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I almost took a picture of it. I was sooo proud. I had just completed installing the back strips on my first two guitars. Spanish cedar carefully sanded to what I felt was a nice contour.

I was a lttle curious why the strips didn't look "quite" right but hey, they were close enough. Then I noticed that they didn't really stiffen the back as I had expected but hey, I'm new at this.

Then at precisely 4AM EST today, I awoke from a dream to the sudden realization that my wife was right! I can't read maps!!

I had not only put on the back strips cross-grained, I had made them and installed them END-grain! (North, South, East, West, with grain, cross grain, end grain, I get so confused)

So, instead of spending the day installing back bracing, I spent it carefully planing and chiselling of the back strips and installing new ones.

I sincerely hope I am not the only one to do something so totally bone-headed!

Regards, Steve Brown

PS I've gotten very good at planing end grain.

Steve
Not by a long shot are you the only one doing things like this. It's all part of the game, and we really learn quite a lot from our mistakes. I think it's what drives us on, and on, and on, and....

Steve, don't worry, i'm sure the grizzled guys have a few stories that they keep for themselves

Serge