soundhole patch

[Andrew Jerman]

I am building my first guitar. On ukuleles, I have used a sound hole patch but I've seen braces and sound hole patches on various sets of drawings. I am not working from a formal set of plans. Can anyone offer a reason to go one way or another?

Thanks

[Chuck Tweedy]

Steel string or classical/flamenco ??

[Andrew Jerman]

Steel string with a Venetian style cutaway.

[Chuck Tweedy]

On a steel-string the general scheme is to surround the hole with braces.
- The X upper arms cross below the hole
- The "upper transverse brace" goes across the top of the hole
- 2 more braces flank the hole and go from the X upper arms to (or under) the upper transverse.

Me, and many here, and many factories now, use an "A-frame" structure in the upper bout with the 2 braces that flank the hole (last in my list above).
In this structure, these 2 (1/4" by 1/4") braces butt up against the X arms, pass under the upper transverse brace, then butt up against the heel-block. It forms a nice structure that both helps the soundhole from collapsing, and helps keep the top from cracking on either side of the FB.

I could post a picture later if that would help - don't have one here.

[Alan Carruth]

I've been using an A-brace for a long time: I think even before Martin took out the patent! Lately I've been adding a patch as well. I tend to use a fairly wide rosette, and the patch helps reinforce the thinned area of the top.

Alan Carruth / Luthier

[Chuck Tweedy]

Interesting - didn't know that was patented. Thanks for the heads-up Alan.
1995, by Michael Dresdner. That guy is everywhere!

[Jim Ashby]

If the patent was filed or pending before Jun 8th 1995 it should be expired by now.

[Steven Smith]

I did a soundhole patch on my current project where I have modified Trevor Gore's plans for a falcate-braced top to fit on a dred. I like the the way the patch locks everything together and also backs up the rosette like Alan said. I will probably use it in the future on X-braced tops as well.