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I was planning to reinforce the soundhole in my latest by cutting a small circle of mahogany/walnut laminate on the inside of the box, as opposed to the usual brace reinforcement. I was thinking about a radius 3/4" more than the soundhole and total thickness of about 0.1". This is for aesthetic reasons, I'm trying my first side sound port, which will be reinforced this way and thought the top might like to match that.

Is anyone doing this, any photos, any reason not to?

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

Dave, I do as you describe. Since I don't use rosettes, I need something of girth to attach the binding to. I use spruce and run it cross-grained to the top. Mine are a pentagon shape to but up against the X and transverse braces.
I also reinforce the side port area. I run the spruce cross-grained as well.
My only hesitation to your play is your use of the mahogany/walnut lam. Seams pretty heavy for a top. Even though it is "above the soundhole" where not much happens, the weight will affect the bouncing of the top as a whole.

Thanks Paul, yes the weight is something I am concerned about. I think I will try cutting up a piece and comparing the weight to spruce...it is after all not a large piece of wood.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

David-
I'm switching from the usual small brace between the soundhole and the 'X' to a spruce overlay as well. Something to do with some of the soundboard offcuts as well.

Much cleaner looking and mimics a bit what the classical makers have been doing for 100 (?) yrs.

I think that the brace choices in the older factory guitars a lot of us are imitating were probably from convenience- it's a lot easier to have only a couple of sizes of 'sticks' in the bracing bin on the assembly line, even if they are a bit large in some positions.

Cheers

John

IF you are looking for the color of an alternate wood when you are looking in your soundport you could use spruce as others suggested but laminate a top layer of mahogany and/or walnut and then take the mahogany or walnut down to veneer thickness using a RO sander or Wagner Safe-T-planer. I have seen it before and it can be subtle but still give the bit of color it sounds like you are looking for.