Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi All,

Every guitar I've ever built was built a certain way, same steps, in order etc. etc.. I was just thinking today, why couldn't I shape my (standard bullet nosed) bracing prior to glueing? If I bought a brace kit from somebody they're already done right? Do you or have you ever done this? Pros? Cons?

Dave

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God, Family, Carreer

I cut mine to length, radius the backs, and cut the scallops. Glue 'em on then finish shaping with my chisel and sandpaper.

The only problem I see would be in clamping if the tops aren't flat. If you can adequately clamp them, I don't see why you couldn't use them.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Rough shape first and then final shaping as I voice the top.

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I use a go-bar deck so mine are square when glued.A carved brace would be harder to get a good grip on for glueing i would think.And impossible to voice as well.

I pre-shape the bracing to rough dimensions and use either go-bar or vacuum clamping with no problems. My preferred method, vacuum. It's quicker and easier.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I think of voicing, however you do it, as getting the 'right' balance of bracing and top. Since you probably don'thave exact readings on the stiffness and mass distribution of the top, or the stiffness of the braces, you can't really know exactly what the brace height should be until it's all together.

I glue them on tall, and rectangular along the tops, rough trim the braces a bit on the high side, and tune using Chladni patterns. Sometimes I take off very little brace wood, and sometimes a lot. 'A lot' seldom amounts to as much as ten grams, from rough trim to finish, BTW.