shave braces on Martin GPCPA1?

[sublro]

I inherited a 2010 GPCPA1 - didn't care for the electronics (fishman F1 aura pro) so i removed them. now I have a 3-hole soundport

BUT - though the sustain, mids and highs are all there, it still sounds a little choked and flat in the bass, giving it a slightly honky acoustic tone for what one might expect of a well broken-in high-end rosewood/sitka GA body - (tho that seems typical of the A/E martins I've had - I think maybe they do something either in bracing and/or top thicknessing to make their factory-equipped A/E guitars less feedback-prone)

So a question - bracing is 5/16 - would shaving top or back braces likely free up the bass just a bit? welcoming comments from people familiar with this guitar or at least the A/E GA body-type martins....

thanks!

[BlueBowman]

Both the top and back bracing can be shaved to improve the guitar, but taking wood out of the top is much riskier, because you don’t know when you’ve gone too far unless you’ve shaved top braces before. I’ve watched a luthier shave the back braces though, and it’s often times more effective for producing a bigger bass.

You can download audacity (or another audio spectrum analyzer) to find out the main top and main back resonances (search the forum for a wealth of information). Having the main top and main back resonances close in frequency (1-3 semitones) will allow them to work in harmony better, and the bass most likely will be improved.

I’m no expert, just passing on things I’ve learned and seen. Do your research before attempting ANY shaving. Or better yet, take it to someone who has done this kinda work before.