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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on December 27, 2016 at 1:24pm

Wow, don't get me started on bracing, such a broad subject. If you think about "why" bracing is used it will help you make decisions about when, where, how high, how wide.
Braces do two things mainly, support the top and tailor sound/tone.
If you check out Cole Clark guitars made here in aAustralia they use the routed brace idea. As well as braced tops. I've done quite a few repairs on them so have looked inside many of them. For my money I would go bracing, much more effective in a small box.
You may have to start off with a top 5/8" thick to rout away most of it to get a brace standing 1/2" high where you need it.
Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on December 27, 2016 at 7:44pm

wouldnt it just be easier to replace the soundboard with a thinner ply?  you could experiment with either x bracing or simple fan bracing. it shouldn't need too much bracing for a uke... you could also scallop the bracing to reduce weight of the sound board.

wouldnt you need to get the ply down to around 1/8th or 3mm for a uke? too thick a soundboard wont resonate as much.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 28, 2016 at 2:21am

It's been done, to wonderful effect, by CBN member rodney fruits:
https://api.ning.com/files/1nllk9brBTue7cMiTMM88*8bBiaK2bm0gL3-0DQi-j4zplqAm45zatO49w3fc95szA*Gvnl-38SvRJpUjNaD0Gl45lmjR*4j/cbg001.JPG

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on December 28, 2016 at 6:00am

Um I would guess by looking at the photos that any advantage would be lost by using such large holes? That removed a lot of the surface area that could otherwise be vibrating I think. I've only done one braced top, and it was on a uke. It is still pretty quiet but I did not also build a sister w/o bracing to compare. I also used a fairly large sound hole on it.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Marchese on December 28, 2016 at 7:08pm

Yes, if the holes were that big, it would. Remember...that was a test lid to test placement and size of the sound hole, then attempting thinning...this is not the actual lid I'll be using. Just the same brand and box style.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on December 29, 2016 at 11:25am

OH I guess I missed that part. Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Lane Martin on December 28, 2016 at 6:04pm

I've built exactly one with bracing. It has a pair of 1.5 inch holes on either side near the neck attachment point. One brace perpendicular to the strings about an inch back from the holes. Loudest one I've built. Working on a second made from an identical box. I'm going to skip the bracing to compare...I can always go back and add it if necessary.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Marchese on January 7, 2017 at 5:47am

Well, I tried it, and it worked! (So far...)

Chickened out a bit, and did a bit of a combo...routed the top thinner except where I wanted bracing, then did a full lateral brace on top of one of the strips, and thin fan braces on two others. Also went with a bridge plate that I sandwiched a piezo pickup between that and the top.

It turned out really well, with one unrelated caveat: forgot to figure in the neck angle with the pre-made bridge, and there's going to be a limit to how low I can get the action, though it's pretty good right now, and well in tune.

Might try shaving the bridge...thinking from the top, though, rather than the bottom...

Attachments:

• IMG_0620.JPG, 1.5 MB
• IMG_0632.JPG, 2.4 MB
• IMG_0612.JPG, 1.3 MB

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on January 7, 2017 at 10:57am

That was a good idea with the bracing route.

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