Official Luthiers Forum!

My dreadnought bracing pattern is based on a 25.4" scale length, but I am going to use a 24.9" scale on the next one. Should I simply shift all the braces up 1/2"? Including the transverse & popsicle brace? Should the soundhole position move as well?

I would not shift the trasvers brace or the x brase in reationship to the sound hole, but rather change the spread of the x brace and location of the bridge plate and there by the finger braces and tone bars to accomodate the sound hole position.

Thanks, Michael!

I could be wrong but the difference between the 24.9 and 25.4 scale sound hole location is less than 1/10". Most of the longer fingerboard lenght is used up in the first 14 frets. It's okay to forward shift your braces or compensate with the x brace angle... just don't do either very much. (just say no to 1/2")

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Good thing I asked you guys!

Thanks. ;)

BRACING 101
    As we know bracing is scale length oriented. If you have a question as to where the bracing should go here is a trick I learned in my early days from Dave Nichols.
    Take the fingerboard that you are using. Figure the location on the top where the neck block will go and the thickness of the sides. This will locate the body joint either a 12 or 14 fret . You place the fret board on the proper fret and measure the scale length from the nut to the top. At this point you make a line perpendicular to the centerline.
Here is the saddle location. Place your bridge with the saddle on the mark and trace the bridge.
plot your X brace to catch the rear corner of the bridge. Your popsicle and traverse brace are plotted by the location of the neck block. This will get you close .
john hall

Great tip John, Thanks

Serge

Very helpful, John! Thanks.