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I’ve seen some pretty fantastic variance in how high ppl like to leave the x brace height before things taper down.
I know tops car vary, but where do you start from?


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My x-brace starts @ 1/4"x 5/8". UTB starts @ 5/16"x 13/16". My typical x-brace intersection ends up about 1/2" tall after carving.

Best, M

Can depend on the type of body OM, Dread, etc but currently I'm using X Braces at 0.256 x 0.550" with very light (SG=.036) stiff spruce for an OM.
Last one turned out just fine.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I am building two OM's now and they are at 13mm, a hair over 1/2in. A dread would be taller, probably a full 5/8th. So yeah, it all depends.

5/8" is a very safe number. That's where I start, and end up between 5/8" and 1/2” by the end, depending on the response I'm getting when I tap. I've also moved to tapping with the top glued to the rim before the back is on.

Hope this helps...



Note that the center graft starts at 1/8" thickness, but between planing with a skew block plane to remove go-bar dents and shaping, final size is usually at or just over 0.080" maximum thickness.

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A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower

Thanks Woodie G, nice timing, I'm replacing a maple BP with a rosewood one on a build and just about to thickness it.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.