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Hi,

I'm in the process of doing my first SS top (only built classicals until now) I'd love to get some constructive criticism before I finish carving and clean it up. I won't even mind taking a brace or two up and replacing them if it is a good idea. Don't hold back, I can use the help!!!!

The x-brace is 5/16 x 5/8
It is a .120 cedar top, medium stiffness, on a SJ body. I'm going for a mostly fingerstyle guitar using light gauge strings. I would like it to stand up to a pick on occassion.

Thank you for any advice you can give.




Joe Beaver39094.9484490741

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Joe, that looks mighty goooood! I think that it is the first time i've seen your work up close, looks really neat from here!

Keep it up my friend!

Wide angle shots are great aren't they? Up close not so clean.... But if it looks like a go to the guys here I'll clean it up!!! Thanks for the nice comments...Joe Beaver39094.9513657407

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

just from looks I'd say try to triangulate the lower face braces a bit more. (of
course it is hard to tell from pics) but it looks like they could be less and still
hold good (assuming of course the top is stiff cross grain)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Hey Joe looks good.

Of course it's hard to tell what to change with out hearing the tap.

You can take the x-brace cap down to like 1/16", it doesn't need to be that high at all.

You could tapper the x-braces down probably a little bit too.

What are the tone bar dimensions?

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Thanks John. That sounds like good advice. I did buy you advanced voicing DVD about 6 months ago. It was great. I went to play it again just before I started bracing but it wouldn't play! It said disk was dirty. I tried cleaning the disk but no good. It has always been in the case and has no scratches and looks clean. I'll try a different DVD player tomorrow!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks Rod, The tone bars are 1/4 x 1/4 and the lower face braces are both 5/16 x 1/2.

The tap town right now is fairly high pitched wit a lot of ring. I'm thinking it might still be to tight?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

[QUOTE=Joe Beaver] Thanks John. That sounds like good advice. I did buy
you advanced voicing DVD about 6 months ago. It was great. I went to play
it again just before I started bracing but it wouldn't play! It said disk was
dirty. I tried cleaning the disk but no good. It has always been in the case
and has no scratches and looks clean. I'll try a different DVD player
tomorrow!

[/QUOTE]

If you can't get it to play let me know and I'll send you a new once Gratis.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I agree with Rod. The bracing is robust. Personally I am on a journey to see how light I can get away with bracing(until it implodes) then go a bit heavier. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

I agree with John's comments about the lower face braces (I call these the tone bars, but I probably need some more educatin')

I make mine lower face braces 1/4x1/2 and on the lates one I've got closed up they taper down to nothing with out the lower scallop peak. But this is only because it sounded to tight with them peaked like you show.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks for the offer John...I'm hoping it will play tomorrow on a different player....

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Rod,

Do you tapper the face braces to nothing at the x-brace? I was thinking that was something John recommended for a tight top.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I don't understand, why is one x-brace so much higher than the other?

Lex,

they both started out as 5/8 high. I added a cap over the x. Is that what you are referring to?

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Since I think I'm getting lost in the wording, I'll repost my top bracing pic which Bruce Dicky post a couple of weeks back.

Please, Please know that this is only the 5th guitar and there are many many other's here considerably more knowledgeable with voicing a top than I am. I just keep tapping the top and shaving until I'm happy with the sound that comes out. I want the top to ring for a couple of seconds at least and not just "tink".

I have a lot of learning to do and have read more than I can even really remember. At some point you just need to try things and not be afraid to go to light in the bracing. We will only know how light we can brace when the guitar implodes and we can say "well, I braced that one to light "

Anyway, here is the picture if it helps at all.

Oh and just so you know, this is an OM guitar, cedar top, all the bracing is 1/4" wide but for the two upper transverse braces, They are 3/8".

Rod True39095.5576388889

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Thanks Rod, Looks like nice work to me.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thanks Hesh, nice looking top!!!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust