Official Luthiers Forum!

Sitka and adirondac bracing material is difficult for me to aquire, however Engelman is readily
avaliable and I have a bunch of quartered Fir on hand.
I haven't heard of anyone using Fir for bracing.Seems to me it should be good brace material, it's very stiff
Am I missing something here?
Thanks for your time,
Peter

I've used old douglas fir for back braces when I wanted to brighten up a duller back wood. Some have used douglas fir for tops but I haven't. There are other firs which might be better for braces, but in general I think most firs split easier than spruces and may not be a great choice for that reason. They are also generally heavier.

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I used d.fir on the back of a rosewood/cedar deep OM and it sounds Fabulous.

It would be nice to hear from anyone who's used it on a top as I'm really curious about that.

I've got a parlor on the bench that has a fir top and all fir braces, but it will be a while before I can hear how it turns out.

Dave

Hey Peter,

I think that Mario Proulx has used D. Fir for braces. Steve Heizer on Vancouver Island has used D. Fir for tops and likely braces. So there are a couple of people you can e-mail for advise. If you are looking for good bracewood that is close, I typically stock a good supply of Lutz bracewood and am actually about to saw a large run for a few customers and for stock.

Shane

_________________
Canada

Shane,
I'll shoot you an e mail about the Lutz bracewood.
Still am curious about the the Fir for top braces though.
Peter