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Is there a book or set of plans that can guide me through building a fanned fret acoustic steel string guitar? There seems to be a lot of info out there on this but I need a set of plans or a book that also addresses intonation and internal bracing. I build arch tops, dreds, and harp guitars and would like to incorporate fanned frets as I feel comfortable doing so. I don't want an E book. I need a real book to add to my library or set of tested plans. I don't want to experiment by spending 60 hours on a build that doesn't work or blows up.
Thanks
MIchael

Not sure, but don't think anyone offers plans for a fan fret acoustic.
I looked myself but ended up using Kinkead's OM Plans more or less as per plan, (unscalloped braces, 7mm) and 24.34/660mm scales (cut using this method http://www.doolinguitars.com/articles/fannedfret/), perpendicular fret at the 12th. Drew everything out full scale first of course, mainly for the bridge plate position and shape.
I don't honestly think extreme differentials in scale lengths are necessary for the benefits of fan frets, this one was made to be tuned down to C tunings with 12's (and owner reports it will tune down to as far as a B tuning).
Just make sure the bridge covers the X braces.
Worked out intonation by SM calculator on 1st and 6th string lengths, tacking a hard maple test saddle on the bridge with CA and checking.
Then routed the slot on the guitar.
No problems and sounded very good.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

There was a really good article by Harry Fleishman in American Lutherie a while back where he talked about selecting the two scale lengths, where to put the "right angle" fret, how to make jigs for both hand and machine fretting, and even a bit of history of multi scale instruments (I believe the term "fan fret" is copyrighted). I just saw the mag not too long ago - I could look for it if you would like or you might do a search at the GAL site.

Fanned-fret is a US trade mark owned by Ralph Novak. He used to own a US patent for this but it expired some years ago. The word(s) will not be protected by copyright because the phrase is too short and descriptive.

This means that anyone (in the US) can make such an instrument and call it what they like, but can't (in the course of business) sell or market it in the US using that phrase without infringing the trade mark. Using a phrase which is confusingly similar would also infringe.

US trade marks only apply within the US (and don't get me started on how to decide if they apply online!), and I don't know if the mark is registered anywhere else as well.

I've noticed some makers refer to it as "multi-scale"...

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Tom Bills has an extremely detailed series of video lessons on how to put together a fan fret guitar. It’s a subscription site, and there’s a pile of really interesting stuff

Google art of lutherie.

Steve

This website can be very useful for planning out the fretboard:

FretFind2D

Steve beat me to it. I finished my first multi-scale in early spring thanks to Tom's course.