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I had someone ask me recently if cedar could be used to brace a cedar top. I don't think I have heard of any bracing with cedar, but I have heard to match the species of spruce brace wood to the spruce top. Is cedar just not rigid enough for bracing? That is what I am thinking. Thanks in advance.
Donovan

I believe the major issue with cedar for bracing is its tendency to split....

It's plenty stiff enough. Just needs to be a little taller than spruce braces. The problem is that it's brittle.

I'd use it on classicals, but not steel strings. Particularly the X brace on steel strings is under a lot of stress, from the strings as well as the soundboard itself when the humidity isn't at its construction level, and sometimes the player's hand if they play percussive. It should be fine under good conditions, but spruce will take a lot more abuse, and doesn't have any disadvantages other than looking unpleasantly bright when you peek through the soundhole :p

There is a certain elegance to matching soundboard and brace woods. Or a mahogany back with mahogany braces and linings. But variety is good, too.

I have 2 cedar topped ss gtrs from 72 an 73 both used spruce bracing on tops.

I'm working on my second cedar top, and have used spruce on both because that's what I had to work with. I don't particularly like the contrast between the two woods, but will probably keep using spruce for convience.

I know of several luthiers and amateurs who have built this way... They had no issues....

The biggest caution I would offer would be to be very careful about your glue joint prep....
Everything must fit up just so...

Thanks

I did some deflection testing of some Spruces and milled up some Cedar to the same dimensions. It was so much more noticeably flexible by hand I never went further. This Cedar had very stiff x grain stiffness. I guess it depends on the stick of wood and how tall you are willing to make the bracing.

I braces a cedar top with cedar bracing. The top was .115 and the braces were .50" at the X joint. It is a dread and it is played daily with no problems. It was some stiff cedar.

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PMoMC

Thanks for the quick responses. I don't know what my friend will want to do but I will push for the traditional spruce. it is his first acoustic and I would hate to see him invite problems.

Spruce it is! Thanks for all the replies. I hope my first turns out half as nice as "Stewart's" builds!


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Oh boy,

Duders...is like dis...it ain't the wood ...its how you build the sucker...and how you build the sucker depends on your experience building the suckers. Simple eh!

blessings
?adma

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