Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm trying to decide what materials to use to brace my classical. I was planning on using mahogany for the back and spruce for the top. I don't have any back seam material in mahogany. Would it be considered bad form to use mahogany bracing for the back except for the center seam (in spruce)?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

As long as you like it, it shouldn't matter.

Folks buying instruments tend to like seeing the "norm".

I use spruce all the time, but I only build steel strings.

You want some mahogany? PM me.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Nah no worries a spruce center patch is fine. I like the contrast it makes to the rosewood and reddish cedar/hog but it also gets really dirty easily (bunch of end grain in there, add some ebony dust and that's it ). So make sure you paint it with loads of shellac before gluing the back.

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Build log

The wood (back seam)absolutely does not matter (especially to players)
I use alot of contrasting woods-darks on light-lights on dark -

There is no NORM in guitar making -unless your copying a design !



Mike

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Mike Collins

I use the cutoff from the top plates for my back strips.The braces don't always match them, which is ok for me as i like the contrast.

I braced a back just yesterday like this. Spruce and mahogany. Doesn't bother me but, then again, this one's mine! I'm the only customer I have to please.

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com