Acoustic Guitar Construction

Fun slide show for something different - steel string instrument with a spanish heel and fan-type bracing. Also interesting pinless bridge with individual posts in lieu of a saddle.
What do you think?

http://www.elliottguitars.com/steel-string-model.html

BTW his used instruments go for $10k and up....

I like those buttress style braces I plan to use those in my tenor ukulele design. Also, I believe the Ovation top of the line steel string guitars have a classical style fan bracing system -- no "X" brace.

What are buttress style braces, and what makes them a good alternative?

As used in musical instruments it a reinforcement that does not contact the plate along its entire length. They are glued at the pads on the ends and one or more pads at stategic points near the center. The idea is that the plate structure is supported and at the same time leaving the thin plate where the gaps occur to move freely. My Ukes are going to be my experiment with the design, the fan bracing that contacts the bridge plate lends itself nicely to the concept.

I have heard his classical guitars live. They are really really good. I once heard at one of the GALs where the same professional classical guitarist played the same couple of bits on a large number of classical guitars. His guitar was a step ahead of all of the guitars played except for a Richard Schneider kasha classical. In that case it was just better. He is one of the best classical guitar luthier in the country.

I would really like to see and hear one of his steel strings.

It looks like it would weigh a TON!
Are any of those big brace ends let into the kerfing?