Acoustic Guitar Construction

The 00-12 with a Sitka spruce top that Dave Holcomb is building in my shop - the top bracing is complete, all is well as to gluing practices, thinning and shaping braces etc.

BUT - after a lot of tapping, after thinning the braces starting with the extremities and working toward the x-brace itself and finally removing some of the x-brace material (within reason) - that top is still, along both axes, stiff as a ----well, as a board. Standard bracing.

I did NOT test this top when it was delivered. Could kick myself for that. Actually, I just did and it hurts. I would have thinned the top quite a bit further.

So - what is the best practice for thinning the top at this point? I'd rather do it now than after gluing it on, but I'm just not sure of a good methodology.

Help!!

This is the perspective of a rank amateur, not the hard-earned wisdom of years of building - but...

I have found it easier to thin a top, that has been braced, once it's glued to the rim. This serves two functions - stabilizes the plate for easier sanding (rather than rocking on the x-brace) and you can more easily get a sense of the plate performance on the box. The obvious challenge with this approach is that it's tougher to measure the thickness once it's on the rims.

I'd definately do thinning after the top was attached to the rim.

5/16" or 1/4" bracing?

The bracing on that size guitar can be very light

Pictures of bracing so far?

5/16" bracing, but taken way down. What do you think about removing one of the tone bars? It is a smaller instrument.

Chance of getting a picture?

What radius on the braces?

Let me get a pic