Fan Bracing
© Frank Ford, 2/20/99; Drawing courtesy of the Guild of American Luthiers
The "standard" bracing pattern for the tops of classical guitars is known as "fan bracing" because of the several small braces that radiate from just below the soundhole toward the end of the guitar:
There must be about a zillion variants of this bracing system, which has been modified over the years by luthiers worldwide!
Steel string guitars are seldom made with this bracing system, which must be further modified and beefed up to handle the increased tension. Steel string guitars are usually more successfully reinforced with cross bracing.
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