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My Scott Antes plan calls for 3/8" wide by 1/2" high bracing. These seems like over kill to me, but then I'm used to ukulele size bracing. Can anyone verify if this is the usual bracing size for a Martin 000?

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

To me, the Antes plans are over built. You can clearly make them thinner and even shorter
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Wider than the braces of anyone I know of, but IMO you could go even taller at the X and not be overbraced, depending on how they are shaped. I'm still searching for someone who has ever seen or heard a guitar made by Antes. What are supposed to be his qualifications?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I'm the least qualified to give advice, but the plans I downloaded from http://www.grellier.fr/plans.php?lang=en and the ones I'm building from the Kinkhead book all call for 8mm/ 5/16" for the x braces (15mm/ 9/16 tall) tone bars on Christophe Grellier´s drop down to 6.6mm/0.260". On mine after planing and sanding they came to 7.5mm/0.295" and when I visited Joel Thompson, boy he has some lovely woods! After I'd tapered them some he still said that was too stiff so we removed some more. until he was happy with the response.

Should qualify this is an OM but the body shape is pretty similar isn't it

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Don't Do It.......!

This plan is way over braced and I have a wall hanging/GLO hiding in a case in my basement to prove it.

On OOO/OM's I use 1/4" W and 1/2" high at the X intersection. The X intersection can be taken down more if your top is pretty stiff and your brace stock is too.

And I agree with Howard - who is this Antes guy any way.......

Antes plans are useless. in my early days I built one and it was dead as nails. The 000 bracing should be 1/4 wide and 9/16 tall. There is a slight angle 15 degree and the top radiused.
If you are using antes plan may I recommend you to use it to wrap fish. This plan is not from a martin. http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.y ... topic/1364
this link may be of interest for you
john hall
blues creek guitars

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Thanks for all the input. The plan looked way over-braced. Where else can I get a 000 plan? The SA plan from LMI was the only one I could find.

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Rich John Hall can provide you with a bracing layout for a Martin OOO - just ask him.

"Dead as nails" - yeah I agree completely

Ordered new plans from John Hall. He offered to trace correct bracing pattern on my Antes plan. What a guy!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

If iI remember right Martis OM/OOO kit comes with a 5/16" x 5/8" tall x brace and 1/4" x 9/16" tone bars. I use 1/4" x 3/4" tall raw stock on all but the UTB but they get cut down to more like 5/8" tall due to the radius and shaping.

ROFLMAO

For what it's worth I have a Martin '33 OM. The size of the X braces at the intersection is .280 x .650. The rest of the bracing is 1/4". On the few guitars that I have built that seems to work fine for fine grained Sitka tops but a bit stiff with a wider grained Euro top.

Tim