Acoustic Guitar Construction

I've been remiss in posting progress of Tom's build. This is the same Tom who built 'cigar box' guitars (which I posted in some other place on this Forum).

We decided to do a ladder-braced L-00, add a soundport, and fabricate a Redwood Burl endwedge and headplate. Other than that, it is some very nice EIR and a Sitka top. 14 fret short scale neck.

Oh yeah - we're installing some CF rods as well.

Here are a couple of pix and we'll try to post more as we go along. We've taken the back braces down a bit since the pic was taken.
It's a good time!

Pretty hefty bridge plate and reinforcement ---- retro design?

Yep. :-)

Looking great. That guitar should make good blue grass sounds.

I went out this morning to tap test for the first time. It was not that responsive. I lightly touched the braces with a small Ibex plane, and still not much improvement. So I tossed out the retro look, planed off the excess spruce plate, cleaned it up and it made quite a tapping difference.

Tom is gone for a few days so I won't do any more fine-tapping; he wants the experience and that is a good thing.

Progress.

what is the tube on the sound hole for?