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I'm building this very 'jumbo-sized' instrument (OK, I admit, it's an ABG ). Hondo Mahogany B+S and WRC top. I have some bits of mahogany I could use for back braces (though not very quarter-sawn) and some very old tight-grained dead-on QS cedar that I could use for top braces. Or, I have a piece of spruce (perhaps european) I could cut into braces. What should I use?

By the way. Before someone tells me "spruce bracewood is cheap and plentiful" etc. I should say "not here it ain't"! S.W.France is a sort of luthiers no-man's-land. The easiest way is to order from the US which means postal charges of $35.00 upward and hope the Customs ignore it. As far as HOG is concerned, it's forbidden fruit now. No-one will send it from the US (CITES y'know) and I've never found any over here. Sorry about the grumble

Dave buddy spruce bracewood is cheap and plentiful Sorry - you kind of asked for it.

Perhaps others will help here but I kind of remember Grumpy saying that he has used many kinds of woods for braces.

Grrrrrrr....

Dave,

Why do you have to buy bracewood from the US when you can get good spruce bracewood either from places like Madinter amongst others and UK suppliers. The postage won't be huge and there's no duty in the EEC.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave beat me to it, I've used a lot of Madinter's bracewood it is cheap and very, very good quality. In fact one piece they sent me was so good and big enough that I resawed it and got a nice top! In fact for anyone in continental Europe then Madinter would be pretty much the first place to look for most stuff. Or, if they can't help then the guys in the UK.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I use mahogany for back braces and realy like it you dont have to keep the wieght down on a back like you do with a top.

I would use spruce for a top especialy for a jumbo sized guitar.
cedar doesent quite have the strength of spruce.

As for spruce i can supply you with brace bolts of european spruce for £12 that will easily brace two guitars.
shipping will be cheap to.
failing that there is bois de lutherie in france.
they have realy high grade alpine spruce that they mainly supply to the violin trade but they do do guitar wood too.

in fact the spruce bolts for about 10 euro that will yeild enough stock for 8 guitars or so.
i have cut tops from some of there brace stock billets.
they also have chello bass bars that are graet for brace stock.

they also sell the highest grade euro bosnian maple that i have ever seen (i'm giving up my sources here) and very good spruce tops.

they also stock walnut and other woods.

here is there web site http://www.bois-lutherie.com

good luck,

joel.

Thanks for the info. chaps. I never think of looking at Madinter as I thought their transport charges were extortionate. Perhaps that was Maderas Barber. Anyway it seems I was wrong. Their stuff certainly seems very reasonably priced although it's rather a pity they don't do anything in bass guitar sizes (necks, fingerboards, etc).
Seems I was also wrong in my impression that Bois de Lutherie only supplied wood for the violin family.

I have gotten most of my European spruce from Rivolta in Italy.

http://www.riwoods.com/home.asp

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

This place is excellent also:

http://www.tonewood.ch

I usually have it shipped to my brother in St. Genis and then I pick it up when I visit, the shipping is very little if I remember correctly.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

+1 on Madinter.

the girl in telesales has the sexiest voice on Earth!!!!

(after my wife of course!!)

I got blocks of brace wood and now I'm thinking of using it for an archtop!!

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Louisa!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

http://www.best-eurospruce.com/
http://www.bachmann-guitars.com/
-C

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Freeborn Guitars
and home of BeauGuard©

Yes louisa is is lovely she very nice and allways eager to help.

they did have a rep for pricey shipping for while but they did a customer review and there shipping has been better since.

also as you are using the euro as well the high euro wont bother you (allthough nows a good time to buy from the u.k. becouse of the strong euro )

i am sure you have more choice than ever now so good luck.

Joel.

Thanks for all the links everyone. It seems I've gone from thinking I was in a tonewood wilderness to being spoilt for choice.

Just remember to keep control of your wallet when the Telesales Wood Sirens start talkin'...

spruce. the back bracing i crown with strips of mahogany or rose wood or what i have from a prior build. this shows thru the sound hole. i like the contrast

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/