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I may have gone to far, While carving my archtop I took the recurve down to about .070" in the waist area. Is this too thin?? I thought I remember someone saying 1/16th was bottom line, so I am ever so slightly above that, but I can't find that post so I may have made it up to suit my situation . I do hope my memory is right.. I am already carving #2 due to a recent acquisition of some 1.125" x 12" walnut boards. I figured I'd make the back from that instead of the expensive maple I have.   So while I have your interest, sides should really be 1/4 sawn, correct. If so I'll need to get some 1/4 sawn walnut, if not I have plenty of flatsawm.
Mike

hi mike,

there is no real spec to a recurve, bendetto et al dont measure the thickness of the top at that point, they tap and push the top at the bridge location until they feel the right amount of pumping action, the recurve is meant to be like the soft edge on the outside of a loudspeaker cone, and gives life to the box, its pretty critical though to get it just right, too much and the guitar will lack power and sparkle not enough and it will always sound too tight and as if it is lacking something,

as for the sides obviously 1/4sawn is nice from a structural ppoint of view, but the are plenty of guiatrs out there with quilted maple b/s which are flatsawn, check out tom ribbecke, or the blue guitar,

paddy

paddy, While I understand your answer about the recurve I guess it really doesn't answer my question, which is did I go to far, is the top scrap? I know, you really can't answer that, all wood is different. But how can I tell, is there a way other then build it and see how it sounds or does it fall apart in the thin area?
My thought on flat sawn was that it would not bend well, But it's free so I can try it. I guess I was concerned it would bend different at the edges of the grain lines? Did I say that right? I have bent flat sawn maple, but only for a dulcimer, so the bend were more gradual then a gutiar. especially a cutaway.
Mike