Bracing a new OM acoustic .

[Len Biglin]

Hi Guys , I have made a few guitars and usually use 5/16 X 1/2 spruce for the main braces , scalloped to 1/4". I am now making an OM with spruce  soundboard at 0,105" and to be strung 11 to 52 . What do you think for main braces ? and same for tone bars ? Thanks Len

[Hesh Breakstone]

Hi Len - I have built 7 OM's with the first one using 5/8" wide braces and all the others using 1/4" wide braces (speaking of the X, tone bars and finger braces not the upper transverse brace).  I personally prefer the 1/4" wide braces for my OM's and the height at the X-intersection not including the cap is typically 1/2" or less, never more.

The Antes OM plan was what I used for my first OM and that turned out over braced and IIRC that calls for 5/8" wide braces.

Don't get me wrong, bracing, top selection AND thickness, and many other factors are all part of a system and brace thickness in and of itself is no magic bullet so-to-speak.  But for mass reduction while retaining the necessary stiffness I personally prefer narrower width braces (1/4") and perhaps slightly taller depending on how the individual top voices.