Bass is cheap, but trebles are going to cost you....

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by fitness1

You know - there might be a song there....

Yeah, I'm a poet who didn't know it.

Got a real challenge for you.
Do the exact same thing to the wooden girders in a Maton guitar.
How much sandpaper can you afford?
Martin could probably make 2 'X' series HPL guitars with all the sawdust.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

In the last several years CFM IV & Co. has produced historically-accurate uber-instruments with ultra-light materials and no neck reinforcement - the intended market is well aware of what they're getting and how to care for them, and warranty issues don't appear to be a source of corporate concern...

Can you say "Limited Edition" or "2018 Presentation Series"...?

I have read that the price of such instruments as "Authentics" was partly to pay for an increased warranty return likelihood.

[Martz911]

Very nice job, Todd. I'm amazed you can work through the sound hole and end up with such smooth surfaces.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Martz911

Very nice job, Todd. I'm amazed you can work through the sound hole and end up with such smooth surfaces.

lots of time and patience my friend!

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Got a real challenge for you.
Do the exact same thing to the wooden girders in a Maton guitar.
How much sandpaper can you afford?
Martin could probably make 2 'X' series HPL guitars with all the sawdust.

probably need the Dremel grinder, eh?

[TNO]

That is very clean work and doesn't look excessive at all.

I've done this to cheaper, overbuilt guitars (but not as cleanly as the work here) and it can make a very noticeable difference. I started with a scraper and finished with sandpaper. Spruce sands real easy.

[Alan Carruth]

That two degrees of bridge rotation is between 'no tension' and 'full tension' on the strings. This tends to increase over time with the 'cold creep' of the wood under continuous string load, and that's the problem.

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

I have read that the price of such instruments as "Authentics" was partly to pay for an increased warranty return likelihood.

And I've posted SEVERAL times, based on YOUR comments specifically that after Martin realized excessive warranty issues weren't apparent in the early Authentics, they LOWERED the price of all non-BRW Authentics in 2013.

I hate to YELL but you're ignoring the FACTS.

[catfish]

fitness1, neat job, congratulations!
Did your Taylor became louder as well? I'm asking because I was thinking a while ago to shave braces in my Seagull M6 Gloss (spruce top, mahogany laminate b&s), but hezitate.
I have enough bass but the guitar is a kind of quiet and not so much responsive. In comparison, Little Martin with spruce top sounds louder, in particular 1 and 2nd strings. Both guitars have medium strings.
What do you think?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by catfish

fitness1, neat job, congratulations!
Did your Taylor became louder as well? I'm asking because I was thinking a while ago to shave braces in my Seagull M6 Gloss (spruce top, mahogany laminate b&s), but hezitate.
I have enough bass but the guitar is a kind of quiet and not so much responsive. In comparison, Little Martin with spruce top sounds louder, in particular 1 and 2nd strings. Both guitars have medium strings.
What do you think?

Certainly louder and "rounder" tone - in other words more full sound across the spectrum. Sometimes, medium strings can put too much torque on the top of a guitar and actually mute the sound from my experience - smaller bodied instruments with taller saddle height seem to be most effected.
I'd definitely stick to light gauge if you are going to be shaving/sanding braces.

I received the Mccollum Tree Mahogany guitar yesterday - did about 3 hours of work on it and threw a fresh set of strings on - I'm completely smitten, so this fine Taylor is going to be back up in the classifieds. As it turns out, the Mccollum was a 1 13/16 nut, which is my preference.....it's also a Cedar top, not spruce, which normally wouldn't be, but it's so sweet I just have to keep it!!

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by fitness1

I received the Mccollum Tree Mahogany guitar yesterday - did about 3 hours of work on it and threw a fresh set of strings on - I'm completely smitten, so this fine Taylor is going to be back up in the classifieds. As it turns out, the Mccollum was a 1 13/16 nut, which is my preference.....it's also a Cedar top, not spruce, which normally wouldn't be, but it's so sweet I just have to keep it!!

Are you going to fully disclose that you have mucked about with the bracing to potential buyer? And are they going to do a similar disclosure down the line?

The big problem with shaving braces is that if it is overdone, the problem does not become apparent until some time down the road. When the guitar slowly implodes. Do you warranty your work?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Are you going to fully disclose that you have mucked about with the bracing to potential buyer? And are they going to do a similar disclosure down the line?

The big problem with shaving braces is that if it is overdone, the problem does not become apparent until some time down the road. When the guitar slowly implodes. Do you warranty your work?

Uh - yes, I already did it. I would NEVER think of pulling anything like that. Thanks for the vote of confidence in my integrity. If you had checked my classified before you posted you would have seen that I linked directly to this post.

As for me being able to tell you if the next buyer will do that, well, that's a little out of my control.

And no, no warranty - have you ever had a warranty on a used guitar??

The state that the braces are in now (if you had read my original post) is that I still can't see the top move when I put 10-12 lbs of pressure straight down on the bridge. I'd be very surprised if the changes I made have any negative effect on the structure of this instrument if it's taken care of properly.

[JimmerO]

There is such a thing as too much treble...

[Mr Fingers]

The overbuilding necessary to churn out mass produced guitars with warranties does not mean that every guitar is overbuilt to the same degree. Because stiffness will vary across batches of braces, some will definitely end up overbuilt while others of the same exact build, but utilizing less-stiff components, may in fact need the additional material to remain stable. A builder making single guitars can readily adjust braces to respond to the stiffness of the specific pieces used for one guitar, while mass production forces you to build to the average, and add some extra just to be safe. Since aftermarket contouring is not done based on knowledge of the stiffness of the exact braces installed in the guitar, it would seem to make sense to some degree but could become problematic if carried far in a guitar that turns out to have been put together when less-stiff and strong wood was moving through the production line. And you can't really tell how stiff your braces may be when they're already glued in place.

[catfish]

Originally Posted by fitness1

Certainly louder and "rounder" tone - in other words more full sound across the spectrum. Sometimes, medium strings can put too much torque on the top of a guitar and actually mute the sound from my experience - smaller bodied instruments with taller saddle height seem to be most effected.
I'd definitely stick to light gauge if you are going to be shaving/sanding braces.

Thank you. I will try lights first and see how the guitar will respond -- I never played this guitar with lights. Not in a hurry to shave/sand braces. Maybe someone will buy it off me and I will forget about mods.