MIMF

FYI, I found at least one reference to the single tone bar I was referring to above, in the early archtops of a builder named Bill Barker, from my hometown, Toledo, Ohio:

http://www.vintagearchtop.com/66_barker.htm

Thanks for your reply, Barry. I have a vague memory of a builder who used a single brace, but maybe I’m mis-remembering. I guess that’s what started the wheels turning.

Asking for a friend.

Seriously, if the three basic soundboard modes are up/down, left/right, and front/back, and the archtop is biased toward the up/down, would you not encourage the left/right by shifting the support to the center of the bridge?

Thanks for finishing the post AND the guitar, Barry. It really looks great. I figured it was headed for the kindling pile early on, but you really pulled it back from the edge.

Also, glad to see Michael Lewis poking around again. I hope that continues.

Glad to hear it Barry. Thanks

Hey! Where’s the end of the story? I’ve read nine pages worth of posts only to find that this story has no ending? Bump!

I love the shape of the body.

And you mount everything to the ceiling? Brilliant space-saving idea!

I've recently gone with a one-piece, full-contact maple bridge with a lignum vitae saddle (and nut). Very nice sound.

You can use a fully-adjustable tune-o-matic style bridge until everything settles in, then use those measurements to make your one-piece from.

It doesn't help you solve your problem, but I'm going to agree with Randolph and say that I would not trim around the heel with light-colored wood. Not that you haven't done a nice job of it, and it certainly looks good, but if you're concerned at all about the gap being noticeable, the light-colore...

Is that because it's not as protective/durable as FP? Because it sure sounds faster, and it obviously looks great. Am assuming it would be easy to touch up and rejuvenate too.

Waddy:
Are you using Tru Oil on the soundboard as well, or are you French polishing it?

But don't all the bubbles just add to your troubles?

I've been working on dometop (and back) archtops off-and-on for the last several years. The arch of the dome is a little over 0.7" from neckblock to tailblock. Solid beam of wood running from neckblock to tailblock. Plate thickness of 0.12" and a single, 12" long x 0.3 x 0.6 brace run...

What is the purpose of running a flame along the joint?

Thanks for your reply, Alain.

Mine is a floating bridge. Is that what you're referring to, or are you talking about a fixed bridge?

But I haven't been able to find it.

I've got a one-piece African Blackwood bridge that weighs in at 36 grams.

Is this heavy?

Bridge-wise?

What a great idea, Patrick. Thanks for sharing it.

Randolph: Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your question. The short answer is "no." The "archtops" I've been building for the last several years (I'm just doing this for my own amusement) are actually "dometops." Not carved out of thick pieces of wood, but thin s...

I'm curious if anyone can answer whether the notes Ryan is hearing while tapping the tops are meaningful or not.