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Huss and Dalton lists on their website a line with radiused tops and a "traditional" line with flat top construction. I assume that their traditional line is their interpretation of the pre war Martin. So, what's the story with flat top construction? The braces are still curved, right? Is the perimeter of the top glued to perfectly flat kerfing, placing the top under tension in different directions?

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I always understood it that a "true flat top" is exactly what it says on the label... flat plate, flat braces, flat perimeter. I think some people sand an angle into the upper bout of the rims to tilt the neck angle back while still giving the fingerboard extension a level surface to glue to. Others seem to get away with no neck angle.

Trouble with flat for me is... it's only flat while you're building it. As soon as you string it up, it gets a little dip in front of the bridge and belly behind (unless it's way over-braced), and as soon as the humidity changes, it sucks in or bubbles up. You can build in low humidity to make sure that it doesn't go concave too easily, but then you're essentially just making a humidity-induced dome when levels get up toward "normal". I think this is actually how Martin did theirs back in the day. I've heard they stored tops near the heater, so they were pretty dry when pulled out to glue the braces on.

I use flat rims even on dome tops, partly just as a result of construction style (plate sprung onto arched braces, sides glued to top, a'la Cumpiano book). Probably not that much different than a "true flat" with humidity-induced dome, really. Although I do angle the tops of my dentellones to help support the arch at the perimeter. Still not as much stiffening as a domed rim though.

This has been discussed many times over the years and a search in the archives should answer all your questions.

I won't get into it much as there is justo much controversy around building flat, but I've hung my hat in the true flat top camp along side some prominent builders, Jim Olson & Kevin Ryan to name a few. My guitars don't dip or belly under tension and they are built to be very responsive. Just need to have the bracing in the correct location. Oh, the top pulls up under tension a bit but not much...

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I'm pretty sure Huss and Daltons 2 versions are.

"Standard" series. Tops use braces radiused at 25'. Braces are glued to top in a radius dish, and the rims are also radiused at 25'

"Traditional" series. Top braces are radiused at 25' but are glued to the top flat. The rims are also left flat.

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