[Larry Coon Larry Coon Lutherie]

I just realized I didn’t make this clear in my original post — I’m happy to test approaches with scrap wood and products I have in my shop, but I’m asking here because the best product or approach is probably one I don’t already know about.

[Larry Coon Larry Coon Lutherie]

Also, I build instruments in pairs, so I could also try doing this with one and not the other, while keeping the builds pretty consistent otherwise….

[Larry Coon Larry Coon Lutherie]

Hanging all replies here —

* Chad, that makes a lot of sense that it came from Martin. How many builders are influenced by Martin, vs. how many were influenced by Trevor Gore? (Especially when it’s one comment buried in one of a big two-book set.)

* Michael, thanks for communicating with Trevor! (I have one other direct connection to Trevor, but I didn’t think about asking that person to ask him.) And yeah, I would expect there would be empirical results visible in the monopole mobility (and possibly SPL), along with intangible results perceived in the sound quality. I’ve always had pretty high monopole mobility, so I wonder what building extra mobility into the top would actually bring me.

* Chad — I hear what you’re saying regarding braces potentially coming loose. Just as with any other risk analysis, it’s always risk vs. benefit. What benefit do I actually receive from doing this, and what risks exist for problems down the line? Weigh the two against each other, and see where the scales fall.

I’m wondering if there’s a solution where you notch the linings and the sides with a deeper notch for the braces, but be very careful to glue only the ends. This would leave some space for the top to vibrate more, while still tucking the braces into the notches to ensure correct alignment as Karl & Michael said. (Doing this may be functionally equivalent to feathering them to zero after gluing — I’d have to think that through.

[Larry Coon Larry Coon Lutherie]

Thanks for the response. These sides started out at about .200″ (and looked pretty close to each other when they were that thick), and I sanded them to .085″ for bending — so I’m pretty sure it’s not sunlight related. In addition, they were in a big stack on a shelf on the opposite end of the previous owner’s shop from the window.

I do want to be as minimally invasive as possible, and if lacquer alone was going to solve it, I’d be all for it. My fear is that the difference is too great for lacquer to even it out, and by the time I prove or disprove that hypothesis it’d be too late to fix it without removing the finish.

Thanks again.