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Hi folks, Just a quick question regarding a source for quarter-sawn back reinforcement straps. I remember purchasing them from either LMI or StewMac a few years ago, but I can't find them on either site. I used up what I had and am in need. Any idea where I may find some? Thanks!

Are you asking about these? https://www.lmii.com/back-joint-reinforcements/1544-spruce-back-joint-reinforcement.html

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

That's it. Thanks! I guess I just didn't describe it well in the search bars.

A lot of the components of guitars have multiple names, but this one seems to be one of the worst. Center reinforcement strip. Marriage strip. Back strip. Back reinforcement strip. I bet there are others too.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I use cutoffs from tops.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Yea top cutoffs. Seems like threres always plenty extra.

Marriage strip.

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I am just really getting in to the building process so I don't have a lot of cut offs from tops, etc. However what I have I do keep. In this case the top is sinker redwood. I would rather the strip for this one be spruce, like the bracing. I have also started sanding smaller scraps and saving the dust in separate, labelled, salt shakers. Seemed like a good idea.

I did that too early on and have a small collection of those very small zip-loc bags containing sanding dust from rosewood, ebony, mahogny, bubinga, walnut, and a couple others. I've had occasion to use them a few times.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Nathan, before you know it you'll have the box labeled "scrap too small to keep". I think that's David Newton's quote (I don't know him, had to do a search).

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I recently moved and when packing up my shop, I got rid of a bunch of useless scrap wood. I couldn't bear the idea of packing, moving and unpacking so much random crap. Once I got my new shop set up and started working again, I was kicking myself. Every time I went to do something I went to look for a piece of scrap to help but the boxes were empty.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Top offcuts, back offcuts, side offcuts, whatever you've got. If you really don't have anything, buy a 2x4 from the hardware store and cut some cross grain strips from it.

Another idea, along the lines of what Dennis suggested regarding a 2x4: Lowe’s sells edge glued pine boards for DIY projects. They come as wide as 2 feet, for not much money at all. A person could buy one, cut it up in cross- grain strips of the right width, resaw on the bandsaw to the right thickness, and have enough marriage strips to last a very long time.

In case folks aren’t aware.
Depending on your geographical location, framing lumber can be up to 20% moisture content.
Kiln dried doesn't mean 6-8% m.c.

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

I know that even some top builds have used 2x4 or other "cheap" lumber, even for fan braces. If you want to get spruce for this and do not have cutoffs, lumber yards that specialize in assortments of lumbers for hobbies often have inexpensive boards of Sitka, which are quarter sawn, though not really the best for tops. One of these boards would serve years of use for back seam reinforcement. Some top priced guitars use mahogany or Spanish cedar for back reinforcement and back braces. I think for the back reinforcement you could use any specie except for Balsa or similar woods.