Acoustic Guitar Construction

This is pure speculation -- but mind you I have taken apart a few Martin's and other knock offs. In my opinion the cloth patch does "zero" to improve the structure -- I believe the patch is there to conceal poor craftsmanship -- nothing more. Even the pre-shaped brace sets I received from Martin had a pretty sloppy fit. As for the epoxied joint -- I am an RC aircraft model builder (now into foamies) but anyway I can attest to the fact that epoxied overlap joints survive quit well even in catastrophic gravitational inevitability.

I did get a set of Martin top braces a while back, and the fit WAS sloppy. I was surprised at HOW sloppy. The ones I cut are much better, especially since I made one of your jigs. I need to look into the epoxy, though - is the cheap stuff in two small tubes at HF good enough?

I use the Tower Hobby house brand 6 minute -- very good stuff.

kencierp wrote:... catastrophic gravitational inevitability.

"like trying to fight gravity on a planet that insists...." Ani Defranco - Love that quote for some reason.

I have used a patch, a small circle (and was ridiculed on another forum for it, though I didn't see any reason for the behavior), and a small section of brace as mentioned above. I think ( and this is a very uneducated view, by the way) that the weight added with a small brace reinforcement is less than or no different than the mass left on by not scalloping braces. I have had a couple of joints turn out very well, but others I just felt more comfortable with a little somethin somethin there to make sure it didn't fail. I like the jig you came up with, Ken, and may have to make one.

KenH - it was YOU who suggested the little circle?? Hahahahahahahahahahah - where did you get that crazy idea?

Anyway, after seeing you do it, I did it :-) Worked just fine. Not crazy at all, after all these years..

LMAO I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had seen it somewhere else...can't remember. I thought the patch was ugly, and didn't like the look of laying a thin piece across the top. I haven't done it that way since, but I do like the way it looks....clean and asthetic, to me. Glad you can sleep better now;)

Cutting the notch in the brace weakens it and bridging the notch with a wooden splint of similar material restores the longitudinal integrity of the brace.