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Hey acoustic guys, I just have a quick question about bracing. My first guitar is basically a learning experience for me, both for learning how to use the tools and the actual construction so I'm having fun with just loosely following plans and trying some different things with the bracing.
One thing that I didn't look for closely enough at pictures before I started carving is the X bracing. I got it mostly right but I scalloped the top arms as well, which I realized later are just usually tapered in a gradual slope from lap joint to end. Now my X-brace is about 15mm high and down to 6-7mm in the scallop. My top is rock solid with very little flex and although I have no experience with tap tone, it rings and sustains very loud all around the top like a thick skin on a bong drum.
All that I want to know before moving on is, will scalloping the top arms cause a structural issue for my top? If I flex it by hand pretty strongly and it doesn't move/flex at all, is this a decent indication that I should be ok once the strings are on? There's a picture below, everything is pretty close to a conventional bracing pattern other than my little mix up on the top arms and my "perforation" of the finger braces and tone bars to lighten things up a little.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/1479712718/
Any advice would be great. Thanks
One thing that I didn't look for closely enough at pictures before I started carving is the X bracing. I got it mostly right but I scalloped the top arms as well, which I realized later are just usually tapered in a gradual slope from lap joint to end. Now my X-brace is about 15mm high and down to 6-7mm in the scallop. My top is rock solid with very little flex and although I have no experience with tap tone, it rings and sustains very loud all around the top like a thick skin on a bong drum.
All that I want to know before moving on is, will scalloping the top arms cause a structural issue for my top? If I flex it by hand pretty strongly and it doesn't move/flex at all, is this a decent indication that I should be ok once the strings are on? There's a picture below, everything is pretty close to a conventional bracing pattern other than my little mix up on the top arms and my "perforation" of the finger braces and tone bars to lighten things up a little.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/1479712718/
Any advice would be great. Thanks