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So here's my thinking on this...
There are about as many theories as to what makes a guitar sound good and how it does so as there are seconds in a day (maybe more), so what's one more?
I don't think I've ever seen this done before, so maybe its original, maybe not. Anyway, Tracy Leveque was telling me of one builder who actually laminates his sides to make them super stiff, gaining volume (I think) and clarity of notes (correct me if I'm wrong here, Tracy). I thought about this a long time and decided I bought into that somewhat. If the top doesn't have a sturdy edge to use as leverage for its billowing effect, it wouldn't seem like it would "sing" as much. There is always going to be energy shooting throughout the guitar loosing momentum at each pass, especially where it may be a little softer. I thought if I could just give the top a little help and stiffen up the sides without gaining too much weight, whats the harm? Might as well try it.
So I came up with this. X braces on the sides along the flats above and below the waist right around the same height as the sound hole.
I used laminated side braces made of Purple Heart, Cherry Veneer, and a thin Graphite center sheet, then cut the strips on a band saw and X'd them up.
My major fight with this design is the large devotion of time to cut the kerfing just right. I thought of insetting the strips into the kerfing, but that'll have to wait.
So any thoughts as to whether this is ridiculous concept or not?




I'll keep ya'll posted on how this may or may not work out in the end.

-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

hey even if it does not work out it was a cool experiment and it looks
groovy.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Seems to me that your plan would surely make a larger area around the waist alot more rigid. It might just work.
Is this the part where we start discussing heavy vs. light building?

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

   I to do the laminated side braces , I just like the look. To help with sound the fact is the mass is the enemy.You actually are adding mass.
    I think the area that you put the braces won't hurt anything just add a little weight. It is something I never seen before .
    We all see the same things just a little different.
good luck with the build.
john hall

I'm with John Mayes on this one, looks like a cool experiment and i can't wait to hear about the results!

SergeSerge Poirier38764.2977662037

I'm always the sinic.(sp). What you are bracing for here is up and down strength, of which there is a lot of inherently in the wood. Think suspension bridge: you are keeping it from failing in the long direction. Of which it won't do under any normal conditions. Now if the point is to stop any movement of the sides, you'd want to find a way to brace it for side-to-side and twisting motions. That's the rigidity that laminated sides achieve.
Experiments are great. Some work, others not so much. But don't stop experimenting.

I think what I was envisioning with these was adding compression strength top to bottom to see if it would help accentuate the movement of the spruce top while only adding only 12-15 grams of weight total for the 4 extra braces (plus Hide Glue). I was also hoping the X angle/shape would help in providing some torsional rigidity as well, preventing the twisting motion Paul spoke of...at least in the area the braces are.
We'll see. Maybe it'll change nothing sound-wise, but I think I like the way they look.
-j.j.Brown38764.4102314815

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

I saw J's "experiment" last night in my guitar building class and thought it looked pretty cool! He certainly put in a lot of time and thought in coming up with this. I encourage my students to expand their horizons and try new ideas. I want them to at least be able to tell me the thought process behind an idea and why they think it will work. J has done that and now we look forward to the results! By the way, he is also using almost exclusively hide glue on his guitar.     

J.
Thanks for posting, I hope to see this tonight in class. I've played the builders guitars who laminates his sides with epoxy and same wood type, ie. EIR on EIR. His guitars are so sensitive to the touch, that if you just barely touch the strings, a beautiful even tone comes firing out of the soundhole. I was quite amazed at how much volume and sensitivity to touch his guitars were. But I'm sure he braces really lightly on the top, and that also has something to do with this. The stiffer sides only helps somewhat; it's the overall package and not just one thing that gets it right. Good luck J. Hope this ones a canon!
Tracy

I laminated my EI Rosewood sides with maple. The theroy behind this, from what I've read, is that you can make the sides thin, light and stiff. My sides are 1.95mm(.076"). The Rosewood is 1.5mm (.059") and the maple is .45mm (.017"). They seem very stiff to me, but I'll have to wait until the guitar is finished to see what the results are.

Graham,

are you bending before or after laminating the sides?