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I'm about to start on my LMI dread kit, the top(adi) is somewhere around .138" and I was planning on thinning it some. I read about people thicknessing to .100, .110 or whatever; I assume this is number is taken before they install the rossette or anything else. What I'm getting at is there will be sanding and scraping later on - how do I account for that? Should I account for that?

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Jeremy Douglas

Builders do things all kinds of different ways ... here is what I have been doing on my tops this year.

Sand the top side clean after joining. Then clean up the inner side, maintaining a stiffer than normal feel. Install the rosette (mine are mostly wood rings), then clean that up with the thickness sander - if doing a wood/shell combo, install shell now, then clean that up too. Now sand the back side to achieve desired thickness/stiffness. Be aware you will likely loose another 10 thou in final sanding.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

In addition to Coach Tony's excellent advice know that every top is different. So many of us thickness our tops based on the results of deflection testing.

Without getting into deflection testing Adi generally, not always, tends to produce a stiff top. With this said if you simply want a number that is a safe bet for a d*ead sized guitar with an Adi top .115 as a final, after all finish sanding thickness would probably be in the ball park.

I thickness my tops to anywhere from 2.6-2.8mm at cleanup, (just after installing the rosette) depending on the wood and what feels right. That probably puts me in the 2.5-2.6mm zone after final sanding which, usually, doesn't take that much sanding if I prepared my top and drum sander properly before. That would be around like .98-1.05" maybe? Don't have a calculator handy and I'm too computer illiterate to use the one on it

To me a top more than .110" is pretty thick but thats just my opinion. I've heard great guitars with thicker tops than mine and some thinner.....although I still like mine best

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"We might not be big but we sure are slow"

Thanks, I was thinking about thicknessing to .115" after installing the rossette. I'm going to be using a scalloped, forward shifted bracing pattern. I think I'll be safe with .115"

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Jeremy Douglas