Hatcher's Studio '19 #2

[Mark Hatcher]

After the guitar is designed, woods selected and thinned, brace wood selected, split out, tested, matched, placed and glued I voice my tops. It's close to the last steps I do to fine tune to my target tone and response characteristics.

I usually show a picture here of a chisel or fingerplane taking fine shavings to adjust the weight and flexibility of the braces. There is another process going on at this time also which is managing how the braces are coupled.

The transverse brace, to my mind, is the most structural brace supporting the top and holding off future neck resets. It does have a strong tonal influence in that it acts as a side for the top which stops and reflects vibration back into the soundboard, like a side does. It helps maintain the symmetry of the vibrating top for maximum response. It's placement enables ideal bridge placement.

I strongly couple this brace to the sides and the sound hole support braces are tightly coupled to the transverse brace for structural reasons as well:



I view all other top braces as tone braces. The way these connect to one and other varies greatly to achieve different purposes. All of which can be manipulated in the voicing process. This is just another less mentioned layer of complexity in the wonderful art of adding voice to a wooden box:





When all is set the top is ready to close the box:



Thanks for following along!
Mark

[ukejon]

Very cool pics...took a minute for my eyes and brain to figure out what I was looking at! Your descriptions of bracing strategy really give a clearer picture of how the soundboard works.

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Very cool pics...took a minute for my eyes and brain to figure out what I was looking at! Your descriptions of bracing strategy really give a clearer picture of how the soundboard works.

Thanks ukejon I’m glad that helped!

Mark

[Mark Hatcher]

I have cut and glued on the English Bog Oak binding for my spec old Mahogany Woodsman. I happened to be binding the Greta Tree Mahogany at the same time. It struck me that both these guitars are the same same species of Mahogany. The Woodsman's Mahogany was cut about 250 years ago and laid on the bottom of a river in Belize. The Tree wood was cut in the 70's and laid across a ravine for about twenty years. The history of the two is quite different and the looks and characteristics of these two are also completely different. It is hard to believe they are the same species!



Mark

[Nemoman]

Cool comparison between these like-species guitars.

What a difference--nature sure offers us such beautiful palettes to choose from.

They both look wonderful, Mark!

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Nemoman

Cool comparison between these like-species guitars.

What a difference--nature sure offers us such beautiful palettes to choose from.

They both look wonderful, Mark!

Thanks Nemoman! It is a good example of how the variance within a species can be greater than the average variance between species. It always comes down to the particular wood set you have in hand that defines how a guitar looks and sounds

[Mark Hatcher]

I'm working on a lot of Honduran backed guitars lately but, I didn't notice because they are so incredibly different from one and other.

Here are some pictures of the other guitar that I started and will finish on this studio thread. It is my Josie small jumbo model with a magnificent Swiss "Moon" alpine Spruce on Mahogany from the Fiddleback Tree. The finish is on it now and I'll work to have it strung up next week:













Cheers!
Mark

[Lonzo]

😯 JAWDROPPER ! From either angle.
The finish really accentuates the wonderful woods and their respective aesthetics.
Looking forward to seeing it strung up !

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I'm working on a lot of Honduran backed guitars lately but, I didn't notice because they are so incredibly different from one and other.

Here are some pictures of the other guitar that I started and will finish on this studio thread. It is my Josie small jumbo model with a magnificent Swiss "Moon" alpine Spruce on Mahogany from the Fiddleback Tree. The finish is on it now and I'll work to have it strung up next week:













Cheers!
Mark

[doodahdoug]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I'm working on a lot of Honduran backed guitars lately but, I didn't notice because they are so incredibly different from one and other.

Here are some pictures of the other guitar that I started and will finish on this studio thread. It is my Josie small jumbo model with a magnificent Swiss "Moon" alpine Spruce on Mahogany from the Fiddleback Tree. The finish is on it now and I'll work to have it strung up next week:













Cheers!
Mark

Yowzah Mark that FBT really pops under finish, excellent workmanship as usual! Looking forward to seeing the final pics once final touches are complete.

[j. Kinnaird]

Beautiful work Mark. I am always impressed with your artistry and today i find myself impressed with the orderliness of your shop. How do you do that?

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Lonzo

😯 JAWDROPPER ! From either angle.
The finish really accentuates the wonderful woods and their respective aesthetics.
Looking forward to seeing it strung up !

Thanks Lonzo! It’s a wonderful group of woods to work with and the finish shows of off nicely.

Originally Posted by doodahdoug

Yowzah Mark that FBT really pops under finish, excellent workmanship as usual! Looking forward to seeing the final pics once final touches are complete.

Thanks doodahdoug, I can’t wait to hear it! That Swiss top is the best I’ve ever worked with so my expectations a very high.

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

Beautiful work Mark. I am always impressed with your artistry and today i find myself impressed with the orderliness of your shop. How do you do that?

Thanks John, My secret for keeping the shop organized is my work table is too small to let tools accumulate so I have to clean up after each step.

[ukejon]

Beautiful! Tell us more about the use of a maple neck. Aesthetic choice?

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Beautiful! Tell us more about the use of a maple neck. Aesthetic choice?

Thanks ukejon, The Maple neck is New Hampshire Hard Maple, or locally called Sugar Maple. It is a bit heavier than Honduran Mahogany and a little lighter than East Indian Rosewood. Sound wise, I plan on more sustain than I’d get from a Mahogany neck and maybe a little brighter tone. This is a large Mahogany guitar with a very lightweight top so I believe the brightness and sustain will contribute to the overall balance. I do have to say this would be subtle differences.

Aesthetically, that clean white Hard Maple contrasts wonderfully with the highly figured Fiddleback Tree body and it goes well with the clean white Swiss Alpine Spruce top. The multi colored marquetry I did on the back of the neck is set off nicely by that neck.

I love the feel of a satin finished Maple neck. It feels fast and cool to the touch.

Mark

[cigarfan]

Exquisite workmanship Mark! A work of art.

My 2014 Tree Penelope with an Alpine Spruce top (Hatcher made for Rob C) has really come alive. Only thing I wish it had was a satin neck.

[Skarsaune]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I view all other top braces as tone braces. The way these connect to one and other varies greatly to achieve different purposes. All of which can be manipulated in the voicing process.

Thanks for following along!
Mark

The height to width ratio of your braces is interesting.
I don’t recall the equation for the bending moment of a beam but adding height increases the strength by a much greater factor than the width.
Overall mass may be equivalent, but you have a stronger beam for a given mass.

Very interesting. I need to go dig out an engineering text or two. It’s only been 30 years since school.

Thanks for the look under the hood.