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Rats. I have run into a bit of a problem... maybe... and could use some advice. Thought I was being extra conservative but ended up routing my rosette channel deeper than I wanted and I was so focused on getting the rosette glued up correctly that I didn't even notice this until after all was said and done. I didn't cut all the way through the top, but it is close enough that the spruce got a little wavy from the water in the LMI white glue I used and you can see the darker wood from underneath. My experience is limited, but this top has the most musical tap tone I've come across so far and I'd like to use it, if possible. I'm wondering if I could simply move my rosette braces in closer to the soundhole, so they better support the thinned area? Or perhaps add a thin spruce patch backing the entire rosette? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
George

Here's what it looks like:

Looks ok. Make your soundhole braces wider and flatter and move them in a bit. Also add one at the juncture of the "X".
That way considering the upper bar, it will be backed up all around.
Or, as in the pic, you can make a reinforcement ring that completely covers it.

Your rosette and glue have filled in the full depth of your route so I don't see where you would have a problem at all. What you guys think?
Michael

Put a spruce donut patchy thing on it ala classical guitars and you'll be fine. That area needs some extra reinforcement anyway.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

A spruce donut makes sense to me too.

Bob

It doesn't have to be a donut shape doubler- I double up the soundhole area with a trapezoid out to the braces when I build steel-string guitars these days (After taking a course at Sergei deJonge's....)
Cut the soundhole after gluing the doubler.
It makes some beveling of the soundhole edges a bit easier and better looking as well.

Cheers
John

I actually do this on my steel strings too and use a pentagon shaped patch, about 1/16 thick or so.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I was 'asleep at the switch' as I typed- of course, with x-bracing it is a pentagon, not trapezoid. (!)


"Tomorrow, class, Euclid, book Two, Theorem I....."


John

Super! Thanks for your replies. As I mentioned, this top has a musicality to it that sounds quite nice to my ear. I recently jointed and glued up a few tops (first effort) and it's really quite interesting to hear and feel how strikingly different they really are. One of them is so floppy it's almost comical. I guess I was expecting the variations to be subtle and that's not the case at all. Thanks again for taking the time to respond and for sharing your experience.

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George :-)