Top thickness

[mandoplyr70]

What is the preferred thickness of a spruce top thinnest to thickest this is on a F style .

[sunburst]

Depends on the stiffness and density of the top wood, the height and shape of the arch, the builder, the sound the builder is striving for, and other details of construction.

[Geoff B]

The question is kind of vague, and Mr. Hamlett offered some ways to be more specific, but with Engleman and Sitka I've found they end up in the ballpark of 1/4" in the center to 1/10" around the recurve. I'd say they vary as much as .05-.1 from top to top from these numbers, but that's been my experience, and similar to what Siminoff's book says, as well as some other discussions I've had with builders. I hope that helps!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I'm not sure, but this may have been discussed before and there may be more info in existing threads.

[buddyellis]

Loar 'spec' carvings are somewhere around .170 in the center and .120 +/- at the minimum, and this can go as low as .100 in exceptionally stiff pieces of wood. However that's considered the HARD minimum thickness (and many would say probably too thin), and I'd suggest .120 or so at the tailpiece end for structural reasons.

I think John previously has suggested .125 +/- at both ends of the top that are in line with the strings, to be adjusted as necessary -- strictly for structual support (this is a lesson I learned hard as my #1 has started to fold in at the tailpiece end, and I've had to pull the back and cleat it up -- I'll probably end up replacing the top now that I have 1/3 of a clue about what I'm doing)

The back can go -.020 or so the top measurements, but remains fairly thick at the neck end (starts at ~~.160, and graduates to .250 at the button) I think this is mostly decorative, but I'm wondering if there isn't a structural aspect to it, too (support the neck at the button)

P.S. See what John said. These are general guidelines. Thinner is not necessarily better (within reason, if the box is .25 all over don't expect it to speak much on the low end) -- the coupling of the box is more important, and getting even graduations, and proper tone bars and......