bracing

garyg · Dec 14, 2011

I notice that some ukes have a thin strip of wood bracing connecting both the top and bottom to the sides of the uke body and other ukes have what looks like a small piece of molding with kerfs cut in it. I thought that this was a quality issue, until I noticed that some K brand ukes used the thin wood strip. What is the functional significance of these different bracing methods, if any? TIA, g2

Timbuck · Dec 14, 2011

Are you talking about "Linings" ?

garyg · Dec 14, 2011

Well I don't know the technical term but there's only one strip of wood that runs along the join between the bottom, and I assume the top and the sides. It's what you see when you look through the hole towards the join. TIA, g2

Tarhead · Dec 14, 2011

Neither makes any measurable difference. It's easier to install kerfed as the solid has to be pre-bent to the side profile.

Sven · Dec 14, 2011

Also, as the kerfed lining strips tend to be wider they are a better choice if you want to route for wider binding, especially if you do purfling as well.

Sven

Vic D · Dec 14, 2011

Kerfed linings are wider, taking up more area of the top... so you can install more shiny things. My sopranos and probably concerts will always have a thin solid lining but to each his or her own.

Slackkey007 · Dec 14, 2011

I'm pretty sure garyg is referring to the kerfing.

Rick Turner · Dec 14, 2011

May I gently suggest that folks do a bit of homework before asking questions here? At least learn some of the terminology...all of which is incredibly accessible on the Internet. Having a vocabulary is essential to asking intelligent questions and getting useful answers.

Roger Siminoff has an excellent glossary of terms used in lutherie in print. http://www.siminoff.net/pages/siminoff_parts10.books.html

You wouldn't go to a doctor with questions about your body not knowing your kidneys from your liver from your lungs from your heart, would you?

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Dec 14, 2011

Which one a builder uses is really just a matter of how much material he/she intends to remove when installing bindings and purflings. Thin solid "linings" are the minimum required to provide a good connection, while wider "kerfings" are notched in order to make the necessary bends. Beyond the structural qualities, a better sub-thread might be a discussion of how the two affect the instrument sonically.

Rick Turner · Dec 14, 2011

And I use a combination of the two on acoustic guitars...a thin "doubler" liner for the sides to top area, then Charles Fox' design reverse kerfing, and then a thin layer of carbon fiber on top of that. Makes the rim incredibly stiff...

garyg · Dec 18, 2011

Okay, thanks for the information. My question was not that of a future builder, so sorry for not having the proper terminiology but frankly there was only one possible thing that I could have been describing. My query was merely one of simple curiosity. It sounds like the main differences involve ease of bracing and solidity of bracing for bindings and purflings. But as Chuck suggested, I am also curious about how these two types of linings affect the sound quality of the uke. If this question is more appropriate to Uke Talk I'll gladly repost there.

bracing

garyg

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Timbuck

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garyg

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