Making a Baritone guitar

[Mac McElwain]

Hello good people,

I am about to embark on a Baritone version of some Grand Auditorium-sized acoustics that I have made. I'm wondering what views you might have on how I should beef up the construction.

I'll be using a 28" scale with 70 through 15 D'Addario strings, tuned B to B. 

In its regular acoustic version, I build to:

2.5mm top and bridge plate

2mm tone wood (NZ Rimu)

Light strings

With a total string tension of about 150 lbs

What should I do for Baritone where I calculate the tension to be 200lbs?

I'm thinking 3mm top/bridge plate

2.5mm tone wood

Bracing +10% size

Any views?

MAC

[Kerry Krishna]

I look forward to reading all that is posted! Good luck with this project Mac ! 

[Kerry Krishna]

 Bump to the top! How about some help here for Mac? He is being vera patient! 

[Andrew]

Well, I have minimal experience building acoustics, but your numbers make fairly good sense to my intuition. Maybe consider the experimental Martin "A frame" bracing or something similar. That should reduce the "folding" effect of the extra tension significantly. When I graduate to making acoustics, Ill probably be trying that on my first one.