For the last 100 years or so, acoustic guitar bracing patterns have evolved very little beyond subtle refinements. Three basic patterns are traditionally accepted as the standards: fan bracing for nylon-string/classical guitars, ladder bracing mostly found on early lower-cost steel-string instruments manufactured between 1900 and 1940 and—most popular of all—X-bracing, which was developed by C.F. Martin during the 1800s and refined to its standard design during the Twenties and Thirties as Martin’s main production shifted to steel-string flattop acoustics.
Taylor Guitars' New V-Class Bracing Revolutionizes Acoustic Flattop Steel-String Tone
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49
“I’d never played a Strat before. But when Audioslave was forming, I was looking for a new guitar. I went into a Guitar Center and found this Strat on the wall. It spoke to me deeply”: Tom Morello on the origins and mods of his Soul Power Strat
5 easy ways to make open chords more interesting
“Nothing was even mic'd up through the P.A. – they just listened to our amps and the two vocal mics. Sometimes we'd just play rubbish”: The Beatles on their struggles to be heard over the screams of Beatlemania – and the toll it took on their performances