Official Luthiers Forum!

Being pretty new to this (still on my first), I'm at a loss.  I've
read about both ways, so which do you do, and why?  And do you do
the back any different from the top?

Welcome Eric;
I notch all X braces on steels and the braces under the fingerboard.
On Classicals I notch the 2 braces that run across the top.
I notch all back braces into the lining.Why?
because I've fixed many guitars with loose braces that were not notched.The brace can actually fall off.
If a notched brace comes loose the end is usually secure in the lining and is an easy fix.

www.collinsguitars.com

_________________
Mike Collins

Any brace that can't be carved down at the ends so that it's lower than the thickness of the top or back has to be notched in. If it can't flex with the plate it will peel up eventually, and inletting it will give it the support it needs to stay down.

All my braces that abut each other are inlet into the X-brace where they meet, I'm building a bracing system not just a set of separate braces that just happen to come together so I want them to act as if they are one piece.

Where braces meet the edge of the guitar they are inlet into the kerfing. On some of my guitars that will include the lower bout X on some, not. Where a brace end finishes up on the plate (tone & finger or fan)then it is feathered down to nothing for the reason given above.

Colin

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

   I am with Colin and Al Notch into the kerfing and feather if not
john hall
blues creek guitars

I set only the  X braces into the kerfing. I also set my tonebars into the X brace.