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Hello, does tantellone size matter? I've see some guitars with huge ones, over an inch tall and a quarter inch wide, is that "correct"? Mine are waaaay smaller than that (about half inch tall with varying widths), but I'm learning on the fly, so any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks! JD

And, are they all for structural support, or do they affect sound?

well, if they´re taller / less spaced i guess they´ll make the rim stiffer (although i don´t know if significantly stiffer or not) than shorter / more spaced ones. if they have a larger footprint (into the guitar top), they´ll reduce the "free" soundboard area making it also, overall, stiffer.
I guess your dimensions are fine, though - on my two (only) regular sized classicals i used two sizes : one 10 cms tall and 8 cms wide and other 10 cms tall and 10 cms wide and just alternated between them.

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Without hijacking the thread…does anyone know why a classical guitar top is joined to the body in this way, and a steel-string guitar gets the kerfed lining, with all the fitting, chiseling, etc? I'm sure the answer is obvious…just not to me right offhand…?

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I suspect that you mean millimeters.
I would agree with Filipo.

Bob

"Without hijacking the thread…does anyone know why a classical guitar top is joined to the body in this way, and a steel-string guitar gets the kerfed lining, with all the fitting, chiseling, etc? I'm sure the answer is obvious…just not to me right offhand…?"

With the Spanish method of building on a solera, using individual blocks and hot hide glue is easier. The neck and tail block is glued to the soundboard, then the sides are fitted to the neck and tail block, and then the tentellones glued in place.

Thanks for the input, I'm building steel strings using individual tantellones, works well for me so far

for the record, i think it is "tentellone" with an E, not "tantellone"....i had to look it up to make sure what the heck you guys were talking about

I don't think anyone really knows how to spell it I say dentellone, because I read somewhere that it basically means teeth (because they look like teeth), so same root as dentine/dental/dentist/etc.

As for the original question, they need to be a little taller than the bindings, and a little wider than the binding+purfling Commercially produced kerfed linings are pretty large, so they'll work for just about anything. One of the things I like about dentellones is that you can vary the size based on your design, to maximize the active soundboard area.

Lately I've been gluing them with no space at all, for maximum rim stiffening effect:

But you do have to watch that you pick out any gelled squeeze-out beside them, before gluing the next one. Those are hand cut small size reverse kerf linings on the back, as well.

I think those are about 5-6mm wide on the soundboard glue surface. Side thickness 1.5mm, binding thickness 2mm, purfling 0.5mm. So that's about 4-5mm of glue area between dentellone and solid soundboard wood, which is more than enough. I'm not sure how much of a stiffening effect there would be from making them larger. I figure it's good to go thin on my early instruments that I'll be keeping for myself, so I can watch them over the years for long term stability issues

My current feeling is that thin sides (with full height braces) and narrow linings are stable enough. Thicker sides and wider linings may make a small difference but not enough to sacrifice the weight increase and active area reduction. Really thick laminated sides would probably help quite a bit, and possibly more powerful sound as well, by giving the soundboard more mass to push against. I need to try it someday and see if I like it. Just not looking forward to making clamping forms for every instrument shape I do...

hmm yeah that could very well be...i know there is a similar looking interior crown molding that has a similar toothy sounding name

you´re right, of course.

regarding dentellones / tentellones, i think the expression "tentellones" originated in an hasty "translation" into english. in spain the term "peones" (pawn) is also commonly used. it´s also worth mentioning that Torres glued many rims with kerfed linings.

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"dentil" moldings have a long history in cabinet work.

Family show here...!!! You have to be careful with the personal questions..........!
Tom

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