Archtop bracing question.

[rocket]

Just wondering what your thoughts are on carved in bracing on an archtop, I recall seeing some info about it somewhere but can't recall exactly where.
It seems to me that although it presents a bit more work and a bit of stuffing around when thicknessing your soundboard for parallel bracing it offers a superior job, but when considering X bracing the grain becomes short and therefor not as strong as when the grain is parallel to the brace, but this could be compensated for by laminating another strip of brace material on top of the carved in brace. Does anyone think there is some advantage to using this method in light of the amount of extra work carved in X braces would create for the builder?
Cheers,,,
Rod.

[P Bill]

It is considered inferior work in vilolins. It's done because, counter ituitively, it's faster. See link

http://www.fiddlehangout.com/topic/27181

[P Bill]

Rod,
The best reason for a fitted bass bar is to prevent the top splitting along the grain.The bar is angled to the grain on fiddles-dbs, mandos and of course archtops.

I saw a pic the other day of a new Asian Hofner db split along the grain, exactly next to a bass bar fitted parallel to the grain.

[rocket]

Thanks Bill, say no more, i'm hearin ya..
Cheers,,,
Rod.