Workshop: Scalloped Bracing Changes

This is the same '71 D-28 that I worked on recently, but since then a fellow has purchased it and had me scallop the braces through the soundhole. I also reset the neck, too. While you can remove material through the hole and get a pretty decent look to the modified braces, the finished work is never as gorgeous as if you yanked the back off to do it up fancy. I dug-in most on the two tonebars and then took a gentler amount of material off the main braces as they have a straight taper that gets fairly slim at the end to begin with.

The results? It's more robust in the lower-mids and bass but still has a lot of good punch and clarity on the high-end and upper-mids. To my ears it sounds like a good '50s Martin. I apologize for woofing the mic a bit, too, as I rocked the guitar back and forth. If I'd gone nutty and cut more back, we could've steered it into more of the '30s sound... but I think structural safety and "good resolution" to the sound is a must on a regular-picker guitar.