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Hi folks! I've started in on my first custom build dreadnaught guitar from scratch. I've already made my own reversed kerfing, head block and tail block (still waiting for my bending blanket to arrive. Grrrrrr..... Lol). Last night I glued up my first Englemann spruce top and the glue up went great. The seam is perfect. After the glue up I traced on the dreadnaught shape and brace locations when I remembered that I wanted to candle the soundboard to see what the board looked like over a strong light. What I've found is that the spruce on either side of the centerline (about an inch or so on either side) let's thru quite a bit more light than the rest of the top. The grain in this area is so tight it's not even funny though. So I'm guessing that the wood in this strip is significantly less dense than the rest of the top due to the light transmission thru the top. I've never worked with an Englemann spruce top before and since this is my first guitar from scratch, I wanted to ask everyone if I should shy away from this top or if I'm good to go? I'd hate for my first scratch build to either blow up or sound like a dud. If I can, I'll try snapping a pic to show you what it looks like.
Thanks in advance for any input!
Rob

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Rob Flindall
Flindall Guitars
http://www.flindallguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/FlindallGuitars

Have you thickness sanded the top yet? If you haven't, go ahead and do it, then compare how even the light shines through. It will be more even. Then decide on how suitable the top is by it's stiffness and tone.

Hi Glen - thanks for the input! I haven't thickness sanded the top yet. It's sitting at about 0.140". I've ordered in a Purflex rosette for this build and seeing as I've never used their product before, I didn't want to thickness sand yet until the rosette came in.

Here's a shot of the soundboard (sorry, it's a bit grainy but it shows what I'm seeing) :


Rob

_________________
Rob Flindall
Flindall Guitars
http://www.flindallguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/FlindallGuitars

That is just the sapwood...no need to worry....spruce is often used with the sapwood, because the difference is very small and nearly invisible, but with your ligth examination you get it much more visible....

cheers, alex