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Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
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Author:  Jim Watts [ Mon Apr 14, 2025 5:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Strung up my first falcate braced guitar the other day. I've been using Trevor's methods on my fan braced classical guitars with good results so I thought I really owed it myself to try a falcate braced steel string, glad I did. It sounds wonderful! If you've been wanting to try one I would certainly recommend it.
the frequencies Are;
Air (T1,1): 90
Main top (T1,2): 170
Coupled back (T1,3): 213
Attachment:
jon g braced top small.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_8819 small 2.JPG
Author:  meddlingfool [ Mon Apr 14, 2025 10:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Great numbers!
Author:  Trevor Gore [ Tue Apr 15, 2025 6:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Nice work, Jim!
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Tue Apr 15, 2025 6:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
I really like that. What are the woods and finish?
Author:  johnparchem [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 9:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Wow! Nice work. The top bracing looks pretty clean. I generally make more of as mess,
Author:  Jim Watts [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Thanks guys.
The woods are Lutz spruce for the top paired with Indian Rosewood back and sides and binding. Spalted Maple for the rosette and Indian Rosewood for the pinless bridge.
The finish is just Mohawk instrument lacquer. I sealed the wood with shellac and used Solarez uv cured filler then another coat of shellac to isolate it from the lacquer. I've experimented with it in the past, but this is the first instrument.
John, it's certainly a challenge keeping the top tidy.
Author:  Colin North [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Nice. Did you use Trevor's radial back bracing?
Author:  Jim Watts [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
I did use Trevor’s radial back bracing. I tried to follow the book pretty closely with the exception of the body shape and painless bridge.
Author:  Mark Mc [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 5:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Great looking guitar. Nice work Jim.
I notice you went with a pinless bridge, which bypasses that slightly tricky aspect of the falcate design where you need to place the primary braces carefully between the bridge pins. I would be interested to know what you and Trevor think about pinned versus pinless bridges with falcate braced soundboards?
Author:  Jim Watts [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 8:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Well, I’m not sure it matters. I’ve built steel strings using both pinned and pinless (I noticed I said painless above! Maybe so!) and haven’t noticed a difference that I can definitely attribute to the bridge. But it’s probably a hill to die on for some.
I have another falcate behind this one that uses a pinned bridge, the box is together now and the pinless bridge certainly takes some stress out of it.
It would be interesting to hear Trevor’s thoughts on it as I sure he must of considered it at some time.
Author:  meddlingfool [ Wed Apr 16, 2025 10:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Do we get a demo?
Author:  Trevor Gore [ Thu Apr 17, 2025 7:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
Jim Watts wrote:
It would be interesting to hear Trevor’s thoughts on it as I sure he must of considered it at some time.


From the guitar function point of view, I don't think it matters, either. You still have to design to avoid the common failure modes, in particular the top peeling off the back edge of the bridge; so a bridge plate is still required to soften the stress concentration. For the builder, I think the pinned bridge is easier to use, because it is handy to be able to "pull the plugs" and lose the strings when setting up the saddle, etc.. It's also handy to be able to change the bridge pin materials for ones with different density to tune the T(1,1)2 mode. For the player, it's probably neither here nor there.

And seeing as Ed asked...

meddlingfool wrote:
Do we get a demo?


Not Jim's instrument (though I hope Jim is able to oblige), but those wishing for an appreciation of the falcate sound might like to listen to this, courtesy of Miroslav Tadic and Pacific Rim Tonewoods.

More falcate sounds and videos here.

And once again, thanks to Jim for showing us his beautiful guitar.
Author:  Jim Watts [ Thu Apr 17, 2025 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Strung up my first falcate braced guitar
meddlingfool wrote:
Do we get a demo?

Fortunately for you I'm not really set up to do that and the guitar is being picked up tomorrow.
That is something I'd like to able to do though. Maybe on a future guitar.

Thanks for the comments on the bridges Trevor and the links to your fine sounding guitars!
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