x brace angle on 2 parlor guitars built simulaneously

[Mike Ryan]

Hello,
I am building 2 guitars from the GAL martin 1-18 parlor guitar plan. I am ready to brace the tops.
the plan actually calls for an 81-82 degree x brace angle ( below x bridge plate area) as measured from the plans (several times) with it overlapping the bridge ends.
I want to vary the x brace angle a little . One guitar is Brazilian b&S and one is claro and both have bearclaw sitka tops and sitka bracing.
The claro guitars I have built seem to sound softer with less punch but are quite pleasant and the one from eir and one from imbuya have more punch and are brighter. Would making the angle 1-2 degrees less make the claro one brighter?
So, Any suggestions on the x brace angle?

[Michael Lewis]

The main purpose I see for the X bracing system is to reinforce the cross grain stiffness, which is always less than the long grain stiffness. It is to help balance the two modes of stiffness. Therefore the angle you choose I would think should reflect the degree of cross grain stiffness in your tops. How does the stiffness of each compare to the other.

[Mike Ryan]

One of the bearclaw tops, the more figured one is definitely stiffer but neither is very stiff. I have them at about .105 and am going with that thickness.

[Michael Lewis]

No matter what you finally decide for your bracing your guitars will sound like guitars.

[Mike Ryan]

wait, wait! What if they sound like ukulele's or dulcimers.
I have just cut the x brace angles so i am in it now.

[Freeman Keller]

Mike, let us know how these turn out. Ironically I am currently building two small guitars (I call them parlors but that may not be completely accurate) - they are based on the Antes plans but I plan to lighten the bracing considerably (I've built one to those plans and lightened it some but still felt it was over braced).

Mine will be Lutz tops cut sequentially - one is Brazilian rosewood, the other Mad rose. I haven't braced the tops yet so any input would be appreciated

[Hugh Anderson]

I just made one from that plan, I made the x as open as I could and still catch the ends of the bridge. Advise from Doolin years ago. I don't know the angle. Mine is lutz, but a bit thicker than yours, it has a nice, throaty treble. Tape pulled stringiness out of the lutz top.

[Mario Proulx]

All things being equal, a wider, more 'open' angle will be warmer than a tighter x-brace angle. BUT...! Where we locate it(IE: more forward or more to the rear) also has a similar effect, and we can then use both of these to shift the response of the top to where we want it, or to what the top needs(to address weakness, for example).

Play around with it, and take good, accurate notes to go back to after the guitars are built and you know how each one responded.