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The end graft looks perfect.

I have a feeling that when you have the birch in your hands, that you'll get inspired to make it sing.

Grand Concert, Stella size: is the top bracing yours? Stella's? A hybrid?

I'm basically following Hans Brentrup's ladder bracing pattern, which follows Stella's with the 3 cross braces and the long bridge plate. He added the doubling around the soundhole and the longitudinal braces to counteract the potato chip curl that straight ladder bracing is prone to over time. And I tend to have my lower bout braces zero out before the kerfing whereas Stella generally tucked their braces into the kerfing. On these thermo-treated tops I'm thinking that tucking them in would probably be a good idea to help keep a brace end from popping loose given the brittleness of these tops. Didn't do it on this one, probably will try it on the next one.....

The guitar looks great! You need to finish this one.

Brother, you may have 'only' done an end graft, but it's drop dead gorgeous and squeaky clean!

E

Joe - this is continuing to look good. I'm with Eben on really liking the end graft. I too am waiting *patiently* to see the results of this. As you may be aware ... I think that WS and African Mahognay make a great combo!

Have you explained the bracing theory of this top elsewhere? The "extended bridge plate" seems massive. Maybe it's called a TVBPB ?? Trans Verse Bridge Plate Brace Were these ladder braced instruments originally gut string?

John

Hey guys, thanks for the comments!

As usual I got side-tracked again. I have got the binding and purf channels routed and glued in but still need to get them scraped down. My brother has been in town and we've been having fun hauling and shoveling topsoil and compost material for the garden, and cutting trees and brush to let in some sunshine. Slow work for a couple of old farts, but spring is close and I've learned to never turn down help when it's volunteered......

It's also helping me remember how much more fun building guitars is than working a shovel, damn!

And John, heck if I can remember what I've explained before........ those days are gone. Haha! Ladder bracing was probably used with gut strings originally, not sure, but the 20's and 30's era ladder braced guitars I love were all steel strung. The extended bridge plate was standard on them, some reaching from kerf to kerf, others stopping just shy of the kerfing. I'm in the shy camp with plate and braces also. I think it frees up the top better. The extended bridge plate is large but it's spruce, so it's not that heavy. I add a small thin hardwood cap to help with string end wear, but that often wasn't done on the lower end production models.

Basically the ladder bracing gives you a more fundamental tone with fewer overtones, and a quick response and decay which seems to work well for "roots" type music.



Sure helps me remember how much better suited I am to playing in the workshop than driving a shovel........... Did I already mention that? Damn, a mind is a terrible thing to waste! If I had one I'd be worried........

Okay, the box is bound, so here are some pics......



Had to include a shot of my super duper binding channel router set-up. Sure takes the stress out of this job.




And the obligatory tape stage of binding.




Ivoroid bound box, and some detail shots following.......














Now it looks like I need to build a neck.........