Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone done this and what was the result?

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

The JLD truss system was originally designed as a quick fix for weak tops with bridge rotation. If it is truly needed I would expect the lightly braced guitar to eventually have bridge rotation if it is removed. Have I removed one? No. Would I remove one? No.
What might appear O.K. at first, may eventually lead to failure later.

If you look on Frank Ford's website under his gallery of bracing pictures, there are a couple of shots of Breedlove's with the truss system. They are very deeply scalloped - I would guess that the truss is a structural requirement.

I've installed one in a Martin 12 string and took it back out. For the aftermarket versions there are two types - one uses special brass bridge "pins", the other has a bolt through the bridge. I would guess that Breedlove uses something like the latter - if so it should be fairly easy to remove.

You could also try just removing the rod that goes back to the end block - see if there is any belly or rotation to the top and whether the sound changes in a the way your customer wants. However if it was my guitar I'd leave the truss in and sell it, buy something that sounds the way he wants.

I checked this guitar out and know how they are built.Its the HUGE block of wood sitting below the saddle that would seem to me to have an adverse effect on sound besides the rod which hampers movement.He tried to sell it. No luck.

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee