Wow! I'm a career furniture maker who is interested in luthierie. Your videos explain to me the questions I get from watching "how-to luthier videos" on other channels where they just show highlights, skip over critical steps, and most importantly don't do much explanation of the Why and How of things. Thank you for contributing your valuable time to explain your process and provide this great content for us aspiring guitar makers.
Kevin - this video is absolutely PACKED with valuable information for aspiring and intermediate builders. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with the world. It matters!
Another very informative and inspiring video. I’ve made a number of guitars in the 1980’s and now during my retirement I’m looking to pickup on where I left off. Your approach and philosophy is a breath of fresh air. Thanks very much for the time you have put into making these videos 👍
This video has explained certain aspects of guitar bracing in better detail and far more clearly than even some paid for courses have. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you. I don't believe that I possess any superior knowledge, but I do possess the knowledge and experience required to break a concept down and present it in a more logical, digestible fashion. I was a shop teacher for 33 years. Thanks for watching.
As a hobby, I have built a number of from scratch electric guitars and do some repairs on both electric and acoustics. Although I have a good sense of the mechanical side of guitars, this was the first time that I have heard a discussion of the tonality of acoustic instruments and how the frequencies are affected by bracing. I really enjoy your videos and they have inspired me to at least considering an acoustic build. Well done, sir.
A great video. I think the mental database is vital, but very hard to achieve for someone like me who makes1 or maybe 2 guitars a year. I don't have the vocabulary to write meaningful notes, or the quality of recording equipment to make meaningful recordings. So every one is an experiment, and I spend a lot of time thinking about the tonal info I get, every time. I do know the sound I am looking for in a top at any given stage in its making, but it isn't through comparison with other ones I have made - I just don't have the specialised memory for that. So vids like this one are very helpful, because I can use them to help me think each time I listen. Thanks a lot.
Excellent Kevin, strangely enough that’s where I’m at in the building of a 3/4 guitar. Bracing the top. I’ve built ukes, but this is my first guitar. A 3/4 size at that. Someone actually commissioned me. Its walnut back and sides with a cedar top. Should be a good sounding instrument . I’ve learned a lot from you so thank you so very much.
There is no secrets about this. Real common sens is all that needs, as good craftmanship and hands to use the right tools. I my self has used ordinary pine as X bracing on a regular spruce top and it vent well, so common sens is the word.
I admire your use of Pine for top bracing. There are endless ways to achieve a successful and desirable end and the fastest way to explore them is to forget the manufacturers' mentality and apply common sense. Thank you for your contribution.
I've only built one guitar so far and I also used pine for the top bracing. I am very happy with the sound I achieved. It's a lot of work and makes you understand why guitars can be very expensive. Great video.
I think this is the "Most Important Top and Bracing Video" I have ever seen. Beside being an outstanding luthier, You have a "gift" for teaching. I recognize it because others tell me I was that way as a carpenter. (Retired). I check every day, (even though I don't expect that), just to see if there is something new you have posted. Your timing is impeccable. Just when I need humor, you are there. When I'm struggling to understand, here comes something to really educate me. I am sure I will watch this many times and have book marked it. I know these videos take time. Thank you so much!
As it happens, I was a teacher for 33 years. Aside from that, your mention that you may watch this many times is such a good idea because it is frequently the case that the seemingly least important phrases any instructor may utter can often be among the most powerful. reviewing a video often allows one to pick up some of the missed treasures. Thanks for watching and thanks for your compliment.
Well done! This is the best explanation I've heard so far. I listened to many TH-cam videos about construction and sounding the board and you have explained this in a really simplistic but sensible method. Thank you.
I used to he a shop teacher. Figuring out how to present things logically was my job. Thanks for watching and I'm glad you derive benefit from my videos.
I'm not a guitar builder but this was incredibly informative and cleanly lectured. Videos like this help me speak the same language as my luthier as we walk thru each step of my custom orders. Thank you Kevin! Subscribed.
Love your videos. Very informative. I’m a woodworker; building many things; including flintlock rifles, stick dulcimers; etc. Now gathering tools, info and such to build my first acoustic guitar. Thank you Kevin and keep up what you do. Take care. 😉
Very nice video! Thank you! I have built one Parker guitar for one of my daughters, and, to keep off the couch, am going to build another. This information will serve me well.
This is indeed the most informative video I've found... it explains bracing enough to know what you want to try... and even gives you courage to walk away from the exact Martin design and to even develop a bracing design for whatever type/size guitar you have in your head. If I build a D-18 Style I'll probably go with the standard measurements or close to them however, if the grain is a little wider I know how to stiffen it up a little by brace length and location.. Instead of just thinning down braces more if its tighter grain I'll play with the bracing some.. I'm not above gluing a brace in , tap testing it and thinking, " I don't think a brace is in the best spot" .... and then planning it off and sticking a new one elsewhere to achieve that tone .. That you so much for the encouragement to experiment.... If that's what you were trying to achieve in your video, well you accomplished it with me ..
Wow that was fantastic unless I missed it there are a couple of measurements I’d like to pick your brains for. 1/ hole diameter and position 2/ is the intersection of the X in relation to the sound board (say distance from hole) critical or is there some scope to move it back and forth to affect tone. Thanks in advance and you clips are fantastically informative and easy to follow. This subject in particular can appear to the newbie to be some sort of secret magic.
Hello ! Great Video !! I've been experimenting with moving the sound hole higher up to be able cover the purfling seam with the end of the fretboard on a 1940's Gibson L-00 This flexible test x-Brace works perfect for determining the new x-brace location !!
I'm glad that this provided some inspiration to you. I'm much mote interested in encouraging people to engage in making almost anything, as opposed to demonstrating some esoteric means to perfection. Once people get started, they invariably "dig deeper". Enjoy making guitars. Your enjoyment alone will make you the best craftsman you can be.
FYI, For those who are interested in calculating areas of odd shapes, a nice trick I learned from canoe paddle makers is to trace the area(s) in question onto a peice of paper or cardboard, cut it out, and then weigh the cut outs on a mg scale.
Thankyou very much. A very informative video. I've built up certain personal beliefs through observation over the years. I believe that braces, transmit vibrations across the tops grain, as well as mechanically strengthening it. I'm glad that you touched on nodes. I think they are an extremely important element. Yes to do with scalloping. But also to do with a huge number of things, like placement of the braces. Placement of the bridge on the soundboard. Etc Etc. Also a tiny bit off topic. But doing neck angle repairs. Rather than resetting necks. I've started gluing in sort of triangular plates, from scaps of back wood in the area where you place your feather braces. I've noticed that guitars with neck angle issues. are often very slightly sunken there. It only takes a very slight raising to change the neck angle considerably. Once again, thanks so much.
Raelly great to hear those words of encouragement too!! Great stuff. Your approach and attitude towards making has unlocked my creativity and has quieted down the perfectionist in me that will serve me for years. Thanks
You're very welcome. I don't believe that making a guitar sound good is even close to rocket science. It's a matter of finding your preferred sound through application of easily understood principles and building until you reach your goal.
Kevin, Thanks so much for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge. I always say “wisdom not shared is wasted “. It would take me years to learn all of what you have shared in this video. Very well done sir!
Thank you for your comment. It does seem that there should be some quantitative way of determining every specification of a guitar, or any other instrument, but it doesn't bear out, at least not yet. If one could standardize every component and every fabrication process, predetermined results would be assured. But then, I think every instrument's sound would be like engine parts, interchangeable.
@@thepragmaticluthier very true indeed and if Interchangeable then not unique or individual. Very much like the individualistic nature of each and every guitar
Thanks so much. Loved the information. I built a martin dreadnought guitar from blue prints out of pallet wood and oak. Can't believe it worked out but it has encouraged me to try building another
@@thepragmaticluthier thanks so much. Going back over this one is making me want to try another. Writing down a few notes for what I want to include in the next one
THANKS MAN.!!!! What a hell of a video. More like this!!! There are people like me out here trying to figure all of this out and this is how I need to hear it broken down my man. Appreciate your time!
I made the mistake of not building my first guitar until was 38 years old even though I wanted to at the age of 15. Time's wasting! Better get started:)
I'm about to make a top for a Taylor 512. My first, I'm going to reuse the braces in the same pattern but I've gotten a lot from this about top thickness, flexibility and what to listen for when tapping. Thank you.
Kevin, thank you for sharing your experience with us. You’ve given me much to think about. I’m working on my 4th and 5th acoustic guitar right now. I will be considering these things, it’s a lot to think about. Please keep sharing. thank you.
Kevin new sub here... I have to echo a lot of the other comments, you deserve 451,000 subs not 4.51 for the quality of your channel... this is terrific content.
Quite informative. I've been researching to try and build a 13 fret Gibson Nick Lucas copy. I'm almost afraid to actually try it. I think I have my bracing laid out correctly.
Kevin, that is a very informative video, thank you! There's a certain amount of mystery in building and especially tops and bracing. This does't resolve all the mystery, but it does encourage thinking through and suggestions to learn and play and hopefully become very good. And I think every guitar itself is subjective in its sound, but it a big brand, a cheap Chinese or a custom built guitar. And honestly I think that's OK and understandable since they're made from wood and no piece of wood is exactly the same.
Great video Kevin! This was my favorite video of yours so far. You covered a lot of the why in areas I have not heard others go into like the spacing in relation to stiffness. I have not seen anyone talk about adjusting these and they usually just have their template that they stick to. Really insightful. Thank you for sharing
Well said Kevin! I personally had some Red Spruce top material that was stunning. Most would say master grade. Well, some of it was about as musically tonal as pallet wood. To paraphrase what Kevin was saying though, we all need to sniff a few corks for ourselves. Nothing teaches you how to use a hammer like smacking your thumb a time or three!
That was a top video mate , great advice and tips . I watch a lot of different luthier videos and I'm always lucky enough to take something new on board . I think your philosophy is correct . Thanks . Peace ✌
Thank you for your comment. I have grown so weary of guitar makers speaking volumes of jargon, pontificating endless and often contradictory theories, elevating the craft (or themselves) to a point where it seems to hint at the notion that you can't make a guitar unless you possess superior knowledge and procure the finest exotic materials. Not to discount or negate knowledge and experience, but one can produce wildly excellent guitars before they have a PHD in "luthieric jargon".
Hi Kevin, Fabulous knowledge and teaching skill.! Just getting into making a guitar. I know nothing. I see sound in waves and the sides of the guitar in curves. The only solid straight lines are in the braces. Has anyone tried to curve the braces just for fun??? Just an observation from a newbie. Best Regards,
There are several versions curved braces, I believe these are called "falcate" bracing. I think Steven alien has also done something with curved bracing.
Thank you for this video. I've watched a number of videos on this subject, but I learned much more from this, (as in how decisions affect tone), than any of the others.
Really enjoyed this, Kevin. Like your analog layout tool for X-brace position under the top. It got me to thinking. I'd like to build a traditional dreadnought guitar but with neck/body joint at 16th fret, and with about a 25" scale like my Yamaha. That would put my bridge pretty much right over the X of the usual brace intersection on that size guitar, so there's a couple things to work out there such as clearance for the string holes, and possibly location for a backing plate. I want just a couple more notes of easy fret access at the neck joint on an otherwise standard guitar without resorting to a cutaway, which would preclude the need for a 16th-fret neck joint anyway. Can't see why moving the bridge 1-3/16" to the north and increasing the free playable length of the neck the same amount would be bad structurally, as for size/shape of neck block, or the upper-bout bracing scheme. Not that important sonically at the north end on acoustics beyond just having good fit and joinery. I think I'd just let the internal neck block span into the top cavity of the upper bout if it had to be a little squatter along the center axis anyway. Maybe that extra deadwood on the wings would be a good place to mount electronics. You would just end up with a longer guitar overall with the same scale and it would play easier into the high register an octave up from the chords at the nut. Might sound different with a bridge that far up, might be good. But the extra fret access from 14th to 16th really opens up a lot of music on an acoustic, especially for electric players like me. Thoughts? About pitfalls of 16th-fret guitars basically.
As you move the bridge closer to the top of the body, you are moving away from a more or less center of the vibrating diaphragm, a possibly costly move. You could move the sound hole up, move the X up, or even lengthen the body above the waste. I think there are viable options worth exploring.
@@thepragmaticluthier yes the soundhole would also move up at least proportionally, maybe have a rounded triangular or heartshape opening and the portion of the fretboard tonguing over the body would be two frets shorter. A fun mental exercise at any rate.
@@thepragmaticluthier Have made my x brace jig and am thrilled that following this video, with the x brace wanting to go over the bridge plate corners it’s amazing how the pattern literally draws itself. The only thing I’m left with is a single tone bar placement.
@@thepragmaticluthier Sure! I always find dialing in truly great intonation to be challenging, especially getting the correct compensation, etc. Also, getting a truly great finish usually eludes me. Thanks, again!
Excellent video! I do have some questions though. What wood type is best for bracing? Are all backs braced ladder style? What is the strongest glue long-term for bracing? Thx
Unless you have a very specific reason, stick with Spruce for bracing tops. Backs can be braced in any number of ways, but ladder bracing is a good way to start. Change back bracing if you have a specific reason to do so. Don't worry about the strength of glues. Even white glues create a bond stronger than the wood itself. Common Aliphatic Resin (Elmer's or Titebond yellow glue ) is excellent, more than strong enough, having excellent longevity.
I love the video but I noticed when you were tap toning the top material that you weren’t as interested in around the 4ish minute mark. One of the problem these days is as cost of materials is getting greater And not everyone has the time or is local to a tonewood supplier to pick out so they’ll most likely buy it online. How do you work with what you’ve been given? One thing I’ve always found amazing is you could be choosing between 2 soundboards both the same spruce there’ll always be a different tap tone. I had a similar experience when I was trying some guitars with the same tone woods and there was some grain pattern differences on the backs They were new guinnie rosewood one had slightly figured grain where as the other had all these weird random blotches and swirls kinda like what you’d see in some pine grains(deffinetly was not the finish) The slightly figured one sounded 10x greater it was almost like playing a completely different guitar
I'm not sure I understand. At around four minutes I was tapping and discussing what that meant to me. I can't and don't pick out my tops from a selection either. All of my Spruce comes from Alaska. It is true, that out of every dozen or two tops, you may come across a real disappointment. Use it for back strips. It is true that no two pieces of wood are the same. Wood is almost as irrational as people. If two instruments are of the same wood and one sound markedly better to you, it likely has more to do with the density of the back material and more importantly, the character and voicing of the top, intentional or accidental.
@@thepragmaticluthier thank you for your reply You understood very well Thanks for clearing up the whole density of the back that was new information to me I thought grain pattern would have something to do with it to especially if the Same species had completely different appearances Reusing a top as a back strips is an awesome idea that would cover many guitars. Thanks again for the reply
I’m new to the channel, what a ton of great info you provide! So I have built a few instruments, never anything as advanced as an acoustic guitar but I’m ready to take the plunge. Trying to get a few specialty tools together. Is it absolutely necessary to radius the top and bottom? Is it possibly to brace a little heavy and leave the top and bottom flat. Steel string acoustic.
You CAN build a guitar with a perfectly flat top and back and i don't believe you'll need to brace it more heavily because you do. I have found that a flat back and or top will actually look slightly concave when finished and I think there will be a greater propensity for cracking if shrinking occurs during dry seasons, but you may very well be successful. Fortunately for us, there are no guitar making police and there is NO legislation keeping us from indulging our inclinations.
The piece you refer to is often known as the "linen patch" and is placed over the X-joint to reinforce it without adding excessive stiffness or weight. I don't know its origin but I suspect it was Martin. A thin wood reinforcement glued over the joint is certainly stronger and adds some stiffness to the brace, a quality that I favor. I'm guessing here, but theorize that the linen patch was a preferred method in manufacturing because it did the job and was much less labor intensive, and therefore cheaper than the added step of glueing a wood reinforcement over the joint. Regardless of the technique, the reinforcement is necessary over the open side of the joint.
Damn! At 13.37 you just nailed my problem. My mic battery died so I guessed at thickness. Too thick lol. Hi ring tone. This will be an interesting fix any ideas. Bracing is in place 😢😮
If I understand your predicament correctly, I would suggest removing a s much material from the sides of the braces as you can, sloping off the finger braces from the lower X to nearly zero height at the outer perimeter of the top. After the body is assembled, concentrate sanding the top in a radial fashion from each end of the bridge and below, around the perimeter of the body. This can have a very positive effect on responsiveness. I hope the guitar turned out to be what you expect.
@thepragmaticluthier wow I'm on the right track then. This is my first acoustic and I'm doing a hybrid. Acoustasonic. We will see how it works. Lol. It's a project I'm working on at work on down time so it's just a learning curve thing. You are greatly appreciated! Thanks
The Martin X brace design is unbeatable. Kasha and all that was insightful but yielded shitty sound. Scalloping is important too, not because it "weakens" the top which I suppose it does but because it increases relative stiffness in some places, giving nodal areas and a bunch of interesting results. Essentially shortening the brace radically stiffens it. To the 3rd power! Doming will really grant stiffness (too much) but not at the radii you mention. It would need to be shorter (more doming). This is a sound killer. Ask me how I know.
As a builder of ladder braced guitars with braces that go at 90 degrees to the grain i would have tk disagree with the statement that such a brace shuts off the part behind it. That would effectively mean my guitars would only utilize a 5cm patch in thr middle of the top etween wicb the bridge sits.
I'm recently intrigued by ladder braced tops, having recently read an article in American Lutherie about them. The notion that a ladder brace shuts a top down is one promulgated by Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider. Obviously, a ladder brace brace can't completely shut a top down, but I think it may very effectively suppress some frequencies. The article mentioned and your comment have definitely motivated me to make a ladder braced top, just to learn and experience what can be with that.
@@thepragmaticluthier yeah ive always thought of xbraced as accompanyment to a singing voice while ladder braced are more of a replacement for the singing voicemail trying to sit right where the human voice would go making it problematiek for slinger songwriter music but excellent in an instrumental ensemble
31:55 if I may add, to the invariable fellow musicians in the audience: the following advice directly applies to the relationship between music theorists and the musical layman. Things can sound good on an average, based on the physics of the human ear and the machinations of the auditory cortex, but what sounds good to /you/ is subjective, based on your collective life experiences. And if you're not putting your life experiences into your craft or art, then what are you even doing?
Wow! I'm a career furniture maker who is interested in luthierie. Your videos explain to me the questions I get from watching "how-to luthier videos" on other channels where they just show highlights, skip over critical steps, and most importantly don't do much explanation of the Why and How of things. Thank you for contributing your valuable time to explain your process and provide this great content for us aspiring guitar makers.
Kevin - this video is absolutely PACKED with valuable information for aspiring and intermediate builders. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with the world. It matters!
Thank you. I appreciate your comment. it's very encouraging.
Probably the best bracing video I've seen, and I've seen a lot
WORTH WATCHING TWICE AND TAKING SOME NOTES!
Another very informative and inspiring video. I’ve made a number of guitars in the 1980’s and now during my retirement I’m looking to pickup on where I left off. Your approach and philosophy is a breath of fresh air. Thanks very much for the time you have put into making these videos 👍
You're very welcome. And thank you for your positive response.
This video has explained certain aspects of guitar bracing in better detail and far more clearly than even some paid for courses have. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you. I don't believe that I possess any superior knowledge, but I do possess the knowledge and experience required to break a concept down and present it in a more logical, digestible fashion. I was a shop teacher for 33 years. Thanks for watching.
As a hobby, I have built a number of from scratch electric guitars and do some repairs on both electric and acoustics. Although I have a good sense of the mechanical side of guitars, this was the first time that I have heard a discussion of the tonality of acoustic instruments and how the frequencies are affected by bracing. I really enjoy your videos and they have inspired me to at least considering an acoustic build. Well done, sir.
A great video. I think the mental database is vital, but very hard to achieve for someone like me who makes1 or maybe 2 guitars a year. I don't have the vocabulary to write meaningful notes, or the quality of recording equipment to make meaningful recordings. So every one is an experiment, and I spend a lot of time thinking about the tonal info I get, every time. I do know the sound I am looking for in a top at any given stage in its making, but it isn't through comparison with other ones I have made - I just don't have the specialised memory for that. So vids like this one are very helpful, because I can use them to help me think each time I listen. Thanks a lot.
Excellent Kevin, strangely enough that’s where I’m at in the building of a 3/4 guitar. Bracing the top. I’ve built ukes, but this is my first guitar. A 3/4 size at that. Someone actually commissioned me. Its
walnut back and sides with a cedar top. Should be a good sounding instrument . I’ve learned a lot from you so thank you so very much.
You're entirely welcome. I'm glad you derived benefit from this video.
There is no secrets about this. Real common sens is all that needs, as good craftmanship and hands to use the right tools. I my self has used ordinary pine as X bracing on a regular spruce top and it vent well, so common sens is the word.
I admire your use of Pine for top bracing. There are endless ways to achieve a successful and desirable end and the fastest way to explore them is to forget the manufacturers' mentality and apply common sense. Thank you for your contribution.
I've only built one guitar so far and I also used pine for the top bracing. I am very happy with the sound I achieved. It's a lot of work and makes you understand why guitars can be very expensive. Great video.
This is the best explanation of what the bracing and how it’s arranged does to tone. Well done
Thank you for your kind response. I sincerely appreciate it.
I think this is the "Most Important Top and Bracing Video" I have ever seen. Beside being an outstanding luthier, You have a "gift" for teaching. I recognize it because others tell me I was that way as a carpenter. (Retired). I check every day, (even though I don't expect that), just to see if there is something new you have posted. Your timing is impeccable. Just when I need humor, you are there. When I'm struggling to understand, here comes something to really educate me. I am sure I will watch this many times and have book marked it. I know these videos take time. Thank you so much!
As it happens, I was a teacher for 33 years. Aside from that, your mention that you may watch this many times is such a good idea because it is frequently the case that the seemingly least important phrases any instructor may utter can often be among the most powerful. reviewing a video often allows one to pick up some of the missed treasures. Thanks for watching and thanks for your compliment.
I'm a player, not a builder, but I found your video to be very educational.Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching my presentations.
Well done! This is the best explanation I've heard so far. I listened to many TH-cam videos about construction and sounding the board and you have explained this in a really simplistic but sensible method. Thank you.
I used to he a shop teacher. Figuring out how to present things logically was my job. Thanks for watching and I'm glad you derive benefit from my videos.
thank you...learned a lot and your thoughts really "resonate" with me
I'm not a guitar builder but this was incredibly informative and cleanly lectured. Videos like this help me speak the same language as my luthier as we walk thru each step of my custom orders. Thank you Kevin! Subscribed.
Never considered that what I have to offer would help someone be a more informed buyer of guitars. I'm glad you found value in this.
Love your videos. Very informative. I’m a woodworker; building many things; including flintlock rifles, stick dulcimers; etc.
Now gathering tools, info and such to build my first acoustic guitar. Thank you Kevin and keep up what you do. Take care. 😉
Thanks Kevin. This was very informative. I’m building my 2nd; it’s an OM, and have so much to learn. I’ve learned a lot from your channel.
Very nice video! Thank you! I have built one Parker guitar for one of my daughters, and, to keep off the couch, am going to build another. This information will serve me well.
This is indeed the most informative video I've found... it explains bracing enough to know what you want to try... and even gives you courage to walk away from the exact Martin design and to even develop a bracing design for whatever type/size guitar you have in your head.
If I build a D-18 Style I'll probably go with the standard measurements or close to them however, if the grain is a little wider I know how to stiffen it up a little by brace length and location..
Instead of just thinning down braces more if its tighter grain I'll play with the bracing some..
I'm not above gluing a brace in , tap testing it and thinking, " I don't think a brace is in the best spot" .... and then planning it off and sticking a new one elsewhere to achieve that tone ..
That you so much for the encouragement to experiment.... If that's what you were trying to achieve in your video, well you accomplished it with me ..
I'm certainly glad that you derived benefit from this video. Thank you for watching.
Wow that was fantastic unless I missed it there are a couple of measurements I’d like to pick your brains for.
1/ hole diameter and position
2/ is the intersection of the X in relation to the sound board (say distance from hole) critical or is there some scope to move it back and forth to affect tone.
Thanks in advance and you clips are fantastically informative and easy to follow. This subject in particular can appear to the newbie to be some sort of secret magic.
Great video. Very encouraging video for new builders. Thank you for lending to us from your experience and passing on the tricks of the trade.
Hello ! Great Video !!
I've been experimenting with moving the sound hole higher up to be able cover the purfling seam with the end of the fretboard on a 1940's Gibson L-00
This flexible test x-Brace works perfect for determining the new x-brace location !!
Really inspirational! I am a nubie guitar maker and this video gave me so much confidence to move forward and dig deeper into this fantastic craft!
I'm glad that this provided some inspiration to you. I'm much mote interested in encouraging people to engage in making almost anything, as opposed to demonstrating some esoteric means to perfection. Once people get started, they invariably "dig deeper". Enjoy making guitars. Your enjoyment alone will make you the best craftsman you can be.
Bravo! Entertaining, informative and interesting. Well Done.
Thanks! Your channel just popped up on my home page. Good advice. I look forward to viewing other videos.
Thanks! Iv'e done quite a few videos and I certainly hope you can benefit from some of them.
FYI, For those who are interested in calculating areas of odd shapes, a nice trick I learned from canoe paddle makers is to trace the area(s) in question onto a peice of paper or cardboard, cut it out, and then weigh the cut outs on a mg scale.
Could you explain this again? I'm confused between weight and area and would like to understand how you do this. i think others would like this also.
@@thepragmaticluthierguessing you would weigh a known size piece of the same paper, and then use that to convert the weight to an area?
Kevin you are a superb educator. I enjoy all your instruction. Thank you!
Thank you for your comment. I was a shop teacher for thirty three years and still enjoy making informative presentations.
Thankyou very much. A very informative video. I've built up certain personal beliefs through observation over the years. I believe that braces, transmit vibrations across the tops grain, as well as mechanically strengthening it. I'm glad that you touched on nodes. I think they are an extremely important element. Yes to do with scalloping. But also to do with a huge number of things, like placement of the braces. Placement of the bridge on the soundboard. Etc Etc. Also a tiny bit off topic. But doing neck angle repairs. Rather than resetting necks. I've started gluing in sort of triangular plates, from scaps of back wood in the area where you place your feather braces. I've noticed that guitars with neck angle issues. are often very slightly sunken there. It only takes a very slight raising to change the neck angle considerably. Once again, thanks so much.
So much knowledge and encouragement shared there Kevin, many thanks.
You're very welcome. And thank you for your compliment.
Raelly great to hear those words of encouragement too!! Great stuff. Your approach and attitude towards making has unlocked my creativity and has quieted down the perfectionist in me that will serve me for years. Thanks
Great video! Thank you for sharing some of your insight!
You're very welcome. I don't believe that making a guitar sound good is even close to rocket science. It's a matter of finding your preferred sound through application of easily understood principles and building until you reach your goal.
Kevin, Thanks so much for sharing with us your wealth of knowledge. I always say “wisdom not shared is wasted “. It would take me years to learn all of what you have shared in this video. Very well done sir!
Thank you for your gracious comment. I'm pleased that you and others have derived benefit from what I can share.
So glad you decided to do this video. HilenI am very science based I am trying to develop my intuition with guitar building and this video helped
Thank you for your comment. It does seem that there should be some quantitative way of determining every specification of a guitar, or any other instrument, but it doesn't bear out, at least not yet. If one could standardize every component and every fabrication process, predetermined results would be assured. But then, I think every instrument's sound would be like engine parts, interchangeable.
@@thepragmaticluthier very true indeed and if Interchangeable then not unique or individual. Very much like the individualistic nature of each and every guitar
Thanks so much. Loved the information. I built a martin dreadnought guitar from blue prints out of pallet wood and oak. Can't believe it worked out but it has encouraged me to try building another
Congratulation on your success. But don't build another. Build a several dozen others:)
@@thepragmaticluthier thanks so much. Going back over this one is making me want to try another. Writing down a few notes for what I want to include in the next one
Loved the advice about the grain direction of the bridge pad. thanks for the videos!
I'm glad you found something useful. If you care to suggest a topic for a video, I would welcome that.
Really brilliant video for aspiring makers - Great work!!!
Many thanks!
i was looking for this type of video, thanks alot!!!
You're welcome. I'm pleased that this video has been useful to you.
THANKS MAN.!!!! What a hell of a video. More like this!!! There are people like me out here trying to figure all of this out and this is how I need to hear it broken down my man. Appreciate your time!
Glad it helped!
Thank you , absolutly awesome , so well explained ! 👍👍🤟
Thank you for your comment. Reactions like this encourage me to continue to do more and better presentations.
Wonderful descriptions of how things alter tone. Thank you. (Current 0 build wannabe luthier)
I made the mistake of not building my first guitar until was 38 years old even though I wanted to at the age of 15. Time's wasting! Better get started:)
by far. the. best. video. about. lutherie. thank you
Wow, thank you!
I'm about to make a top for a Taylor 512. My first, I'm going to reuse the braces in the same pattern but I've gotten a lot from this about top thickness, flexibility and what to listen for when tapping. Thank you.
Kevin, thank you for sharing your experience with us. You’ve given me much to think about. I’m working on my 4th and 5th acoustic guitar right now. I will be considering these things, it’s a lot to think about. Please keep sharing. thank you.
Thank you for your comment. Enjoy building your guitars. I'm confident that you make some really nice ones:)
Kevin new sub here... I have to echo a lot of the other comments, you deserve 451,000 subs not 4.51 for the quality of your channel... this is terrific content.
Thank you! That's quite a compliment. Hope I don't disappoint you in the future.
Quite informative. I've been researching to try and build a 13 fret Gibson Nick Lucas copy. I'm almost afraid to actually try it. I think I have my bracing laid out correctly.
Forge ahead! Fear be damned! Small variations in brace placement cannot be the sole determination of your success. All best in your effort.
@@thepragmaticluthier thank you!
Kevin, that is a very informative video, thank you! There's a certain amount of mystery in building and especially tops and bracing. This does't resolve all the mystery, but it does encourage thinking through and suggestions to learn and play and hopefully become very good.
And I think every guitar itself is subjective in its sound, but it a big brand, a cheap Chinese or a custom built guitar. And honestly I think that's OK and understandable since they're made from wood and no piece of wood is exactly the same.
Great, informative video! Thank you!
Really good reminders in this and a lot of new to think about. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Once more, thank you for the useful information!
My pleasure!
Great video Kevin! This was my favorite video of yours so far. You covered a lot of the why in areas I have not heard others go into like the spacing in relation to stiffness. I have not seen anyone talk about adjusting these and they usually just have their template that they stick to. Really insightful. Thank you for sharing
Well said Kevin! I personally had some Red Spruce top material that was stunning. Most would say master grade. Well, some of it was about as musically tonal as pallet wood. To paraphrase what Kevin was saying though, we all need to sniff a few corks for ourselves. Nothing teaches you how to use a hammer like smacking your thumb a time or three!
That was a top video mate , great advice and tips . I watch a lot of different luthier videos and I'm always lucky enough to take something new on board . I think your philosophy is correct . Thanks . Peace ✌
Thank you. I sincerely appreciate your response.
This is awesome. Really good info and honest thoughts. Really appreciate your videos 👍👍👍
Thank you for your comment. I have grown so weary of guitar makers speaking volumes of jargon, pontificating endless and often contradictory theories, elevating the craft (or themselves) to a point where it seems to hint at the notion that you can't make a guitar unless you possess superior knowledge and procure the finest exotic materials. Not to discount or negate knowledge and experience, but one can produce wildly excellent guitars before they have a PHD in "luthieric jargon".
Very informative! Thank you for spending time to explain your experiences. It is very valuable information for an aspiring luthier like myself!
Great information. I do love your pragmatic approach!!
Glad you enjoy it! My approach is based in the notion that you can't learn to swim without getting in the pool.
super interesting👍
Glad you think so!
Very helpful video. I learned a lot. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Kevin,
Fabulous knowledge and teaching skill.! Just getting into making a guitar. I know nothing. I see sound in waves and the sides of the guitar in curves. The only solid straight lines are in the braces. Has anyone tried to curve the braces just for fun??? Just an observation from a newbie.
Best Regards,
There are several versions curved braces, I believe these are called "falcate" bracing. I think Steven alien has also done something with curved bracing.
Lol,,, A Lot of My Questions answered from the last Vid. TY !
Thank you for this video. I've watched a number of videos on this subject, but I learned much more from this, (as in how decisions affect tone), than any of the others.
Glad it was helpful!
two thumbs up!! great video
Thanks so much!
Thank you very much for what I believe to be good practical information. This is a great video! Thanks again.
LaMar Kemp
Thank you. I appreciate you response.
Really enjoyed this, Kevin. Like your analog layout tool for X-brace position under the top. It got me to thinking. I'd like to build a traditional dreadnought guitar but with neck/body joint at 16th fret, and with about a 25" scale like my Yamaha. That would put my bridge pretty much right over the X of the usual brace intersection on that size guitar, so there's a couple things to work out there such as clearance for the string holes, and possibly location for a backing plate. I want just a couple more notes of easy fret access at the neck joint on an otherwise standard guitar without resorting to a cutaway, which would preclude the need for a 16th-fret neck joint anyway. Can't see why moving the bridge 1-3/16" to the north and increasing the free playable length of the neck the same amount would be bad structurally, as for size/shape of neck block, or the upper-bout bracing scheme. Not that important sonically at the north end on acoustics beyond just having good fit and joinery. I think I'd just let the internal neck block span into the top cavity of the upper bout if it had to be a little squatter along the center axis anyway. Maybe that extra deadwood on the wings would be a good place to mount electronics. You would just end up with a longer guitar overall with the same scale and it would play easier into the high register an octave up from the chords at the nut. Might sound different with a bridge that far up, might be good. But the extra fret access from 14th to 16th really opens up a lot of music on an acoustic, especially for electric players like me. Thoughts? About pitfalls of 16th-fret guitars basically.
As you move the bridge closer to the top of the body, you are moving away from a more or less center of the vibrating diaphragm, a possibly costly move. You could move the sound hole up, move the X up, or even lengthen the body above the waste. I think there are viable options worth exploring.
@@thepragmaticluthier yes the soundhole would also move up at least proportionally, maybe have a rounded triangular or heartshape opening and the portion of the fretboard tonguing over the body would be two frets shorter. A fun mental exercise at any rate.
Super helpful, thank you!
So much great information!
Thank you! This is exactly the video I needed to see. Very inspiring and filling me with at least the confidence to crack on and try.
I'm glad this provided some inspiration. It makes preparing these videos worthwhile.
@@thepragmaticluthier Have made my x brace jig and am thrilled that following this video, with the x brace wanting to go over the bridge plate corners it’s amazing how the pattern literally draws itself. The only thing I’m left with is a single tone bar placement.
Kevin, thank you for an excellent video!
Thank YOU. Such responses motivate me to do more and better videos.
Awesome video, sir! Very useful info. Thanks for all the informative content!
I'm very glad that you found it useful. Would you like to suggest a topic for a video?
@@thepragmaticluthier Sure! I always find dialing in truly great intonation to be challenging, especially getting the correct compensation, etc. Also, getting a truly great finish usually eludes me. Thanks, again!
Excellent video! I do have some questions though. What wood type is best for bracing? Are all backs braced ladder style? What is the strongest glue long-term for bracing? Thx
Unless you have a very specific reason, stick with Spruce for bracing tops. Backs can be braced in any number of ways, but ladder bracing is a good way to start. Change back bracing if you have a specific reason to do so. Don't worry about the strength of glues. Even white glues create a bond stronger than the wood itself. Common Aliphatic Resin (Elmer's or Titebond yellow glue ) is excellent, more than strong enough, having excellent longevity.
Well done
Thank you and thanks for watching.
I love the video but I noticed when you were tap toning the top material that you weren’t as interested in around the 4ish minute mark.
One of the problem these days is as cost of materials is getting greater
And not everyone has the time or is local to a tonewood supplier to pick out so they’ll most likely buy it online.
How do you work with what you’ve been given?
One thing I’ve always found amazing is you could be choosing between 2 soundboards both the same spruce there’ll always be a different tap tone.
I had a similar experience when I was trying some guitars with the same tone woods and there was some grain pattern differences on the backs
They were new guinnie rosewood
one had slightly figured grain where as the other had all these weird random blotches and swirls kinda like what you’d see in some pine grains(deffinetly was not the finish)
The slightly figured one sounded 10x greater it was almost like playing a completely different guitar
I'm not sure I understand. At around four minutes I was tapping and discussing what that meant to me.
I can't and don't pick out my tops from a selection either. All of my Spruce comes from Alaska. It is true, that out of every dozen or two tops, you may come across a real disappointment. Use it for back strips.
It is true that no two pieces of wood are the same. Wood is almost as irrational as people.
If two instruments are of the same wood and one sound markedly better to you, it likely has more to do with the density of the back material and more importantly, the character and voicing of the top, intentional or accidental.
@@thepragmaticluthier thank you for your reply
You understood very well
Thanks for clearing up the whole density of the back that was new information to me I thought grain pattern would have something to do with it to especially if the Same species had completely different appearances
Reusing a top as a back strips is an awesome idea that would cover many guitars.
Thanks again for the reply
I’m new to the channel, what a ton of great info you provide! So I have built a few instruments, never anything as advanced as an acoustic guitar but I’m ready to take the plunge. Trying to get a few specialty tools together. Is it absolutely necessary to radius the top and bottom? Is it possibly to brace a little heavy and leave the top and bottom flat. Steel string acoustic.
You CAN build a guitar with a perfectly flat top and back and i don't believe you'll need to brace it more heavily because you do. I have found that a flat back and or top will actually look slightly concave when finished and I think there will be a greater propensity for cracking if shrinking occurs during dry seasons, but you may very well be successful. Fortunately for us, there are no guitar making police and there is NO legislation keeping us from indulging our inclinations.
@@thepragmaticluthier Thank you for taking time to reply!
Very helpful. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! Would you like to suggest another topic for a video?
Thanks for the video!
I would like to know the reason some guitars have a piece of cloth glued on the centre or junction of the x braces.
The piece you refer to is often known as the "linen patch" and is placed over the X-joint to reinforce it without adding excessive stiffness or weight. I don't know its origin but I suspect it was Martin. A thin wood reinforcement glued over the joint is certainly stronger and adds some stiffness to the brace, a quality that I favor. I'm guessing here, but theorize that the linen patch was a preferred method in manufacturing because it did the job and was much less labor intensive, and therefore cheaper than the added step of glueing a wood reinforcement over the joint. Regardless of the technique, the reinforcement is necessary over the open side of the joint.
Love your work...👍
Thank you so much 😀
10's of Dollars! Ha! I say that all the time. Love it.
Damn! At 13.37 you just nailed my problem. My mic battery died so I guessed at thickness. Too thick lol. Hi ring tone.
This will be an interesting fix any ideas. Bracing is in place 😢😮
If I understand your predicament correctly, I would suggest removing a s much material from the sides of the braces as you can, sloping off the finger braces from the lower X to nearly zero height at the outer perimeter of the top. After the body is assembled, concentrate sanding the top in a radial fashion from each end of the bridge and below, around the perimeter of the body. This can have a very positive effect on responsiveness. I hope the guitar turned out to be what you expect.
@thepragmaticluthier wow I'm on the right track then. This is my first acoustic and I'm doing a hybrid. Acoustasonic. We will see how it works. Lol. It's a project I'm working on at work on down time so it's just a learning curve thing. You are greatly appreciated! Thanks
Thank you for your videos. I only wish you spoke in mm ha ha, but that's on me to figure out.
I'l try to work on that:)
The Martin X brace design is unbeatable. Kasha and all that was insightful but yielded shitty sound. Scalloping is important too, not because it "weakens" the top which I suppose it does but because it increases relative stiffness in some places, giving nodal areas and a bunch of interesting results. Essentially shortening the brace radically stiffens it. To the 3rd power!
Doming will really grant stiffness (too much) but not at the radii you mention. It would need to be shorter (more doming). This is a sound killer. Ask me how I know.
Ok, how do you know?
As a builder of ladder braced guitars with braces that go at 90 degrees to the grain i would have tk disagree with the statement that such a brace shuts off the part behind it. That would effectively mean my guitars would only utilize a 5cm patch in thr middle of the top etween wicb the bridge sits.
I'm recently intrigued by ladder braced tops, having recently read an article in American Lutherie about them. The notion that a ladder brace shuts a top down is one promulgated by Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider. Obviously, a ladder brace brace can't completely shut a top down, but I think it may very effectively suppress some frequencies. The article mentioned and your comment have definitely motivated me to make a ladder braced top, just to learn and experience what can be with that.
@@thepragmaticluthier yeah ive always thought of xbraced as accompanyment to a singing voice while ladder braced are more of a replacement for the singing voicemail trying to sit right where the human voice would go making it problematiek for slinger songwriter music but excellent in an instrumental ensemble
maybe a stupid question, but are the 2 tone bars on the same side on a lefty guitar?
The tone bars are reversed in a left handed guitar. they should always originate from the treble side of an instrument.
Thank you!
31:55 if I may add, to the invariable fellow musicians in the audience:
the following advice directly applies to the relationship between music theorists and the musical layman.
Things can sound good on an average, based on the physics of the human ear and the machinations of the auditory cortex, but what sounds good to /you/ is subjective, based on your collective life experiences. And if you're not putting your life experiences into your craft or art, then what are you even doing?
Thank you😊
You're welcome 😊 If you would like to suggest a topic for a video, it would be very welcome.
is that x brace for visual purpose only or do i need to put a bolt in ,my first build had a top failure please advise
NO METAL fasteners!. The devise seen in the video is a tool that I use to judge X-brace angle.
I'm so glad you didn't say mental institution 4:40 😂
could you do mm in your math in would help me
mm= inches X 25.4. Inches= mm/25.4
I guess Mr.Marten had intuition.
He most certainly did and I watched many of his employees ion the shop using theirs in the early 70's.
As my mental database gets older, the more corrupt those data get. ;-)
Right there with ya on that.:)
15:30 👌
You're face is a hobby. Get serious. Thanks for your expertise.
I wonder if you might explain, " your face is a hobby" and "get serious".