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What are the pros and cons of a lattice braced guitar? Is the idea behind the lattice brace system that you can thin the top a lot more because you will have additional braces to add stiffness and support?

What kind of effect does thinning the top down more have when you add a lot more mass in braces to compensate? I'm just curious what the different perspectives out there are on lattice bracing.

Cheers!

John

John,

In comparison to others on this wonderful forum I am a complete neophyte but have built a couple of lattice braced instruments (both classical and steel string). I used spruce braces rather than the “Smallman” carbon sandwich and notched each course of brace to fit over the previous course. Think gluing the bridge plate down first then proceeding to fit the first course of braces over the plate and then the next course, and etc. It’s kind of hard to describe so I will include a picture of the top on my latest double aught.


I really like the clarity, projection, and balance that lattice braced instruments possess. People who have played my latest double aught have commented on the balance, note distinction, and incredible tone for such a small instrument. My goal was build a smallish guitar with out the “plunky” sound. I guess the top must have been cut at the right time of the month .

If I missed anything you were looking for in particular just let me know.

Cheers,
Jeremy

Jeremy
Do you have a pin bridge on this guitar and if so, do you just let the holes for the pins fall where they need to regardless of the braces running over the plane?
How thick did you make those lattice braces?

John

Pro: loud
Con: thin tone, no warmth

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

John,

It is my understanding that Greg Smallman, Jim Redgate and others who build lattice-braced classicals thin their tops to the degree they do to counter the additional mass of the lattice bracing, not the other way around. After all, the great Antonio de Torres was known for building guitars with very thin tops, and he typically installed his 7-fan pattern on them.

To me, the jury is still out on lattice-braced classicals. I've had the opportunity to play one and build another. Honestly, I prefer the sonority of fan-braced instruments, and I think that if they are built well, they will still have great volume and projection.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

This guitar has my first incarnation of a pin less Pyramid Bridge and the bridge plate is spruce.

Rough lattice dimensions (height x width in mm):
“Bass” – 5 x 4
“Treble” – 7 x 4

In my very modest experience with building guitars I have come to disagree with the “thin tone, no warmth” generalization as this little guitar seems to have both in spades (but freak occurrences are possible I guess).

The guitar also has a relatively thick Sitka top (2.7 mm) and a shorter than average (635 mm) scale.

Cheers,
Jeremy

I think Howards thin tone,no warmth is exactly what the criticisms are for lattice bracing in a classical where a traditional fan braced guitar has the sound that is used for comparison.

Lattice bracing in a steel string is a completely different matter. The impetus for lattice bracing in classicals came out of wanting to have a thiner top to get more sound but in fan braced classicals when you take the top too thin it can collapse so a lattice would more evenly support the top allowing a thinner top than normal.

When building classicals it is a matter of not just thinning the top overall but rather thining where structure support is needed less and leaving wood where it is needed to avoid bellying.