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Ive got all my top braces on but the bridge plate and I have been carving away trying to get everything loosened up without really knowing what Im doing. I have been comparing my braces to photos of others here on the forum as a guide. I have just realized that my x-braces are quite tall. Didnt take them down before I did the lap joint. Should I chisel them down a bit? They are .7 inches (11/16ths) not including the patch. By the way I used fish glue from Lee Valley and was thankful for the long set up time.

Thanks

Warren.

Mine are never higher than .590 on something larger than 15.5 inches lower bout, smaller guitars get down as low as .500 where the X crosses.

I would simply plane it down and redo the cap, which only needs to be about 1/16 thick.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I don;t know beans from bananas, but the bracing job looks really nice.    I'm sure the advice above is more to the point, and probably correct.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Just make sure you don't remove so much wood from the x-brace joint that you get too close to the bottom/top of the notch. That would result in severing the top brace into two separate braces and would seriously weaken the top.

Yes, I would also plane that x intersection down a bit.

I'm sure that top will make a fine sounding guitar as it is, but here are a couple of things I would do differently: Is the rim outline the faint pencil line a bit in from the edge? If so, it looks like you don't plan to tuck the lower x brace legs under the liners. That is fine, I don't either, but I would trim the ends of these braces down a bit more from the last 'peak' to make them more flexible; I think it makes them less likely to pop off should the guitar get misused. I also like to think that making the plate quite flexible around the lower bout's edges helps the bass response and volume(?), and generally gives 'more sound' or more 'openness' to its voice (hey, not only are these things hard to describe with words, but I'm writing in a foreign language! Let's just say I think it will make it sound better...) Actually I would make the all brace peaks a bit lower, and ideally move the lower ones both on the tone bars and the x braces a bit closer to the center of the top. This again to bring out more of the qualities of a flexible perimeter, and a more gradual tapering of the tops rigidity.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks Tony Barry Waddy Hesh and Arnt for all the advice. I'll plane the x-braces at the intersection down. I know Ive got some room before thinning the lap joint too much. Arnt your instructions are very well written and you answered some questions I was wondering about. Glad I asked. Any thoughts on not inletting the braces above the soundhole as well?

Thanks again, Warren.

Hey Warren

What Hesh mentioned about listening and feeling the wood is very good
advice. It's exactly what one of my good friends on this forum has written
to me numerous times about developing your intuition for this through
your senses.

When I've talked with guys from Santa Cruz Co., etc. they mention their X
braces being between .06" for light fingerstle and .065"-.07" tall on
guitars that will be strummed in case that adds to your base of data here.

James-
Typo there- I think you mean 0.6" and 0.7"....
But thanks for the SantaCruz info- it's gone into the book here....
Cheers

John

Hey John

You're right---sorry about that mistake. Santa Cruz is .68" with 1/4"
stock.