Nice video on overtones and harmonics with Dana Bourgeois discussing soundboard vibrations and how shaving braces affects the sound. Nice examples.
https://youtu.be/2y93go0ZvnE?si=qBFKQ639RkYBiGok
Very good. :thumb
Thank you!
Excellent video. I'll have to watch the others in that series. Watching this, I wondered if after the shaving of the brace was accomplished, could those braces be used as a template for the braces on the next guitar to eliminate the shaving process. And does the bridge and connecting the top to the body change what was accomplished trimming these braces. Looks like boutique guitars don't use non-scalloped bracing. I thought Dana mentioned that some old guitars have this piano like sound and he was just trying to speed up the process.
Quote from: William2 on January 02, 2026, 01:42:04 PMExcellent video. I'll have to watch the others in that series. Watching this, I wondered if after the shaving of the brace was accomplished, could those braces be used as a template for the braces on the next guitar to eliminate the shaving process. And does the bridge and connecting the top to the body change what was accomplished trimming these braces. Looks like boutique guitars don't use non-scalloped bracing. I thought Dana mentioned that some old guitars have this piano like sound and he was just trying to speed up the process.
As far as templates go, wood varies in density and stiffness. You can cut the next one to the exact dimensions and it won't ring in the exact same way. It can be close enough to make nice guitars. And, that's why the factory made guitar is possible.
As far as adding a bridge, it's one of many things that changes the top as construction completes. Securing it to the sides and the finish have a massive influence. That's why tuning the braces is less about trying to create a certain pitch and more about the relationship between the nodes. Some makers go back after the build is finished and continue to work the top. I know of one that will thin the top around the perimeter, if needed, similar to how a violin is thinner around the edges.