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Hi! I am building an OM as a first guitar from the Kinkead book and plans. When looking at the plans I notice that some of the braces are not butted up to others the way most people do. For example, the bridge plate doesn't touch any of the x braces or tone bars (lower braces). And the finger braces beside the soundhole don't butt up against the x brace or the UTB. My instinct is just to go with the plans I've chosen as Kinkead probably made these decisions for a reason. But I thought I'd ask all you smart people what you think too. Thoughts?

I butt all my braces.

I have butt all my braces but after carving some were not all that tall next to the X brace. Another set of experiments to consider.

There is more then one way to skin a cat. I don't butt fingers, tone bars, bridge plates or anything but the X to the linings and the UTB. I'm going to build a few where the lower X doesn't butt too, just to experiment. I think you will find just as many excuses to butt as you will to NOT butt.

Thanks for the opinions. I was always intending to build a standard(ish) OM. I only decided to go with the kinkead because I thought having plans along with a book that referenced specific dimensions in the plans would be helpful. I was just trying to get an idea of how far from the norm his bracing is. I think I remember lurking a thread where a guy took apart his bracing just so the bridgeplate would butt the x brace. Right now I am leaning towards the simplicity of sticking to the plans though.