The next set of 4 consists of one soprano, two concerts, and a tenor. The soprano and concerts are because I get asked about these sizes, and I do not have any around.
The soprano has sapele back and sides with a redwood top. One concert has sycamore back and sides with a spruce top, and the other has black walnut back and sides with a redwood top. The tenor has quilted maple back and sides, with a redwood top.
The soprano has very light fan braces. The previous soprano I built did not have any bracing at all, as was traditional. However, the top began to distort upwards from the string tension though it had great tone and volume. I sold it inexpensively to a friend who would ‘monitor’ it for further top distortion. It has been almost a year now, and while the top bulged initially, it seems to have stopped. I think that with a hardwood top (the traditional koa for example) one can get away with no braces, but redwood is much softer and lighter, and needs some bracing.
The other three have X style braces, which I have started using, and which seem to produce a very nice tone.
