Official Luthiers Forum!

I have seen several photos of OLF member’s soundboards that have been braced and include several small diamond braces over the soundboard joint. Are these braces commonly? Since I have not seen it on all guitars my first assumption is that it is optional and up to the individual builder. There is already a lot of bracing going across the joint on a steel string guitar and I would think it provides a lot of structure to the joint also. I was just thinking about it and realized it’s just another thing I don’t know.

Regards,

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

I use 'em. As per Cumpiano, basically. Small cross-grained diamonds, really tiny, on all the 'unsupported' lengths of center seam. Like the Ryan in the 'Kevin Ryan is a Genius' thread, pretty much.

same here 2 on OM's and 3 on sj or longer

I brace em.

Philip.

I always add a few diamond shaped grafts along centre seam of
soundboard on my steel strings. I dont do it however on my classicals.

Cheers Martin

Any particular reason why you do one one and not the other?

Well crud...I missed that page! My box is closed up with no bracing along
the soundboard seam. I've been relying a lot on Kinkead's "Kingsdown"
plans...the bracing scheme on the plans didn't show any seam braces
(these diamonds), so I didn't put any on!!!

You know, I also have to say that I don't remember seeing any of those
diamond braces on any of the soundboard pics I've seen here on OLF. I
need to go dig a few up and see if they're there and I just didn't notice.

I use a few on my soundboards ever since I had one seam seperation which resulted from shrinkage (during dry season). Have never had a problem since so I assume this has helped (or the commerical dehumidifier may have done the trick as well)

If you find any of my pictures (of the two braced tops I've done, anyway), you're likely to not see them except in the final shot. I keep forgetting to put them in earlier, just pop them in place after the top's already on, usually. Stick them on with finger pressure and titebond, no clamps.

[QUOTE=Gasawdust] Any particular reason why you do one one and not
the other?[/QUOTE]

A good question...some classicals Ive seen do have grafts along the
centre seam but Ive never used them. The only difference I can think of is
in string tension exerted on the bridge. Im sure someone else in here will
have input on this one.

[QUOTE=ecklesweb] Well crud...I missed that page! My box is closed up
with no bracing along
the soundboard seam. I've been relying a lot on Kinkead's "Kingsdown"
plans...the bracing scheme on the plans didn't show any seam braces
(these diamonds), so I didn't put any on!!!

[/QUOTE]

I treat them as a form of insurance....you can quite happily get away
without them but when one of your guitars comes back with a split centre
seam then you'll wish you'd gone to the small amount of trouble it takes
to put in a few centre seam grafts.

No, if the joint is good there is no need, if not do a better joint. I've never felt the need to do them and of all the tops I've seen on here I bet less than 10% had diamonds. Hide glue and humidity at the lower end of the range when gluing the joint and there should be no problem.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=ecklesweb] Well crud...I missed that page! My box is closed up with no bracing along
the soundboard seam. I've been relying a lot on Kinkead's "Kingsdown"
plans...the bracing scheme on the plans didn't show any seam braces
(these diamonds), so I didn't put any on!!!

You know, I also have to say that I don't remember seeing any of those
diamond braces on any of the soundboard pics I've seen here on OLF. I
need to go dig a few up and see if they're there and I just didn't notice.
[/QUOTE]

If you do want to add pressure when gluing you can put some rare earth magnets on the inside of the guitar, over the diamond patches, and put heavy felt, leather, or some soft material on the outter surface of the guitar, so as to facilitate easy removal without scratching. Im the newbiest newb but it seems as though it would work for what you would want to do - if anyone sees any problems with tmy suggestion please say so.
Cheers
Charliewood

I've not used them yet. I did add a brace off the tonebar on a four piece red cedar top on my son's guitar. It was just crying out for a small brace across wide open seam, off the second tone bar. There are a lot of violin family instruments with diamond cleat repairs abounding.

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