Pete Howlett
Well-known member
I received this in my mail:
Now if I was an attorney making $120 an hour should I have got my $20 for the time it took me to give this useless piece of advice?
I'm not being unkind here, just telling the truth. I cannot comment on a piece of wood I haven't touched or felt and predict how it will behave. I doubt anyone can.
I see that you are a frequent poster at UU and I learn a lot from your
posts. I am going to start building a Bell Baritone using plans from Georgia
Luthier Supplies. The plans call out top thickness for Koa at .060" and
spruce at .080". On my last baritone build I used Adirondack Spruce at .090
and thinned the plate edges to about .080. This time I'm using curly
redwood, which I figure is between spruce and western red cedar in
stiffness. What would you recommend as a average thickness for red wood on
a bell baritone 10.78" lower bout? The plan seem to be too thin?
Now if I was an attorney making $120 an hour should I have got my $20 for the time it took me to give this useless piece of advice?
There is no ideal thickness. Flexion is the indicator and this is related to stiffness. A whole set of variables I'm afraid and without touching your wood I wouldn't want to be the author of its ruin... sorry but there is no rule of thumb with these things - try building a resonator and you will get the idea.
I'm not being unkind here, just telling the truth. I cannot comment on a piece of wood I haven't touched or felt and predict how it will behave. I doubt anyone can.
Last edited: