Luthier Tips du Jour - Double Tops - Part I of II

Luthier and Instructor, Robert O'Brien, along with luthier Alan Dunwell, shows how to construct a double top or composite top guitar soundboard.
Part one of two.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Luthier Tips du Jour
• Robert O'Brien
• Robbie O'Brien
• Lutherie school
• guitar building
• how to make a double top
• composite top
• guitar soundboard
• luthier
• violão
• como construir um violão
• lutheria

[micheloderso]

Warum schneidet man das "nomax" nicht mit einer Schere aus nachdem man die Konturen aufgezeichnet hat?

[OBrienGuitars]

@micheloderso

Sie könnten versuchen, Schere. Wenn es funktioniert lass es mich wissen.

[laysampson1231c]

This is a very "discreet" video. =p

[OBrienGuitars]

@danbombliss Standard bracing thinned a bit is a good starting point. I know of no online resource for this.

[danbombliss]

@OBrienGuitars Do you have any advice or know of any online resources for bracing information on double tops? Because I have not found any information on the topic, I was going to go with the standard bracing, but thinned out a bit.

[OBrienGuitars]

@danbombliss ad to scratch my head a couple of times too about that very issue. I recently had a student make a double top that came in at 3.5mm thick. It sounded awesome!!! There is more going on than just the total thickness. Bracing has a big bearing in this too. Let me know how it goes.

[danbombliss]

@OBrienGuitars Thanks Robbie. I was just confused where the weight was being saved if almost the same amount of spruce was being used. But I suppose the bracing would factor into ore weight saved as well.

I appreciate the videos!

[OBrienGuitars]

@danbombliss In some cases the double tops are thicker than normal tops. However, it is a totally different ballgame and seems to work. You can go just as thin as regular tops when making composite tops too. Good luck.

[danbombliss]

@OBrienGuitars I understand it's for a steel string. The only part I'm confused by is a regular steel string top is only about .120", for solid spruce. The double top here is a total of .160", with a total of .100" of solid spruce, plus the skin in the middle. I did come across Alan Dunwell's website and he has some information on there, where both of his skins are .040" with a .060" center.

I'm not trying to find any contridictions, just making sure I get my info correct before I try it

[OBrienGuitars]

@danbombliss The top in this video was for a steel string guitar. Most folks doing double tops for classicals are going thinner than what I show in the videos.