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Well I was carving my top braces until I had what I thought was a good sounding tap tone. Then since the work looked like a 6 year old had done it with a hatchet I cleaned it up some. In doing so I removed a bit more and now the tap tone doesn’t sound as good. Could I have gone too far? I have not put the cap on so I will do that tonight and see if there is a difference. I will not be posting photos since I’m not kidding it is past being ugly. In the couple of years that I have seen photos of what has been described as poor looking top bracing there has never been one as bad as mine. Oh well, I have always admitted to no woodworking skills I just never let it stop me. I can remember almost every member here saying that their first guitar (or more) was over braced and I have tried to pay attention. I’m not too worried about implosion as it still appears stiff top to bottom and pretty stiff side to side. It just doesn’t tap near as well as it did.

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.

Don't worry about it. Tap tone is akin to mirrors and magic anyway. Just continue your build, and do the best that you can, and you may be surprised how good it sounds when you're done.

Al

and if you are dissatisfied you can always take them off and do it again....! doesn't that sound like fun

Thank you for lending your support. It doesn’t really sound bad at all. I guess that I could have just been missing the nodal points . It just gave me a bit of worry when it went from ringing to thudding. Oh well, you learn from your mistakes so I’m learning new things at the speed of light.

Hesh, You are correct…no one except me will ever see the bracing and that is probably a good thing. I’m not expecting perfection but it would be nice to come up to mediocre.    I would like the guitar to be nice but I will take acceptable.

The truth is that the guitar is now for my Fathers 75th birthday. I know that if it looks like a box and makes any sound resembling a guitar he would be more than happy because I made it for him.

Thanks

Philip

_________________
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.

[QUOTE=Hesh1956]
You know many of us do all we can to pretty up the inside of a top and in all honesty I have no idea if it contributes to good tone - or not.

[/QUOTE]

Well, I don't who originally started with the idea of the uber clean inside, but I know who started the mania for me...Lance!!!

And I wouldn't worry too much. Just the fact of gluing the top onto the rims will stiffen it up a whole lot...

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

IMHO, you`re just being a bit apprehensive, and understandably so. Go ahead and use your top. Very few people will see the inside once you`ve completed it.

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