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I have an Epiphone EL 00 that I have owned for a bit, probably close to 8 or 10 years.
When I first got the guitar I would never have considered it, but at the time I was suffering from pain involving the size of my dreadnaught guitars, and had no choice but to go smaller.
I had never owned or played a smaller bodied guitar before that, so just took the guitar for what it was and figured i was relegated to it because of physical issues.
The guitar sounded quite bright and boxy, even strident, and I played it that way for a year or so, then I got frustrated. I took a knife and reached through the sound hole and carved away at the tone bars and the lower X arms. That helped the guitar a bit. It was still quite bright, but it was an improvement, and I have played it that way for several years.
Today, following some things I have read in discussions here, I reached back into the sound hole with that knife again and carved away at the lowest back brace on this guitar.
Carved a little, strung it up, played, carved a bit more. I ended up reducing the brace by close to half, and I still need to reach in there with some sandpaper and tidy up, but...
The guitar is warmer, more complex, for lack of a better word. Does it have a big, booming bass? Nope, and never will for it's size. But the low end is much warmer, the trebles are nice and round compared to bright and harsh, and there is no more boxiness to the sound of this guitar. It sounds like a completely different guitar.
Thanks to Alan Carruth and a couple of others here for their insight into things like this.
Much appreciated.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Thanks for sharing that Mike. I've got a couple guitars I want to experiment with in a similar fashion but need time to do so. Inspired...

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Thank You and Best To All

I too have followed those threads on the effects back braces have on tone. It scares me a little to discover how little i really know. Hopefully I will be able to put the new knowledge to good use, as you have.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I'm scared to death every time I touch this current build. So much skill I need to develop. Glad there are those willing to share what they know, and happy to be able to learn.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.