Your opinion on this WRC top

[Herman]

If it is as stiff as the cedar it would be about the same.
I pay more attention to my feel, than my caliper.
If it feels stiff, it is. No matter what numbers.
Just my opinion
Herman

[Hans Mattes]

Bracing patterns for steel-string guitars have evolved (and have become generally standardized) in an industry where the great majority of guitars are built with spruce soundboards. Yet we recognize that the ratio of cross-grain stiffness to long-grain stiffness varies from one wood species to another (and, within the same species, from one tree to another). So why would we expect a bracing pattern optimized for spruce to be well suited to a cedar or redwood or mahogany soundboard?

If you like the cross-grain stiffness of your unbraced soundboard, but feel that the long-grain stiffness is a bit high, you might consider adjusting your bracing pattern. Lighter-than-standard bracing that is more "cross-grain oriented" should result in a finished cedar or redwood soundboard that has the balance that you want. Adjusting the angle between the "X" braces could be a way to achieve that balance.

While slavish copying of traditional brace patterns has become popular, several experiments (e.g., by Alan Carruth) suggest that specific bracing patterns have minimal effect on the resultant tone. Overall soundboard stiffness, of course, does have a significant effect.

Experiment!!!

[Dave Bagwill]

Thanks Hans!
Carruth makes a good point.