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I'm about to brace up the back for my second steel string and was wondering peoples' thoughts on how important bracing material is for this. I will split all my braces regardless of what I use. I have braced my top with Adi spruce, but I'm wondering if it's necessary to use it on the backs as well. It's kind of expensive stuff and I'd like to save it for tops. I will say that my back is probably on the thin side of things ( .95 on Aussie Blackwood), so extra stiffness may be beneficial. Any thoughts?

.095 is pretty much ballpark for even my jumbos, rosewoods go thinner. What size body?

I use adi or euro on tops, euro or engelman on backs.

Thanks Mattia. This is for a dreadnought, so I guess I'm alright then. I only had the Cumpiano book as reference which made me think I was on the thin side. I have some sitka, and I'm guessing that's probably ok too. Anyone tried Western Red Cedar?

I use red on all my builds.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I do too. I used to use Sitka for the back braces.....because I figured you couldn't tell any difference, but I use Adi for all of them now. I doubt it matters for the back braces, but I only have to keep one kind of brace stock.

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

I use 2x4 spruce back braces... in fact, so far I have made all 3 of my guitars with 2x4 spruce braces for all of the bracing...

I do carefully spilt them all out, though... and I use the rejects and scraps to light the BBQ grill... I have burned several 2x4s worth of spruce in that grill...

My opinion is that every spruce on your list will work for bracing so long as it is carefully selected and properly prepared.

Thanks

John

Using spruce from a 2/4 is an economical bracing stock but as you get more experience you will go away from them. Having built over 100 guitars , experience taught me that as you build , in your early days , you think you know so much . As you gain experience you learn that early ideas will fall way to learned experience. For early build where you are learning process , they are fine. Most are western spruce so likely they may be sitka.
Wood choice is one of the more important things . Bracing material is just a part , shape , thickness and as you learn the engineering and art of guitar making you will find your own path. The beauty of this is that we all can each build a guitar that is unique and our own. You first few guitars are exercises in gluing technique. Learning fit and finish and what woods match with what , and how braces are an important part . Oh there is so much to learn.
Keep a building log , learn what you do and how it affect things . Make small changes and don't do more than 1 or 2 per guitar. We each ear things differently than the next guy so that is what makes this so much fun . Once you understand how a brace shape , thickness , weight , glue can effect the modes and what the modes mean you can dial in the guitar .

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

I hesitate to jump in here because I've been working with laminated braces. I've used red, sitka, and stiff Engelmann HHG'd up with BRW, Cocobolo, and African Blackwood. Done right, they all make some VG instruments. Grain direction on the spruce has been QS to off QS and on the hardwood, any direction. Doesn't seem to matter as they are all pretty dang stiff. Bracing size is most important.