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Armando -> RE: Bracing patterns for flamenco guitars (May 28 2005 14:16:29)
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Hello
This is a common question among new starting luthiers. José Ramirez wrote in his book, that he dedicated himself a lot in his earlier years to the development of a new bracing pattern that is superior to the traditional design. The conclusion was, that the sound did not improove at all. This means for me, that the soundboard bracing is just one factor of the whole construction. It's rather the summary of a well construction that leads to a good result than just the bracing pattern. The correct thicknessing of the soundboard related to the stiffness of the wood is maybe even more important. The bracing should only support the soundboard to resist the string tension. It's therefore also important to evaluate the correct thickness of the braces. If the braces are too thick, then it will stiffen the soundboard too much which may result in a weak tone and lack of dynamic.
If the braces are too thin, then it may dome the soundbaord after a certain time due to the stringtension. The sound would probably have strong basses in the beginning but the guitar will develop negatively and it may end up as not playable instrument.
To may opinion it is not possible to say which bracing pattern is best. It depends also what sound is desired in the completeted instrument.
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