Ladder-braced parlor guitar

[Dave Bagwill]

It's a pretty easy way to do it. You could also do a 4" wide stack in the vacuum bag in a mold, then cut the stack to width on the bandsaw.

[Lonnie B]

cool Dave so what your doing is a replacement for kerfing? Plus giving you something to glue the top and bottom too, your stiffening the sides as well?

[Dave Bagwill]

Yeah basically it is a kerfing without the kerfs. Like every single thing, every last single little iota of a thing in lutherie, it can be argued about, pros and cons. I do the linings because I like the look and the process, and I know for sure it makes for a stiffer structure - you can feel the extra stiffness, which is supposed to be a good thing, but that horse can be beaten into the dust as well. :-) All a guy can do is have a few trustworthy sources and ask them for their reasoning, then make a choice. Like has been said many times, there are many ways to accomplish a given task.

Geez I almost got into a rant; I didn't mean to. Lonnie - yep, unkerfed kerfing!! :-)

[Lonnie B]

Appreciate your reply Dave. I am new here and never seen this before. Shoot I just learned the correct way to make my own Kerfing a short time ago. Your system as I've read on here is probably superior to the old fashioned Kerfing. Honestly it looks alien (I hate to use that word) only because I've never seen it before. I hope you don't take offense to the word alien. I mean nothing derogatory. I'm 68 yrs old and have been looking at Kerfing all those years. So you can imagine my shock. Can you explain in terms I might understand why or how it stiffens the sides? On another thread on here someone,I forget who used three thin sheets of wood laminated together in a plastic bag to accomplish this same thing. Stiffen the sides. I understand that format somewhat better as it has been used since the forties. I have an antique Kay Archtop that is constructed like that. When I was a young child I remember my father had an Epihone that was also so constructed. I'm looking to build a Parlor guitar as soon as my mega mold gets here and I figger it out. Now you've got me athinnin about something else. Your system looks cool as a penguin in Anartica. So I'll be watching close as I may try the route. Hmmm!!! If I incorporate the lam sides and the lam non perfling then the sides would be super strong and make the top vibrate so much it'll disintegrate in a puff of wood powder. Lol

[Dave Bagwill]

No offense at all my friend. As for the engineering part, explaining the stiffness, there are others better suited to explain it. I will say that you can easily feel the extra stiffness imparted by the linings. Whether that really pays off tonally - I don't know. Some smart guys use the method, most don't, and they are just as smart.
You pays your money and you takes your choice! :-) Most all the great guitars historically have used the usual kerfing. That's a good enough reason to use it.

[Lonnie B]

Thanks Dave. Very good answer. You stuck up for your methods and still managed to allow the other way to suffice as well. That's good. I was watching a documentary on Robert S. McNamara, secretary of Defense under JFK & LBJ. He said never answer the question your asked, but answer the question you wished you had been asked.
Just this last Saturday I attended a Gretsch Roundup in Joelton. Just outside Nashville. Another forum I belong to concerning Gretsh aficionados. I sat next to a forum mate friend and we were discussing this very build. I was fascinated at how quickly you've gotten your build to this point. Maintaining your excellent quality.
The only builds I've done were three mandolins back in the eighties. I had no tools at all and did everything with simple hantools so you can imagine my amazement. Thanks for your response and not getting upset with me Lol it's all good. Lonnie

[Dave Bagwill]

I wasn't upset at all! Yep, all good. :-)