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I know Larrivee does this on guitars. anyone else? I seems that if you have 4 braces, a tail and neck block all helping support the back that a center strip may not be needed. We don't do it on the top so why the back?

Just curious

Richard

On the last several guitars I've built I didn't use one. I really don't like them as I think they break up the design of the guitar.

are you talking about the center reinforcement inside the guitar or the decorative inlay strip many guitars have?

Jack, good point I may have misunderstood. I was talking about the decorative strip. I just looked at a few pics of Larrivee guitars and it looks like indeed the back strip (inside) is not there. IDK it's probably fine but in all the traditions of building I've been exposed to it's to be included.

I have a cocobolo build I am actually trying a thin center strip on the top that coveres any areas not covered by the braces and bridge plate .

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With a good joint I don't think a center strip is necessary........but I consider them to be "humidity protection". Without the strip I'd want to put diamond shaped patches (kinda like cleats) between the braces, but I think the strip looks better. For appearence I sometimes make the reinforcing strip out of the same wood as the back, or some other non spruce wood.

Isn't there some Martin models without a strip?

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I think the decorative strip cannot add strength, and usually weakens the joint. It is only there for decoration. I built a maple back without the decorative strip and without the interior reinforcement, and it is still togather after 15 years of improper storage.

Luthiers haven't always had good and precise tools, and haven't always had strong lightbulbs and accurate straight edges to check the joints (i'm talking Torres and all them). Softwoods (spruce, cedar, etc) are pretty easy to glue, so the top joint was holding pretty goods, but that was quite different for hardwood like Braz rosewood, maple and all these. From what I know, they put this reinforcement strip to prevent the back seam to open up. Or at least, if it would open, the strip would retain the pieces together.

There's a bit of tradition behind that. Today, we have the precision tools. It's true that some hardwood are less stable than others and may tend to shrink, wrap, twist or extand, and those probably still need reinforcement, even with a good joint, just in case... But if you have a stable wood, and you're confident in your joint, you could possibly put anything there and you'd be okay for years.

That's what I think.
Francis

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