StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientation?

Wood choice logic, brace shapes, braces patterns -- what and why for the "heart of the guitar"
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peter havriluk
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StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientation?

Post by peter havriluk » Sat Feb 11, 2017 4:15 pm

I'm making working templates from StewMac's Herringbone drawings. Nobody laugh, please: Is the drawing oriented so that I'm looking at the braces from the back or the front? I haven't noticed any comments on the drawing to indicate which orientation is shown. My guess is that I'm seeing the bracing from the back and that pattern could be copied and laid out on the backside of the top just as shown. If the bracing is shown looking through the soundboard from the top, it would have to be mirrored so that the tone bars wind up on the same side as the prototype...

Is there a conventional orientation I need to know?

Thanks, folks.
Peter Havriluk

John Parchem
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by John Parchem » Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:38 pm

The tone bars the bottom two braces slant so that they are closer to the bridge on the treble side and farther away from the bridge on the bass side. I forget which way that plan is but you can use the above to orient yourself.

peter havriluk
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by peter havriluk » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:03 pm

John, I think from your suggestions that the drawing is oriented as if the back is off the instrument and I'm looking at the underside of the top. I think.

Thanks very much.
Peter Havriluk

Herman
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by Herman » Sun Feb 12, 2017 8:16 am

Yes Peter,
It is the view from the inside.
Herman

Tim Benware
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by Tim Benware » Sun Feb 12, 2017 8:00 pm

peter havriluk wrote: I'm seeing the bracing from the back and that pattern could be copied and laid out on the backside of the top just as shown.
That is correct if you are building a right handed guitar, the tone bars would be reversed if building a left handed guitar. At least that's how I do it.
I've "Ben-Had" again!
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

ken cierp
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by ken cierp » Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:17 pm

Sorry I am failing to see the mystery here? Bass/tone bar placement is basic and very much standardized.

https://www.google.com/search?q=martin+ ... 24&bih=691

peter havriluk
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Re: StewMac Herringbone guitar drawings top bracing orientat

Post by peter havriluk » Mon Feb 13, 2017 4:39 pm

It's a mystery until you do it once...
Peter Havriluk

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