Trestle Bracing

Howdy -

I'm new to the site. Nice to be here. I've got a question for you folks who might lean toward the rockabilly end of things.

I got got a really nice blond DeArmomd X-155 that I'm tricking our rockabilly style. Here's what I've done so far:

- Bigsby B6 (USA)
- GFS NYII single coils (I'd like a set of white DeArmond 2k's, but these sound almost identical)
- Guild/Bigsby compensated G (unwound) bridge pinned to top

My next mod is going to be trestle bracing, or at least, my understanding of it. My plan is to take some mahogany bracing and place it under the top braces where the bridge is, then secure it to the back of the guitar like a trestle. Gretsch did this for a while, but uiti was too labor intensive and expensive. It is supposed to increase sustain and cut down on feedback. The downside is that it will also decrease the vibrations in the back and top.

Anybody have any experince with this?

Currently own: 97 Starfire III with TV Jones Filtertrons, D-52 acoustic, several "Frankenteles."

I know some guys over at http://www.gretschpages.com have added these soundposts like you are talking about to give it that "trestle braced" effect. A search on trestle should yield the results you are looking for.

I have never added one but the science is basically this:

- Remove bridge pickup
- Measure distance between back and top.
- Cut wood dowel to the measured distance.
- Insert dowel under the bridge and secure to the top and back with glue.

This operation is easy to mess up so I would definately do the research or find someone that has doen if before. Hope that helps.

Twangman said:

Howdy -

I'm new to the site. Nice to be here.

Click to expand...

Welcome!!!!

Yea, I've done some research and structurally, I kow that you should attach the braces to the two top braces runniung along either side of the pickup cavities, not the top itself.

Yeah like I said I have a general idea on the science but not the finer points. That is the type of thing I would farm out to a buddy of mine.

It will cut down on feedback, but it will change the sound as well so be prepared for that.

I used to farm out stuff. After paying way too much $ too many times for really terrible work, I slowly started to learn to do stuff myself. Videos from http://www.stewmac.com are great for learning. Old Kay's and such are great for learning too. I figure it (guitar repair) should give me something to do for $ after retirement!

The trestle barcing should reduce the resonance (bad for jazz, I guess) but should help for the kind of stuff I do.

Is this the same type of soundpost as a violin has? My fiddling friends consider that a critical adjustment in their instruments, and I guess it might hold true for an archtop axe, too!

So, I got my daily LTG lesson! Very cool!

Trestle bracing like Gretsch used to do between '58 and '61 can't really be done from outside the guitar, but two (or even four) heavy duty soundposts could have some of that same effect.
I have a modified X135 (single pickup X155) as well, and I've been thinking of putting a soundpost in it to tighten it up a little, it's a very bassy, tubby sounding guitar, even unplugged, and when things get loud onstage it gets a little harder to manage.

The parallel bracing under the top of those DeArmonds is not "square" or flat on the side that faces the guitar's back though, so you'd have to shave a part of it to glue a soundpost to it I think.

This one is mine, with vintage Franz pickups :[img:383:802]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/WalterBroes/DeArmondI.jpg[/img]

And this is one I finished modding last month for a friend, it has GFS P90's on Allparts spacers :

[img:254:514]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v66/WalterBroes/NAklein.jpg[/img]

Very nice mods! I plan on using my handy-dandy Dremmel and carving out two slots in the top of the braces to fit onto the parallel top braces. I figure I'll get 'em to fit snug at first, then apply some Titebond to either end. To do the best distribution of pressure, I might even attach an "I" beam on top of both braces, then carve my slots in the I beam. The bracing I'm using is 1-1/2 inch mahogany, so the mass of wood should be substantial enough to help the sustain.

Walter those are really nice mods especially the X-155. I have one that I was getting ready to sell maybe I should mod it out? I have a T-400, pictured next to my post and I want to work on a mod to rewire the pickups to get some different sound from them. 8)

Not sure I'm getting you Doc - they're both X135's.