hi everyone ~~ about the bracing materail~~

[jerryyanpu]

im going to buy some bracing materail
Kahikatea and Tanekaha
how about this two ?anyione tried it before?
many thanks~~

jerry yan~

[Steve.Toscano]

Never heard of either... just use spruce.

[kiwigeo]

im going to buy some bracing materail
Kahikatea and Tanekaha
how about this two ?anyione tried it before?
many thanks~~

jerry yan~

Before considering any wood for bracing you need to check out properties such as density and stiffness. If stiffness is very low then I avoid using it for bracing. For a first build I'd recommend sticking with tried and true woods such as spruce. Ditto for woods for the rest of the guitar.

[simso]

I agree with the use of spruce, but is there any reason you were specifically looking at those two types of wood to start with.

Steve

[Nick]

Never heard of either... just use spruce.

They're New Zealand natives.
Kahikatea - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacrycarpus_dacrydioides
Tanekaha - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllocla ... homanoides
I've never used either for bracing but I do have some Tanekaha which has been machined for a top, it certainly has straight enough grain but not sure about the stiffness when cut into brace sized 'bits'.
Personally I'd stick with the tried and true of Spruce if you're making a keeper but if you have the luxury of experimenting then you could try what you have of both?

[routout]

I think it may stem from a logical progression Instrument tops made of spruce then bracing made of spruce ,people have used different species over the years I have seen a weight hung from two different types of wood the same physical size on a bench to prove it's strength .I have also seen Jelutong used in bracing ( major guitar manufacturer ) give it a go who knows or stick carbon fiber on it .

[kiwigeo]

give it a go who knows or stick carbon fiber on it .

IMO this would be best left to a later build. Keep it simple and work to a tried and true plan with conventional material choices for a first build...less chance of running into problems and ending up killing your desire to carry on building.

[routout]

True some experiments have gone bad ,I will put my hand up Yep go with the Spruce it's the best there is and 100 year old Instruments can attest to that have fun above all else the best bit is the first stringing not much beats that .

[jerryyanpu]

thanks everyone !! cause im a now guitar maker,,,,so ,,,,there is another question...
it is that really important to use the most commonly bracing material?(like spruce or cedar)
it will be a big change on the sound when i use different bracing material?(even they are all stiff and light）
how about the kerfing?did someone do some experiment on different material kerfing ?
sorry for my english ,,,not that good hahah

kinds reagards!
Jerry Yan

[kiwigeo]

thanks everyone !! cause im a now guitar maker,,,,so ,,,,there is another question...
it is that really important to use the most commonly bracing material?(like spruce or cedar)
it will be a big change on the sound when i use different bracing material?(even they are all stiff and light）
how about the kerfing?did someone do some experiment on different material kerfing ?
sorry for my english ,,,not that good hahah

kinds reagards!
Jerry Yan

1. If the brace wood you plan to use has similar properties to spruce then it should work. If not then play safe and use more conventional bracing wood such as spruce. Cedar for bracing......some people use it but I don't use it on my guitars as Ive never found bracing stock that matches spruce for stiffness.
2. Linings function primarily to provide a joining surface for the back and top to the sides. Choice of material can influence how much impedance there is to string energy leaking from the top down the sides (ideally you want to minimize this). I use solid laminated linings for this reason. Again since this is a first build Id stick to conventional kerfed lining...the stuff you'd buy from an average luthier supply outlet.

[jerryyanpu]

thanks very much ,
i think now i roughly know how to choose my material ,if it is possible ,first use spruce~!
thank u !

[seeaxe]

Hi Jerry

It sounds like you are in NZ. Correct? If so whereabouts are you?

Before spending any money on materials and tools the first thing most luthiers buy is a book on how to build a guitar. There are quite a few, you can sometimes pick them up at second hand book shops or borrow them from the library. Even if you have to buy it, compared to what you will eventually end up spending on building, it is a good investment.

Have you already got a book to work from? If yes which one are you using? If not it doesn't really matter which book as long as you keep to one method and follow it through.

If you are going to think of this guitar as a practice run then you can use more or less any woods but if you do that the end result will probably be disappointing. Best to stick with the tried and tested for the first one and experiment later.

Good luck.

[jerryyanpu]

Hi Jerry

It sounds like you are in NZ. Correct? If so whereabouts are you?

Before spending any money on materials and tools the first thing most luthiers buy is a book on how to build a guitar. There are quite a few, you can sometimes pick them up at second hand book shops or borrow them from the library. Even if you have to buy it, compared to what you will eventually end up spending on building, it is a good investment.

Have you already got a book to work from? If yes which one are you using? If not it doesn't really matter which book as long as you keep to one method and follow it through.

If you are going to think of this guitar as a practice run then you can use more or less any woods but if you do that the end result will probably be disappointing. Best to stick with the tried and tested for the first one and experiment later.

Good luck.

ty !
yes i m living in NZ,,,,haha ,
and i bought some E-book and vedio from internet ,then i can build my guitar step by step .....
also ,i already have a classical guitar,,,so i want try my best to build a better one ,cause i play it roughly more than 8 years,,,i really want a high quality
i know it is not easy to make ,however, once i done .it is kind of big achievability isnt it ?
thanks u encourage me !!
cheers!
Jerry Yan