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   I was just reading the thickness sander recommendations -someone mentioned ordering your wood pre-sanded.
   How do you know what thickness to order?
   Are there general guidelines to finish (and bending) thickness by type of wood?

   TFL
   

Jim,
I thin most my sides to around .080, Backs go about 085 to .090. No matter what wood im using.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

The side thickness will vary depending on shape, wood, and if your doing
a cutaway but the .080 lance mentioned is suitable for just about
anything.

For backs it totally depends on stiffness. If you make all the backs the
same thickness, not taking into account the properties of the wood then
you loose a chance to let the wood do it's best. Not all wood is the same
and it does not react the same. If consistency, and maximum tone is your
goal don't be consistent on thickness on top and back thickness, but rat
her let the properties of the wood, as well as the body shape, and style
have a say in the thickness'.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Whatever bearing this has on the finished guitar, I'll let others decide. While thickness sanding sets as I'm preparing them, I occasionally tap a set for the tone during the process. I have found that the thicker the sides (for example) the deeper the tone will be. As I progress in the thinning, I can hear a gradual increase in the higher tones in the wood. This works for "most" all the woods I'm currently working with. However, the really old "Black" Brazilian Rosewood from Santos...has a high ring no matter what the thickness is.

On tops and backs, if I have worked with the specific wood and have enough notes to make a close estamation of the final max thickness, I will order it within .02-.01" of what I fell my finished max thickness will be. If I have not workes with that wood before or not enough to have data to make a good desision, I go .04-.03" thicker and hand plane the remainer till I get it where I want it.

I say max thickness because during bracing and tapping I am likly to thin some areas more than others

HMMMmh NOTES - Good Idea!

I have been planing till I get a pleasant tap tone on the back. I give the sides a test bend and if it's slow to move I thin some more.

Primitive, I know - but it's worked pretty well. Someday though, I will probably finish a guitar that I would want to replicate.

Thanks.    

My sides will vary from .064" to .90" and My backs have ranged from .075-.110" Depends on the wood.