Thinking of diversifying a bit.

[rocket]

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Yeah well i thought it was time to try something a little different but not too different, but even then just deviating from the norm just a tad can cause a bit of a headache.
I decided to make a slightly smaller archtop, 16" lower bout and use an oval sound hole instead of the "F" holes, so i set about making a pattern to work from, now in the past i've used parallel and X bracing in my archtops but it seemed a no brainer that this time X bracing would be the only option, anyway long story short, i go to bed one night and pick up my favourite eye candy book" Hand Made Hand Played " and notice in the specs of a Benedetto build ,,, archtop with oval sound hole,"" parallel bracing""WTF??? all i can say is his bracing layout has deviated a long way from his plans for an "F" hole build, i think i'll stick to my X bracing plan,, any ideas??
Cheers,,
Rod.

[Tod Gilding]

any ideas??
Cheers,,
Rod.

Yeah Rod, What do think about falcate braced ?

[Dave Stewart]

Go for it Rod!
I did one a couple of years ago.... used a wide open X (about 86 degrees... close to your dwg. by the look of it) and added a transverse brace under the pickup.

[rocket]

Well Tod I'm not totally familiar with falcate bracing but i believe it's mainly designed for use on steel strong flat tops and not suitable for a carved archtop.The main thing that puzzles me is how Bob has used parallel braces in the example I've shown and got it in the position he recommend in his book, let alone anywhere near the bridge posts.
Dave, magnificent looking guitar, well done mate. how did it sound compared to a similar build with'F'holes?
Cheers.
Rod.

[Nick]

He may of made his braces more parallel than 'conventional' Rod? It amazes me how Bob braces sometimes, his Toredo infested top was still braced but how he managed to fit them between all them bleedin great holes amazed me!
I would have thought that the X braced would suit a "round" soundhole better with it's more mellower sound profile.

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks Rod. Yeah, you have to fiddle a bit (including soundhole placement) to hit all your marks. I expect Bob altered plate thicknessing down the center to allow for nonstandard placement of parallel bracing.
The guitar sounds nice ... very rich & full ... less of a mid-range bias than an f-hole body, all else being equal. (One contributing factor is the inevitable lowering of the main air resonance using this soundhole configuration vs f-holes .... about 110Hz on this one vs the more typical 130+ range.)
I also put in a capped soundport, which is nice for the player.

[charangohabsburg]

Rod, I think you had to have a stronger reason to go with parallel bracing on an oval soundhole archtop, than just having seen that some wrote (a printing error?) that Benedetto made one like this.... I mean, there may be a good reason to try it, but without your specific vision about what it should do behind it, it would not make much sense I'd say. At least to me who has no great idea of archtops, alone the geometrical issues involved by placing parallel bracing in a oval-soundhole archie seem to be pretty awkward. In any case, if that parallel braced oval soundhole Benedetto guitar really exists, it would be interesting to know (not deduce) Benedetto's reasoning for having it done. If there is no first-hand information about it you might consider to contact him.