell guitars, they look nice in pictures, but they are REALLY nice in person.

Frank,

I attended Martin Simpson Workshops for a number of years at the turn of last century and the start of this one (sounds great doesn't it ) and have played about 15-20 different Sobells - my guitar buddy Bill has one that I've played and heard a lot over a number of years. Martin used to use D'Addario EJ17's (13-56) with the 0.013" replaced by a 0.015" as he needed this to support the slide he used a lot. This was nearly always in dropped tunings. He used to have a high action but I gather he has lowered it now based on Stefan's new slimmer necks and may be using lighter strings too. He's as close to the perfect guitar player as you will get.

Sorry for the slight thread hijack.

You lucky .... sounds a fantastic opportunity and am green with envy!

Did you play any with the multipiece backs (sorry to go back on topic)? and how would you say they influenced tone? (sorry for the tough question!)

I hear ya Arnt, I really do, and I respect your opinion...
I guess its just one of those things where there really is no right or wrong way.
Look at Larrivee guitars for instance, you wont find even a center reinforcement strip.
And I seem to recall reading somewhere, maybe in a GAL mag or Redbook that he uses CA for his joint.
I could be wrong about this though..