[QUOTE=Don Williams] Ahh....theories and different approaches to guitar building...is one better than another?
We could debate all this all day long, and the only conclusion we would come to is that there are many ways to the same end in guitar making.
Some make tops thinner, others make them thicker.
Some prefer to start with material that is more floppy than others do. Some prefer the stiffest top they can find. Some scallop, others don't. Those who desire to get the pre-war Martin sound scallop the braces, others who do other styles of guitars don't.
It's partly a question of what you're building guitars for, partly a question of where your experience brings you.
Ervin Somogyi is a genius for sure, and I'm sure I could learn a lot of things from him, but I don't want to build guitars that sound like a Somogyi guitar. There's nothing wrong with his sound, it's great. But I want to build guitars that sound like I want them to sound. My sound.
We all have a sound we like and would like to target, but it's different for all of us. Ervin's theories and practices are great, but you have to understand that they lead to his sound, which may not be the one you want.
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I agree with you (sort of)   . You need to do what works for you. However, I do think that those who have come before us have learned a lot (and most of them from endless experiementation -- most of them were pre-internet ).
But I for one "got religion" at ES's shop. I agree there may be several roads to the same place, and the Somogyi way is not the only way, but I understand his methodology and I am happy to embrace it fully.
I am quite sure that if I do, my guitars will not sound like his. They will sound like mine. He really helps you understand what is happening and how to control the sound. How you choose to implement that knowledge is up to you.
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