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I just finished bracing guitar #1 and need some help regarding tap tone and carving the braces.

I am building a Sticka Top D-18 per Martin's dread plans that they provide with thier 14 fret dread kits...(I opted out of buying a kit and only buying some things pre-made).

I bought my braces from Martin already shaped but not scalloped. Has anyone had any experiance scalloping braces to the Martin plans? I was wondering if some folks here had some advice on scalloping...more than what is just drawn on the plans OR what is in the Cumplano book.

I pretty much feel that the tap tone has become DEAD since bracing the top (seems heavy)...So I think that I am going to need to Scallop the Top (eventhough one of the employees at Martin's Guitar Maker's Connection stated that I should probably not scallop my 1st guitar since it would be stronger)...

I just don't want ot make the a Dreadnought built like a battleship (...a pun that may float in this forum)...

Thanks for the inputs...
JP

I generally divide the brace into halves, thirds or quarters (depending on
length of brace) and scallop with peaks corresponding to these points.

Other's in here will no doubt have other ways of doing it.

On scalloping your first guitar....I scalloped my first build and its still
holding together.

Cheers Martinkiwigeo38848.9299305556

   Same here. I scalloped my first, and although it hasn't been that long, it's still holding well. Sounds awesome, if I do say so myself...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I don't have enough experience to tell you whether or not (or how) to
scallop your braces, but I wanted to say I understand what you're saying
about the dead tap tone with the heavy un-scalloped braces. I made my
own braces, but the tone definitely felt "dead" with the braces just
shaped. I scalloped a little at a time until the tone started sounding
better, and I'm happy with the result. I can't say anything about the
longevity since mine isn't even strung up yet.

I scalloped mine and my top is still intact, still have a loud box after 5 months. As to how to go about it, you could use just a 1/2" very sharp chisel and remove some meat slowly and gradually, don't worry about it too much, as long as your chisel is well honed, you just have to be careful not to remove too much meat at a time.

Serge

If you look up Dana Bourgeois you will find some very good articles on bracing and tap tuning. In one of them, he mentions that he scallops only the treble side x-brace and leaves the bass side x-brace straight.

How's that for throwing a monkey wrench into things.

This will get you there I think Details

Yup, just below the voicing comment, third article down. This is not the entire article, can't remember where that is. I think it was an article in acoustic guitar magazine or maybe in american lutherie

Rod True38849.0125462963

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I've been doing my tops based on Dana's article since it appeared in the GAL years ago and like the results I get with it.
Here's a pic. You should definately read even if uou don't like the idea.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Jim, nice clean top there.

I realy like the rosewood x-brace cap. I do that on mine as well.

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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

JP,

I posted this a few months ago. Might interest you.

scalloped dread at Lundberg's

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