In the latest batch are two parlor guitars, which means 6 strings, which means more tension in the instrument, more tension trying to rotate the bridge. It is the braces under the top that keep everything stable. However, you can really deaden the sound by over-bracing things, with too heavy/thick braces. The goal is to find the right balance of stiffness to resist the pull of the strings, and lightness to let things vibrate freely and produce sound.
With this as one goal in mind, some time back I acquired a plank of Port Orford Cedar. This grows in a small area on the west coast, and has a very high stiffness-to-weight ratio. I have cut some tops from this plank, and the instruments sound great. Given that I was building two parlor guitars I set about updating my bracing stock with some of this Port Orford cedar as very stiff and light is just what is wanted for guitar bracing.
The plank, at least one end of the board, is pretty ‘flat sawn’ meaning that the growth rings arc through the plank. For bracing stock one wants to have the growth rings vertical in the brace, as that is some 20% stiffer than if the growth rings were across the brace. So, I cut off a chink of the plank, and then I set the bandsaw table on a angle, and cut off sections so that the grain would end up vertical in the brace stock, along these lines.
After cutting off the odd corners, planing them to a constant thickness, I got some really nice brace stock, and just trying to flex it between two hands, it feels very stiff.
These will be sliced up vertically to make a number of braces from each piece.
