A Gallery of X-Bracing
© Frank Ford, 12/13/98; Photos by FF, 12/13/98
Here's a little collection of black & white photos. I stuck my little guitar inspection camera into the soundhole of several guitars to show the similarity and differences of various makers. They're all flat top steel string guitars with solid spruce tops, braced with different versions of the basic Martin "cross" bracing. I haven't included any photos of Martin instruments. You'll find them elsewhere on FRETS.COM.
I'm presenting this gallery of photos in no particular order, with little comment, and without any statements of preference, quality of tone or other judgement. The idea is simply to show a view of the insides of some well known guitars.
Most of these are current instruments, made in 1998. A few are older, and I've noted them by stating their dates of manufacture.
Santa Cruz "OM" with scalloped braces:
Santa Cruz "D" with "tapered" braces:
Tacoma "PM-20" small fingerstyle guitar:
Tacoma "Chief" acoustic electric:
Notice there are only two longitudinal braces on this one. This is one of those new Tacoma models with the single small soundhole in the upper bass "shoulder" of the guitar top. Because the camera is all the way up next to the neck block, these braces appear shorter than they actually are. They run nearly the entire length of the top.
Taylor "710" dreadnought:
More