Open question to luthiers
 

Hello,
Just recently I looked inside my Gibson and noticed the center strip that is glued onto the back and I got to wondering.

I understand this brace's presence means the back of my guitar is made of two pieces of wood that are glued together but I was wondering about the actual order of all this gluing.

When gluing up a two-piece back, does it matter if the two halves and the inside center stip is all done in one step?

Or are the back pieces glued together then, once dry, the center inside strip is glued in place?

Or does it even matter?

I'm just curious. Thanks.

Best,
PJ

I glue my back halves together first. After it’s dry, then I sand and graduate the back to thickness then I glue the center seam cross grain reinforcement strip centered over the back’s glue joint. Others may do it differently, but that’s the way I do it.

That’s how I do it too. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a luthier that does it any different :).

I'm reading this question maybe a little differently than Tim and Mark. I'm wondering if he's referring to decorative backstrip and whether it's inlaid or glued in between the two back halves. I glue mine in full thickness between the two halves of the back all in one step, then thickness everything at once. The other alternative is to route a channel in the joined back and glue in the inlay in the cavity. Either way works, it's just what you're used to doing.

As for the reinforcement strip on the inside of the back, I glue mine in after the back is braced and attached to the sides. Many, if not most, glue them in before the back braces are installed, again, either way works fine.

Thank you all!
I didn’t realize that you glue up the two halves then plane them to final thickness then added the inside reinforcing strip.

Mr. Caldwell I actually was asking about a ‘simple’ two piece back without a decorative stripe of ornamentation on the back. I was just wondering about the order of operations with regard to when that inside reinforcing strip was added to the back. I’ve seen photos of you wood-magicians with those long poles pressing down in the center strip and didn’t know when that was done.

Best,
PJ

I glue the center strip first then the braces. But I’d do it even if it was a one piece back. I prefer the look of the braces tied in with the strip.

Except when you do it and then realize you forgot to thickness the back first.
Then it becomes a new design feature. “The thickened reflective tone enhancer.”