I was wondering does carving the bracing on a ukulele soundboard help produce a better sound and also can someone explain to me what tap tuning is?
One interesting thing...Roger now believes that Loar mandolins were tuned using "Philosophical Pitch"... C 256 (A-427) which puts all notes about a quarter tone flat or sharp of current standard pitch of A-440. Thus the resonant pitches of a Loar will not result in wolf tones in modern pitch, though they may have in Loar's time if the mandolins were tuned to Philosophical. Roger's beliefs are based on one of the electric claviers that Loar made as well as knowing that Loar was a Theosophist. So ironically, Loar mandos work better tuned differently than Loar preferred.
I will agree that flex testing is more reliable, but I think tapping has a place in ukulele building. I don't tune to any specific note, I just carve and tap until the plate sounds musical....until it has a nice ring. If it starts to sound muddy, you carved too much. Ukes are hard to judge because we use so many different wood species for tops. I find that spruce, cedar, and redwood are easier to "tune" than traditional hardwoods. Its not an exact science, but for me tapping is another check or reference that helps me achieve the sound I want.