Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm about at to start cutting out my top braces. Along with drilling a hole in the upper transverse brace I'll also have to thin the UT graft where the truss rod will go. I started thinking 'if the graft is going to be that thin right in the center, what's the point?' I've read multiple times on here that the popsicle brace is about useless anyway. Would bias tape do just as good a job at preventing cracks? I thought about using that and an A frame type bracing. Is the A frame bracing still effective if it isn't inlet into the UTB and neck block?

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Jeremy Douglas

Drilling through the brace shouldn't weaken it too much. It will still have the height which is the important part of the strength. The UTB is mainly to prevent separation of the soundboard in line with the grain. I agree that bias tape is worth a try. I have not used it in that spot but always use it on the ribs.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

Funny you should ask this question now. It seems at any given point where I'm at in building this guitar there is alway a question or point brought up about it.

I just drilled the hole in the upper transverse graft tonight and installed a trapazoidal brace in the style of Bryan Kimsey.
I've also read alot about the popsicle brace mutes the upper bout. Bryan explains alot of this in his Lutherie section on his website.

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins