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I'm entertaining a flat-top acoustic build with a trapeze and I wonder how it affects the bracing protocol.

The typical dreadnought's string appears to try to remove the soundboard, while the trapeze's string appears to try to collapse it. I envision the guitar desiring an expanding force just beneath the soundboard pushing the neck AWAY from the endblock. Or a pair of internal buttresses that allow the bridge to "rest" on the sides of the guitar.

Is there standard operating procedure for this?

http://grahamparkerluthier.com/2010/10/ ... l-00-1934/ Can't tell if the bracing shown was modified... If not, it looks pretty standard.
http://www.littlebrotherblues.com/Gear/ ... index.html Some cool x-ray shots showing pretty standard bracing.

Thanks in advance!

Don't know about others but I'm missing the thrust of your question.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Sorry, second time's the charm I think.

Does the bracing pattern for a guitar with a standard string-thru bridge differ from the bracing pattern of a guitar with a trapeze?

There appears to be a standard for bracing a string-thru bridge acoustic. Is there a standard bracing for trapeze based acoustics?

Thankye.

Yes it will .. it needs to be lighter, although by how much I have no idea. All the flat tops with a trapeze I have heard (not that many, they are few to begin with) sound anemic to me, as they have no pull on the soundboard to produce bottom end ... Selmers are built that way, might be a good place to start to look at bracing - they are ladder braced IIRC as well

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I REALLY would like to build one of those Kay-Kraft venetians someday...
I have the mandolin with the oval hole. I can just hear it...red spruce and white oak!
Thanks for the link!

Trapeze tailpieces work really well with ladder bracing - you do not have the rotational component at the bridge so the X really isn't that important to keep the soundhole area from sinking and lower bout from raising.

There is also the option of a "zero downforce" bridge as well. Here's an example:

http://www.ricktoone.com/2008/10/neutra ... ridge.html

Unfortunately, the patent office gave him a patent on it, wrongfully in my opinion, as Steinberger got a similar patent back in 1997. I believe there's also quite a bit of prior art on this one.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Just learned something...! The trapeze is a tailpiece...!! Thanks..!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

That is the way I did it with mine too based on an old Gibson, ladder bracing.

Thanks for the tips, fellas!

I built a small- approximately Martin O size guitar with a wood trapeze and an external neck bolt
to use as a travel guitar. I used the Martin-style x-bracing. The guitar developed a significant
amount of top plate depression. It's 3 years old now, and stable for the time being, but I think if
I do this type of build again, I'll use a fairly substantial ladder brace right underneath the bridge.

I build this one with a deeper body, and it's got surprising bass.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain