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Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
Closing struts
Can anyone explain the advantage of using closing struts/braces on a standard Torres style 7 strut fan soundboard?
I can see how they might stiffen the lower bout around the end block and so prevent cracking in that area, but acoustically what effect do they have? My intuition tells me they would have a negative effect but intuition isn't reliable.
What would happen to a good flamenco guitar with a 7 strut fan if closing braces were added? Would the sound get brighter or louder or what?
Would there be any significant change in the sound? I'm tempted to try it on a guitar I finished recently just to see what happens- would I be wasting my time?
Ive never tried closing struts on a flamenco before but, i have on a classical. From what i could tell, depending on the anle and height of the closing struts, adds latitudinal strength to the sound board. I have heard that reducing the vibrational areas of the sound board help bring the trebles out and raise the sustain. also i have heard the bottom braces add a cirtain amount of control to the soundboard giving an eveness to the sound.
Can anyone explain the advantage of using closing struts/braces on a standard Torres style 7 strut fan soundboard?
I suspect the reason you have received no concrete replies is that there is no concrete answer to your question. In other words there are so many variables to top design that it's impossible to put your finger on one aspect (like closing braces) and say what it does. We've built over about 400 guitars now and have decided that the best route is to throw out everything that is unnecessary. That includes closing braces, bridge patch, etc. and we've limited bracing to 5 simple straight (parallel with the top grain) fan braces. Guess what, our current guitars are the best we've ever built.
Over the years we've tried every bracing variable you can imagine and finally decided that if one limits the variables to top thickness and taper and size of braces there's a lot less to think about and you can get on with building some good instruments.
i do like the idea of keeping it simple, and i do to most extent. my struts are quite verticle but i do like the control of cross the grain bars.
As usual this will come down to opinion and preference. there will always be someone that will prefer another guitar. so i say build what you like, and hope that every likes what you like!!
and we've limited bracing to 5 simple straight (parallel with the top grain) fan braces
Really John? Literally parallel to the top grain, and not in a fan arrangement? So there is nothing to limit splitting other than the bridge itself? That's really interesting.
But what you say agrees with Steven Walter -- he keeps his classical soundboards super thin and with only 5 simple braces (but in a true fan arrangement). They are real cannons, too. The backs are heavy, like Smallman's (or Reyes', I understand). And Walter's neck angle is pretty radical, too. But I think most of the amazing projection comes from the thin top and minimal bracing. I have a friend who paid $14k for one. He's still paying for it.
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"Flamenco is so emotionally direct that a trained classical musician would require many years of highly disciplined formal study to fail to understand it."
I suspect the reason you have received no concrete replies is that there is no concrete answer to your question.
Exactly. There are no easy answers on how to brace a guitar (exept the "build my Reyes model" attitude)
Its not so that if you use closing struts you get this kind of sound, etc. Its all about balance. And each builder has his/her way of reaching their goal. For John it works with a totally stripped off system. Its been done before with succes. For other builders its not their way of doing things. Thats why they work another system. I work 7 braces, small closing struts and a very thin bridge strip. (not a bridge path) This I can make symetrical or asymetrical.
Just to show how impossible bracing questions are: What effetct does the tapering of the braces in the lower bout have 20mm, 25mm 30mm 35mm 40mm and this in combination with no closing struts, closing struts which are 14cm, 15cm, 16cm, 17cm etc.
If you were to answer this you´d have to build MANY guitars using wood which had to be totally identical. And remember that each square centimeter is different from each other.
So the final goal is balance. Being 5, 6 or seven braces. Symetrical, asymetrical, Reyes, Barebero, Conde etc.
So there is nothing to limit splitting other than the bridge itself?
Nothing except very well cured topwood and humidity controlled assembly area. Any guitar top can split if exposed to harsh conditions regardless of top bracing.
I never said the top was extremely thin like the Walter guitar you mentioned. I personally don't like the sound of thin top guitars although you're correct that it's one way of producing a lot of volume.
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