Thread: Merrit of different brace woods???

Hi Austen and welcome,

Like the rest of life there are no hard and fast rules, just some things that work better than others. Lutheris is always a juggling act the great instruments have all the balls in the air at the same time....

Ive always used the front tonewood for the bracing on the back for several reasons. Firstly, Its usually easier to work than the back timber and accurate shaping of braces is a siginificant contributor to overall sound. Secondly the side and back timber is already too thin when I get my greasy mitts on it. Sometimes these timbers can also be quite expensive so buying extra is out of the question. Lastly weight. The lighter an instrument is the more responsive it is to play.

What are you making? The folks here love photos,

Sebastiaan

I am going to ATTEMPT to make a Gibson J-200/J-300 style Super Jumbo. i already have a traveler and a dreadnought so figure its what i should do. Haven't started the build yet, will kick off next weekend.
I'm going for a King Billy top and Blackwood back and sides. Mulga for the fretboard and bridge. I'm making it at a mates place in Dubbo who has all the equipment. So it will be a very long old process, but I'm prepared for that.
My buddy has got a fair bit don't on his, ill try and convince him to post some pics.

Cheers for the feedback Sebastiaan

hi Austen,
I've always felt that if you want a great result you should at least use the materials the 'experts' use.
There is plenty of help in the forums and on the net.
Cumpiano's book is where I started, and it is worth every cent.
Good Luck building
BBM

Interesting...
Gerard Gilet (www.giletguitars.com.au) will use spruce laminated around carbon fibre. Strength and light weight in one