Lattice Bracing

Dan Uke · Jun 17, 2012

Here is a pic of the bracing of my new uke. I know there was a recent thread about alternate bracing and so wanted to share. The luthier explained his reasoning for the bracing.

"The lattice bracing allows me to make a top that is very responsive and thin, however when you look at the sound hole it appears very normal thickness, the upperbout is doubled wood
for strength, and support of the neck...it does not contribuite to sound production.
The main support is a X brace that extends to the area of the upper bout, and takes advantage of some more vibratory area than the standard brace that crosses the ukulele top below the
soune hole, and cutting down on the area of free vibration."

Secondly he also used Target Waterbased Lacquer as there was a thread about using waterbased lacquer. I really like the look. Of course, it takes a long time to harden, which is a negative for most.

"The finish is still very soft and will need about 2 months until it becomes 85% dry, fully drying will take a long time, and that is why it will not hair line crack as cloulode type llaquers."

saltytri · Jun 17, 2012

Who is the builder?

KimosTherapy · Jun 17, 2012

saltytri said:
Who is the builder?

Ho, Bruddah Saltytri!

The builder is Luis Feu de Mesquita (LFdM). Several UU members are proud owners of his ukes and they must be pretty darn good instruments because I've never seen any for resale.

Here's fellow UU member Bruddah Chris with a video sample comparison of his Moore Bettah tenor, LFdM tenor, MP tenor, & Breedlove tenor :

And here's a Thread that Bruddah Chris started with the build process of his LDfM tenor:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...de-Mesquita-Ukefferri&highlight=luis+mesquita

Lastly, here's a link to Luis' website: http://lfdmguitars.ca/

BlackBearUkes · Jun 17, 2012

Interesting system of bracing and I am sure it would work fine, although I would not called it a lattice bracing, more of an X bracing with a lattice side support. It is basically the same as a standard X braced guitar, the guitar having finger braces and lower support braces below the bridge. The lattice bracing I have used and have seen on Smallman style instruments use no X brace, that would defeat the purpose of the design.

Moore Bettah Ukuleles · Jun 17, 2012

saltytri said:
Who is the builder?

Obviously a guitar builder.

Oshwega · Jun 17, 2012

I've seen a very similar x/lattice bracing on guitars by Serge DeJounge and his family. Serge gave credit to a couple of German builders for originating the style - I don't recall their names. What I do recall about hearing the guitars is their projection - noticeably more than a normal x-braced instrument. The bracing on that uke top is much lighter in the x's and lattice both, as would seem to befit the smaller instrument. DeJounge uses (or used) this style in both steel-string and classical guitars.

Kekani · Jun 17, 2012

KimosTherapy said:
Ho, Bruddah Saltytri!

The builder is Luis Feu de Mesquita (LFdM). Several UU members are proud owners of his ukes and they must be pretty darn good instruments because I've never seen any for resale.

Here's fellow UU member Bruddah Chris with a video sample comparison of his Moore Bettah tenor, LFdM tenor, MP tenor, & Breedlove tenor :

And here's a Thread that Bruddah Chris started with the build process of his LDfM tenor:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/f...de-Mesquita-Ukefferri&highlight=luis+mesquita

Lastly, here's a link to Luis' website: http://lfdmguitars.ca/

Now that's how to do a sound sample, with the condenser mic sitting right there, you know what is used.

Of course, the use of effects can help, or hurt the comparison. I personally wouldn't call this a comparison of Tenors before I'd call it a comparison of different instruments through the modeling software.

Then again, if there are no effects, then that room is very alive.

I wonder if the side markers are on the 9th, or 10th?

Aaron

Dan Uke · Jun 17, 2012

Oshwega said:
I've seen a very similar x/lattice bracing on guitars by Serge DeJounge and his family. Serge gave credit to a couple of German builders for originating the style - I don't recall their names. What I do recall about hearing the guitars is their projection - noticeably more than a normal x-braced instrument. The bracing on that uke top is much lighter in the x's and lattice both, as would seem to befit the smaller instrument. DeJounge uses (or used) this style in both steel-string and classical guitars.

Great call as he apprenticed with Serge. My uke has side dots on the 5,7,10,12,15.

maclay · Jun 17, 2012

I have always wanted to try some version of lattice bracing. I think it has a lot of potential. One of these days........

Nuprin · Jun 17, 2012

Kekani said:
Now that's how to do a sound sample, with the condenser mic sitting right there, you know what is used.

Of course, the use of effects can help, or hurt the comparison. I personally wouldn't call this a comparison of Tenors before I'd call it a comparison of different instruments through the modeling software.

Then again, if there are no effects, then that room is very alive.

I wonder if the side markers are on the 9th, or 10th?

Aaron

I used Pro Tools. No compression or EQ but I did add reverb. I used the same reverb and reverb settings on all of the ukuleles though.

When I got mine the fret markers were 5, 7, 9, 12, and 14. I understand the 9 as that's where they are on guitar...not sure about the 14 though. I ended up having my luthier drill out the 9 and 14, fill it in, then put a marker in the normal spot. Never realized how much I depend on the 10...having it at the 9th completely threw me off! I emailed Luis and told him for future ukes he should put them on the 10th and 15th instead.

Dan Uke · Jun 18, 2012

maclay said:
I have always wanted to try some version of lattice bracing. I think it has a lot of potential. One of these days........

Jake

You should try it as you make the next age of contemporary ukes and I'm sure Adir. Spruce would work well!!

Pete Howlett · Jun 18, 2012

It's spot the guitar builder time! The only one with real balance seems to be yours Chuck...

Oshwega · Jun 18, 2012

I have used a variation of the DeJounge lattice on a number of instruments, including 6 and 12 string guitars, Irish bazoukis and octave mandolins. These instruments have a "punch" that allows them to project through a gathering of other instruments. There is a tonal change from a more traditionally-braced instrument, but changes in the back bracing design can adjust this.
I will grant that I fall into Mr. Howlett's category of "guitar builders", but after 40 years of building stringed instruments (guitars, mandolins, Irish bazoukis, dulcimers, fiddles, etc.), I believe that the laws governing acoustic physics don't change from one instrument to another. What changes is how we need to adjust the design specifics within the parameters of each particular instrument to those laws, to maximize the instruments tonal quality. I don't see any reason to abandon that approach as I build ukuleles. I just need to pay attention to what the ukulele tells me as it comes together.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Jun 18, 2012

Pete Howlett said:
It's spot the guitar builder time! The only one with real balance seems to be yours Chuck...

Can't beat a few simple fans.

Also, i've found in instrument making that there is a direct correlation between an instruments sound and the luthier's facial hair, with particular emphasis on the Mustache. Eric Devine's clean shaven look is im sure just for the photos to throw people off 'The Stach' scent.

Just an observation.

Liam Ryan · Jun 18, 2012

Full beard for full tone.

Rick Turner · Jun 18, 2012

I don't find that ukes directly track guitar physics or acoustics. For instance, I've successfully used wood for tops on ukes that I'd never use for guitars, though faves like Adirondack spruce do indeed work well. But the higher tuning does make things different. I think it's easy to overdo uke bracing, too. We've done some semi-exotic stuff, and allowing the upper bout to move has helped us establish a kind of signature tone, but I'm not sure how much advantage there might be to pushing deep into advanced classical guitar bracing and top design for ukes. I'd hate to see a scaled down Smallman...you'd have the edges of the top at about the thickness of a business card!

Oshwega · Jun 18, 2012

Thanks for that bit of information, Rick!
I'll be playing around with some ideas as I build, and am starting building from a couple of plans to get a few baseline instruments. I'll proceed to play with ideas etc. from there. The lattice bracing will likely be among them, but adjusted for the ukes size. And most likely in the tenor/baritone size.
I'm retired now, so I can do what I wish. So what I wish is to have fun building these instruments. If anything of interest (or value) pops up in the process, I will post photos and comments on the forum. Any clunkers I may give to the neighborhood kids so they can torment their parents further.

DeVineGuitars · Jun 18, 2012

Beau Hannam Ukuleles said:
Can't beat a few simple fans.

Also, i've found in instrument making that there is a direct correlation between an instruments sound and the luthier's facial hair, with particular emphasis on the Mustache. Eric Devine's clean shaven look is im sure just for the photos to throw people off 'The Stache' scent.

Just an observation.

Hahaha. I am usually pretty clean shaving but once a year I let the stach out of it's cage. We have been big supporters of Movember for years! For those that don't know, Movember is where you grow a mustache for the month of November to raise money and awareness for men's health.
Here is last years stache and our Halloween costume that was designed around it. By the way, we won first place at the Lahaina front street costume contest.

Dan Uke · Jun 18, 2012

DeVineGuitars said:
Hahaha. I am usually pretty clean shaving but once a year I let the stach out of it's cage. We have been big supporters of Movember for years! For those that don't know, Movember is where you grow a mustache for the month of November to raise money and awareness for men's health.
Here is last years stache and our Halloween costume that was designed around it. By the way, we won first place at the Lahaina front street costume contest.
View attachment 39128 View attachment 39129

HAHA...I had to look at the pic for awhile to figure out the costumes. That is great work.

Do you cut your own koa wood like Paul Bunyon? You got more muscles than the average luthier!!

ChrisRCovington · Jun 18, 2012

HHHMMMMmmmmm... Maybe I should grow the cop-stache and it can double whammy as an aspiring-amatuer-ukulele-builder-stache, too? The future wife hates it when I have a mustache and no goatee though

Lattice Bracing

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