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Old 03-11-2009, 10:58 AM
Brackett Instruments Brackett Instruments is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Grover NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugenius View Post
Hey Gang:

I was sort of arguing on another forum about scalloped bracing with another poster. His argument was from an engineer's perspective, in that scalloped bracing is flawed and not a viable solution to "tuning a top" and that non scalloped thinner braces will distribute the tone more evenly than having soft and hard spots.

Can you guys school me on scalloped bracing, why it is used over thinner/lighter braces and what advantages there are to non-scalloped braces?

I know all or most of you guys all scallop your braces.
The "soft and hard spots" can be a way of tuning the top. That doesn't mean that all braces should or shouldn't be scalloped. Every single piece of wood is different. This goes for tops, braces, bridgeplates ect. The big guitar companies take their tops out of their big belt sanders and glue braces on them straight out of the brace making machines. (The "scalloped" braces are scalloped in a machine.)That's it. Most factory guitars are overbraced so they get predictable results. I don't know how any other small builders do but I graduate my tops.(the top is thinner around the edges.) I roughly shape my braces before gluing them on. I then do some more shaping after gluing the braces on. I do my final voicing after the top is glued to the rim before the back is installed. What I actually do to the braces depends on the individial top and braces and the tone desired.

There's thousands of J200's out there with medium guage strings. They should be OK on it.
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