Spot Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Is bellying in older ladder braced guitars simply unavoidable due to the fundamental fault in this design or is it the result of heavy gauge strings, climate, humidity and poor care? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Is bellying in older ladder braced guitars simply unavoidable due to the fundamental fault in this design or is it the result of heavy gauge strings, climate, humidity and poor care? I don't think you can generalize....a lot of guitars belly over time, ladder braced AND x-braced......I have 3 ladder braced guitars......none are really bellied badly..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodehopper Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Ladder bracing has a sound of its own. One of the "improvements" in guitar making was the X-Braced pattern. Supposedly to help support the pull of steel strings...longer scale lengths etc. Ladder braced guitars that are lightly built and very resonant in sound may benefit from low tension strings such as NEWTONE HERITAGE SERIES low tension strings. I have then on my John How Ladder Braced Concert guitar. You do lose a touch of fullness, but the ladder braced sound and added movement of the low tension strings give the guitar a great voice for picking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Not statistically meaningful, but the LG1 I bought new in '64 hasn't been treated specially and is fine. Has been a little too dry at times and a little to humid as well. I've always used light strings and tuned down in D though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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