Acoustic Guitar Construction

I have seen plans that have the bridge plate butted up against the surrounding braces and others that call for a gap between the bridge plate and braces. What are the pro and cons. Thanks, Tim

My belief, its merely a personal preference -- weaken the braces to inset the plate? The great "Don Teeter" (master guitar repair person) wrote that the only purpose for inletting is to create a possible complicated repair problem down the road.

I didn't mean to remove anything from the braces, just that the bridge plate is cut undersize so that it is not in contact with the braces. A small space, 1mm, between the plate and the braces instead of having it fit right up to the braces.

Crain - is that your name, btw? - the bridge plate can be a useful location tool for the x-braces, if it is glued on first and the braces are then glued to it.

The 1 mm separation you mention - I don't know. If the plate's only function is to keep the ball ends of strings from pulling up through the soundboard, then the plate would only have to be as wide as the string spacing. OTOH, if the plate also serves to reinforce the bridge and keep the bridge from diving forward into the soundboard, then gluing the plate firmly to the braces would accomplish that. I suppose that the 1 mm is designed to 'free up' the movement of the top at the x-brace, but I just don't know if that is a good idea or not. It would be difficult to prove the value of it.

In the KMG instruction set, the bridge plate is used as primary locator for the rest of the brace placement. Its glued down first then all the other braces register from it.

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/topassembly.html

Kinkead's plan calls for an offset from the braces, MacRostie's calls for inletting. I believe you can't go wrong and it certainly has nothing at all to do with the way a guitar might sound.

Thanks very much for the answers on both my questions. It seems to be a matter of personal preference rather than one being superior to another.

crain 54 wrote:Thanks very much for the answers on both my questions. It seems to be a matter of personal preference rather than one being superior to another.

I wouldn't say that. Any luthier you talk to will normally tell you their method is superior and why. They say if you get 4 luthiers together and get their opinion on a process, you will get 5 opinions. Or something like that. It does come down to personal preference in the end. You need to decide which method is better in your mind. Lots of ways to skin this cat. Find the one that makes sense to you and use it.