Martin Parlor design queries

[vandenboom]

Hi all
Long time between visits but still averaging about 1 build per year. Just finishing off a 7 string left handed Benedetto style archtop. Will put some pics when complete.
Just got some plans from ALS for a Parlor. All the steel strings I have built have had arched tops & backs. Parlor is flat with 5 ladder braces top & bottom.
If you built a Parlor today would you arch the plates?
If I stick with the flat design, I'm mindful of the possibility of a bit of implosion.
I saw a GS mini design built by someone last year - also a flat top design. The top had sunk about 8mm. Awful.
Thnx. Frank

[kiwigeo]

I did a parlour build a few years ago and arched the top....30 foot radius from memory

[56nortondomy]

I've built a few parlour guitars and I also radius the top bracing, I use a 25ft radius. Wayne

[vandenboom]

Thnx gents. Will do same. I'll have to consider the 5 ladder braces on the plan and the extent to which I reduce them.
Frank

[Mark McLean]

Or you could X-brace it. But either way I would also go with an arched top in a radius dish

[Crafty Fox]

Make sure that you check the accuracy of the plans.

I bought ALS plans a few years ago for ES 175 and 2 others (I forget which) I and found that that the drawings were not symetrical if folded along the centre line.
I did a Google search and discovered that this issue had been identified and complained about several years earlier. Yet they still supplied the dodgy drawings.
Hopefully they have now corrected this problem but I have never purchased anything from them since.

[vandenboom]

That's pretty poor Ken. Dunno where they get them from - they have their name on them. The first set I got ended up being for a solid body electric - they needed a 2nd try to get it right.
I was going to buy plans from Allied Lutherie but shipping was ridiculous.
I will heed yr warning when I get into it. Thnx.