Thread: WRC Bracing

The "rule of thumb" is that the bracing is the same as the top twood, but you can make tops from WRC so as long as you got your proportions right and used nice straight grained pieces quatersawn. Although I would be a bit careful using a dark wood under a light top wood, who knows what it could do colour wise???

Kerfing is generally done with a hard wood, mahogany, basswood, and sometimes maple. I don't know if WRC would have the tensile strength for that ot not. Joining hardwood back and sides with WRC sounds a little bit dodgy to me, though I could be just being anal about it too...

Just remember that I am only voicing an opinion, certainly not facts.

I generally match my tops and bracing in terms of wood type. The critical thing is the dimensional stabilty and stiffness of the woods. A stiffer brace means you can shave off some meat and not compromise strutural integrity of the top. Given a choice I favour sitka spruce for bracing my steel strings and also many of my classicals as well. Ive used WRC bracing on one or two backs but didnt really like the stuff..cant put my finger on it really, think its more a personal preference thing (asthetics, colour, "look" etc).

WRC doesnt bleed like rosewoods so I dont think this would be an issue with WRC braces under light coloured top.

Cheers Martin

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

WRC doesnt bleed like rosewoods so I dont think this would be an issue with WRC braces under light coloured top.
Cheers Martin

I wasn't sure on that, better to be safe than sorry

Originally Posted by mongrel

The "rule of thumb" is that the bracing is the same as the top twood, but you can make tops from WRC so as long as you got your proportions right and used nice straight grained pieces quatersawn. Although I would be a bit careful using a dark wood under a light top wood, who knows what it could do colour wise???

Kerfing is generally done with a hard wood, mahogany, basswood, and sometimes maple. I don't know if WRC would have the tensile strength for that ot not. Joining hardwood back and sides with WRC sounds a little bit dodgy to me, though I could be just being anal about it too...

Just remember that I am only voicing an opinion, certainly not facts.

Thats good because the top is WRC too.

Ross

I've used Western Red Cedar on both Cedar and Sequoia Tops. Works a treat. The only reason I haven't used it on Spruce tops is that I have heaps of spruce to use as well. There is no reason whatsoever that you couldn't use it for your linings as well.

Cheers
Allen R. McFarlen

Here is a picture of 2 very fine/straight grained bits of timber I plan to use as bracing the dark one WRC the other believe it or not Douglas Fir (Oregon)
Never thought of it as a tonewood but if you tap it it rings like a bell!
Both hardware bought at least 10 years ago but who would have thought you would find nice stuff like this in a hardware store.


Ross