New Lattice Bracing Nylon Strings Guitar Design

I have  a new project for an experimental nylon strings model. My goal is to make a guitar that has steel strings guitar like over tones using nylon strings. I am designing a guitar for Jazz and contemporary musicians. My assumption is using an electrical pick-up system; therefore, my design does not need loud voice. To generate a lot of over tones, I selected a lattice bracing design. A picture shown below is my new lattice bracing top. This has 5x5 lattice bracing configuration using 3mm thickness Sitka spruce. To make the brace lighter, I shaved as V-cross section. I also scalloped the lattice bracing. Lowest scalloped portion is at a little bit below the bridge. I want to make flexible portion at below the bridge to realize a cantilever like movement for the bridge. This top design might be able to create rich over tones effectively. I have never seen the top design like this.

 

This is my new lattice bracing pattern

 

Unlike my lattice bracing design, latest lattice bracing nylon strings guitars have Balsa wood bracing with carbon fiber lamination using Epoxy resin. Those designs have less than 1mm top board thickness with massive A-frame body using high quality aerospace grade poly wood. This design was originally invented by Greg Smallman. I do not believe the Smallman type design makes rich over tones. His design improves efficiency for making more loud sound. This means that his guitar works pretty effectively as a mechanical air pump. Also, all of existing lattice bracing designs have the thickest (strongest) portion at the bridge, and tapered out to the top edges. This design makes much larger the top movement; therefore, the guitar works pretty effectively as an air pump to make loud sound.  However, this design does not effectively contributes to generate rich over tones, because the bridge is very strongly coupled with the mechanically strongest top portion.

 

Typical bracing design for Smallman type guitars

My new guitar making might requires six month to complete at least. Once I complete this design, I would like to post sound samples to show how well my design generates rich over tones like steel strings guitars.

New built start

New guitar making projects start. This time, I make two SSJ 6-strings versions and one nylon strings model for me. Three of them have European spruce top with Adirondack spruce brace. I did a lot of wood mill work today. I cur Adirondack spruce log to real bracing materials. You may see the rough cut log for bracing material. Those are look like fireplace wood.

I also cut many wood straps for Rosetta making. Materials are Myrtle, King wood, and Ebony. Those materials glue together to make a colorful Rosetta for SSJ model.

Nylon model has an off-set sound hole, and Lattice bracing using the Adirondack spruce. Back and side materials are Amazon rosewood. Actuary this material was initially processed for the SSJ model; however, the wood quality is not good enough for my customers. I rejected this material. I will use this material for my experimental project.