Gibson H bracing

[Dave Bagwill]

The opened up L1 does look overbuilt but I do see the logic of the system as a whole. Do you think it would be worthwhile to re-imagine that same pattern but with thinner bracing?
I'm always on the lookout for bracing patterns that will deliver a different 'flavor' than X-bracing; not better than X, just different but still pleasing.

Then there's this take on the thing by Brentrup. Adds CF rods, - he calls it the hybrid ladder.

[Herman]

Yes, lighter braces for sure. But why such a very heavy transversal brace, almost on the bottom of the guitar?

[John Parchem]

In the open guitar the beefy braces forms a semi-ridged frame around an unbraced active area. With no braces on the bridge I suspect the bottom brace is just limiting the longitudinal run of the unbraced area to prevent the bridge from over rotating. All of the brace patterns are interesting. The drawing L0 looks to be derived from a classical. Brentrup is cool, I see no X component. I would call it an asymmetrical ladder braced system.

[Carl Dickinson]

I believe the 4 main braces in Han's are laminated with a thin strip of hardwood in the center, those going the length and around the soundhole. The CF rods prevent neck block rotation. Are the ladder braces notched over the others? Hard to see in that pic.

[Dave Bagwill]

Hi Carl - I've used CF rods in two instruments, and I'm not sure they were necessary, but they didn't hurt anything, and both guitars sounded fine.
Any repair guys here? - is headblock rotation a thing that you see a lot of?
I think that if the longitudinal braces were let into the headblock, rotation would not be an issue. Thoughts?

[John Parchem]

Head block rotation is why steel string guitars need neck resets. General it is not too much immediately; it is over time creep as the structural braces accept their stress positions. Happens to even a lot of the best guitars.