Brother Randy, I just learned more about bracing than 8 years of playing taught me. What a great side-by-side comparison, and the difference is clear. The ladder bracing has an earthier tone, less bright, but great, nonetheless. But the X bracing seems to free up the top, bringing out the highs and mid's. Thanks for another great lesson!
Thanks, brother Paul! You couldn’t be more right. Once they stumbled upon X bracing guitars, it changed everything. More volume and better richness. I also think the guitar plays in quicker, due to the channeling of the sound under the top. Always appreciate you, brother man 👍🏻
Great video Randy. Sometimes the basics is all people want. Nicely done. I always try to go by the sayjng "Every man is my teacher, in that I may learn from him". Owning a Norlin era Gibson Hummingbird, I researched bracing as much as I could. During this time, Gibson used a double X bracing, and even then, added more. This was an attempt to reduce warranty repairs from 60's models which were plagued with bulging tops and lifting bridges. As a result, many of these Norlin era guitars sounded like they had a dozen pairs of socks in the soundbox. Mine wasn't too bad, but definitely didn't sound as bright as todays Hummingbirds. About 15 years ago, I had a luthier replace the bridgeplate with a thinner one, and he also removed a small pair of the overbraced braces. Randy, I can't begin to tell you what a difference in tone and volume it made. Much like your rebraced Silvertone. I would put ut up against a Bozeman Bird any day. I have a pic of the inside of the Norlin era bracing that I will send you in an email. There are also two arrows pointing to the two small braces that were removed in mine. Play on brother.
Hi Terry, I couldn’t agree more with your opening statement about the basics. I always try to employ the KISS method in every conversation, professionally or here on YT. I think sometimes folks are more interested in telling you how smart they are, as opposed to trying to help you. I really appreciate you confirming that the channel communicates the right thing. Yes sir, it’s amazing what some bracing adjustments can accomplish. I remember reading about those warranty issues they were having and their answer to it. That is exactly why folks like Stuart Mossman had such great success during that era. Thanks for such a detailed comment, brother man 👍🏻
Your knowledge knows no limits and so awesome you share it with us all... you surely kept me great company during my breaktime... your skill in playing is impeccable dear one 👌🌹
Oooo yes. Love this. Thanks for doing this comparison. I feel in love with the Collings made Waterloo WL-S and finally found one. It’s a forever guitar. Will watch for you finding the ladder braced Collings and sharing it with us.
Hi JJ, very kind of you to stop in and comment. I love those Waterloo guitars. I think it was a smart move by Collings. Looking forward to hearing more from you 👍
Another great video. There aren't too many people playing ladder braced guitars anymore. I really love the sound of yours. It sounds like it might be a better guitar to sing over than the X braced one
Brother man Al, great to hear from you my friend! These guitars we play are interesting animals, for sure. Always appreciate your input, brother man and hope you, Heather and the kiddos are all doing well 👍🏻
Fascinating! I hear a bit more tinny-ness on both, but I mean that in the best way possible. Great sounding guitars that definitely have that Delta Blues "twang"! Your vids are incredibly informative! Never knew how much this stuff made a difference in tone.
Hi Mason, great hearing from you! It is interesting, right? I never knew about any of this until a few years back, after I bought the 69 from Scott. I remember reading the description on the modification on that guitar and thinking, hmm, wonder what this beast sounds like? A better decision to buy have I ever made. Thank you so much for the encouragement and support, brother man and if it helped you in any way, then you are most welcome 👍🏻
Interesting comparison! There are so many factors that influence the sound of a guitar. I think sometimes even the same make and model guitars can sound different.
Thank you, Ms Rose. Yes’m, a lot of factors play into the final outcome. A sound chamber is an interesting place. Always appreciate hearing from my talented friend, Ms Rose Akerman 👍🏻
Hi Daithi, great to hear from you! Always appreciate the feedback and support, brother man 👍🏻 Folks, if you haven’t already done so, please visit Daithi’s channel: youtube.com/@SongsFromTheRuaRoom?feature=shared He is the owner of this studio in Belgium and is not only a great musician, but also a great sound engineer 👍🏻
Great video Randy! I enjoyed listening to your stellar pickin. I have an old Stella and Kay with ladder bracing. They sound cool but I always grab my x braced guitars for volume and better balance.
Hi DL, thank you for the kind words. At some point I’d like to pick up a large body Kay with ladder bracing. You’re absolutely right about the X providing a rich and more balanced voice. That Stella on the wall behind me has ladder bracing as well. The few times I’ve played it, I usually do a small piece of slide on it. Always appreciate hearing from you, brother man 👍🏻
Very informative and interesting comparison video Randy, I never knew anything about X bracing or ladders, I did spend a lot of time up ladders when I worked as a house painter😂 but anyway the difference is quite striking, I'm torn between both really, anyway great talk and playing my friend 🎸🎸👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻
Brother man Trevor! I was on a few ladders myself, earlier in life 😂. They really have their place, eh? I never even thought about what was under the hood for most of my life. If it hadn’t been for Scott describing what he did to my 69, I still wouldn’t know anything. The X bracing does give some serious volume and tone to a guitar. Great to hear from you, brother man 👍🏻
Great playing and comparison Randy! I grew up playing a ladder braced Gibson LGO and a 1930s Gretsch archtop. I have x-braced guitars now but they don’t vamp jazz chords the way a ladder braced guitar does. Also ladder braced guitars seem to work better for acoustic lead guitar work for me. Ladder bracing is not as full, open or high fidelity as x bracing but like an old mono tube record player they sure cut through the mix.
Excellent, Randy! Super informative for someone like me who's still got lots to learn about guitars! I was specifically looking for a koa instrument (hence the new acoustic koa baby Taylor although I did start off thinking I was looking for a koa ukulele lol) Happy Sunday, Brother! 💜👍44
Hi Leenie, great to see you! Those baby Taylors seem to be beloved by many, especially with the Koa. That V Class bracing is popular with a lot of people and lends itself to a bit brighter sound. Really glad you found the video helpful 😁. Great to hear from you sis 👍🏻
Great video sir. I knew next to nothing about the difference between ladder and x-bracing. Very interesting and informative. I like the sound of both guitars but I gotta say that 69 with the x-bracing really shines. That is one fine sounding guitar. The back-to-back comparison midway thru really shows the difference and that was some great picking btw. I'd love to be able to Travis pick half as good as that but my thumb keeps forgetting what to do! Obviously I need to practice more. The sound quality of your videos is very good. What mic are you using if you don't mind me asking?
@@randysrhythm You're very welcome sir and thank you for the words of encouragement. That means alot. I plan on adding more content soon I hope. Keep up the great work!
Lol.. guilty... I only have X braces guitars. It's just what I prefer. There's nothing wrong with ladder bracing, I just prefer the sound of X braced guitars. Always glad to see a new video out by you too. I'll be uploading that video on the Sovereign, that you gave to Noah, soon. Got to record the end result yet. I am very impressed with the sound now.. And so is Noah.
Hi David, I only own a couple of the ladder braced myself, so most of the fleet are X. You make a lot of great points, brother man. Looking forward to the Harmony video and really glad you made that guitar right! 2 friends working together to make a deserving young man happy 😁👍🏻
Hi Bruce, if it’s new, it should be in the spec and plainly say if it’s X or Ladder braced. If you buy it used and there is no spec, the sound is unmistakable from the guitars I see you playing on YT. If you are buying on Reverb, and it’s used, if the description doesn’t plainly say that it has been converted, then it’s likely ladder braced, provided it’s one of the older ones. If you get stumped, just shoot me an email and I’ll help you figure it out, brother man 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm The last couple of years I have had a burning desire to get an archtop acoustic but I have this aversion to buying something I haven't tried before. I often wonder the tone difference as well.
@@randysrhythm Thanks for your replies, I have mostly electrics but two are hollow body electrics and a 335 center block type. Both are from the late 60's early 70's japanese made. One is a thinline that is shaped like a 335 but has humbucker sized single coils. The other is a violin shaped with some really low output single coils that are super chimey. I am wanting a full sized, full depth Jazz box are they really low volume?
@skullheadwater9839 As much as I hate to say it, they really are best with a pickup. If you’ve seen many of my videos, you probably already know that I personally prefer an acoustic to be mic’d, unless you’re in a huge auditorium. The F Hole acoustics, at least the ones I’ve played, just don’t have the volume of a center hole. They can sound great, and if they have a larger depth they are certainly louder. I’ve just limited myself to F Holes on the electric side. I had a Gibson 335 and a Gretsch F Hole. I loved both of them. I have only owned one acoustic version and it had to have a pickup. There may be one out there, but I’ve yet to play it.
Brother Randy, I just learned more about bracing than 8 years of playing taught me. What a great side-by-side comparison, and the difference is clear. The ladder bracing has an earthier tone, less bright, but great, nonetheless. But the X bracing seems to free up the top, bringing out the highs and mid's. Thanks for another great lesson!
Thanks, brother Paul! You couldn’t be more right. Once they stumbled upon X bracing guitars, it changed everything. More volume and better richness. I also think the guitar plays in quicker, due to the channeling of the sound under the top. Always appreciate you, brother man 👍🏻
Great video Randy. Sometimes the basics is all people want. Nicely done. I always try to go by the sayjng "Every man is my teacher, in that I may learn from him".
Owning a Norlin era Gibson Hummingbird, I researched bracing as much as I could. During this time, Gibson used a double X bracing, and even then, added more. This was an attempt to reduce warranty repairs from 60's models which were plagued with bulging tops and lifting bridges. As a result, many of these Norlin era guitars sounded like they had a dozen pairs of socks in the soundbox. Mine wasn't too bad, but definitely didn't sound as bright as todays Hummingbirds. About 15 years ago, I had a luthier replace the bridgeplate with a thinner one, and he also removed a small pair of the overbraced braces. Randy, I can't begin to tell you what a difference in tone and volume it made. Much like your rebraced Silvertone. I would put ut up against a Bozeman Bird any day. I have a pic of the inside of the Norlin era bracing that I will send you in an email. There are also two arrows pointing to the two small braces that were removed in mine. Play on brother.
Hi Terry, I couldn’t agree more with your opening statement about the basics. I always try to employ the KISS method in every conversation, professionally or here on YT. I think sometimes folks are more interested in telling you how smart they are, as opposed to trying to help you. I really appreciate you confirming that the channel communicates the right thing.
Yes sir, it’s amazing what some bracing adjustments can accomplish. I remember reading about those warranty issues they were having and their answer to it. That is exactly why folks like Stuart Mossman had such great success during that era. Thanks for such a detailed comment, brother man 👍🏻
Excellent playing my dear friend Randy!! Sounds really great!! Wonderful lesson and great reviews!!
Love and respect Kyle!! 😊🥁🇵🇭
Thank you, my wee brother man Kyle 👍🏻
Your knowledge knows no limits and so awesome you share it with us all... you surely kept me great company during my breaktime... your skill in playing is impeccable dear one 👌🌹
Hi Ms Therese, I only wish there were two of you. You’re too kind and I really appreciate the kind and thoughtful comment, ma’am 👍🏻
Oooo yes. Love this. Thanks for doing this comparison. I feel in love with the Collings made Waterloo WL-S and finally found one. It’s a forever guitar. Will watch for you finding the ladder braced Collings and sharing it with us.
Hi JJ, very kind of you to stop in and comment. I love those Waterloo guitars. I think it was a smart move by Collings. Looking forward to hearing more from you 👍
Another great video. There aren't too many people playing ladder braced guitars anymore. I really love the sound of yours. It sounds like it might be a better guitar to sing over than the X braced one
They really do bring a unique sound to the table, right? I greatly appreciate the kind words, brother man 👍🏻
Thanks brother! I'll definitely be paying attention to that on the next guitar purchase. Substantial difference in that sound!
Brother man Al, great to hear from you my friend! These guitars we play are interesting animals, for sure. Always appreciate your input, brother man and hope you, Heather and the kiddos are all doing well 👍🏻
Great Explanation Randy !!! Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge my friend !!! 🎙🎸
Hi Jimmy, greatly appreciated and you are very welcome, brother man 👍🏻
Mais uma linda postagem........ seus vídeos são excelentes........ maravilha......... wonderful music and video.....
Thank you, Tony 👍🏻
Interesting vidéo 🌹
Wonderful sharing
Thank you 👍🏻
Learning something new! Both sounding good!
Much appreciated, brother man James 🥃👍🏻
lovely playin', randy. i'd get that ladder braced silvertone over to scott asap .. . ;)
LOL! I’ll eventually send it to him, brother man 👍🏻
Fascinating! I hear a bit more tinny-ness on both, but I mean that in the best way possible. Great sounding guitars that definitely have that Delta Blues "twang"! Your vids are incredibly informative! Never knew how much this stuff made a difference in tone.
Hi Mason, great hearing from you! It is interesting, right? I never knew about any of this until a few years back, after I bought the 69 from Scott. I remember reading the description on the modification on that guitar and thinking, hmm, wonder what this beast sounds like? A better decision to buy have I ever made. Thank you so much for the encouragement and support, brother man and if it helped you in any way, then you are most welcome 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm Most definitely helpful...love this stuff!
Interesting comparison! There are so many factors that influence the sound of a guitar. I think sometimes even the same make and model guitars can sound different.
Thank you, Ms Rose. Yes’m, a lot of factors play into the final outcome. A sound chamber is an interesting place. Always appreciate hearing from my talented friend, Ms Rose Akerman 👍🏻
Interesting and informative as always Randy. Thank you
Hi Daithi, great to hear from you! Always appreciate the feedback and support, brother man 👍🏻
Folks, if you haven’t already done so, please visit Daithi’s channel:
youtube.com/@SongsFromTheRuaRoom?feature=shared
He is the owner of this studio in Belgium and is not only a great musician, but also a great sound engineer 👍🏻
Great video Randy! I enjoyed listening to your stellar pickin. I have an old Stella and Kay with ladder bracing. They sound cool but I always grab my x braced guitars for volume and better balance.
Hi DL, thank you for the kind words. At some point I’d like to pick up a large body Kay with ladder bracing. You’re absolutely right about the X providing a rich and more balanced voice. That Stella on the wall behind me has ladder bracing as well. The few times I’ve played it, I usually do a small piece of slide on it. Always appreciate hearing from you, brother man 👍🏻
Great video Randy, interesting stuff
Thank you, Oz. Always appreciate your feedback and that means a lot, brother man 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm Your welcome brother
Very informative and interesting comparison video Randy, I never knew anything about X bracing or ladders, I did spend a lot of time up ladders when I worked as a house painter😂 but anyway the difference is quite striking, I'm torn between both really, anyway great talk and playing my friend 🎸🎸👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻
Brother man Trevor! I was on a few ladders myself, earlier in life 😂. They really have their place, eh? I never even thought about what was under the hood for most of my life. If it hadn’t been for Scott describing what he did to my 69, I still wouldn’t know anything. The X bracing does give some serious volume and tone to a guitar. Great to hear from you, brother man 👍🏻
Great video!
Sounds wonderful🎶✨
Thank you, Mami!
Very interesting video! 🙏🏻
Thank you 👍🏻
Lovely picking Randy!
You’re a sweetheart, Ms Brooke! Thank you, ma’am 👍🏻
@randysrhythm you're welcome sugar
Great playing and comparison Randy! I grew up playing a ladder braced Gibson LGO and a 1930s Gretsch archtop. I have x-braced guitars now but they don’t vamp jazz chords the way a ladder braced guitar does. Also ladder braced guitars seem to work better for acoustic lead guitar work for me. Ladder bracing is not as full, open or high fidelity as x bracing but like an old mono tube record player they sure cut through the mix.
Hi Seth, thanks for such a kind and informational comment. I really like the analogy of the tube record player, brother man 👍🏻
Excellent, Randy! Super informative for someone like me who's still got lots to learn about guitars! I was specifically looking for a koa instrument (hence the new acoustic koa baby Taylor although I did start off thinking I was looking for a koa ukulele lol) Happy Sunday, Brother! 💜👍44
Hi Leenie, great to see you! Those baby Taylors seem to be beloved by many, especially with the Koa. That V Class bracing is popular with a lot of people and lends itself to a bit brighter sound. Really glad you found the video helpful 😁. Great to hear from you sis 👍🏻
Great video sir. I knew next to nothing about the difference between ladder and x-bracing. Very interesting and informative. I like the sound of both guitars but I gotta say that 69 with the x-bracing really shines. That is one fine sounding guitar.
The back-to-back comparison midway thru really shows the difference and that was some great picking btw. I'd love to be able to Travis pick half as good as that but my thumb keeps forgetting what to do! Obviously I need to practice more.
The sound quality of your videos is very good. What mic are you using if you don't mind me asking?
Hi Brian, if you look in the description of the linked video, you’ll find everything I use:
ua-cam.com/video/ndaAmkIBfb8/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
@@randysrhythm Thank you sir!
@@__bamI meant to thank you for the kind words as well. Thank you sir and hope to hear more from you, brother man 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm You're very welcome sir and thank you for the words of encouragement. That means alot. I plan on adding more content soon I hope. Keep up the great work!
Lol.. guilty... I only have X braces guitars. It's just what I prefer. There's nothing wrong with ladder bracing, I just prefer the sound of X braced guitars.
Always glad to see a new video out by you too. I'll be uploading that video on the Sovereign, that you gave to Noah, soon. Got to record the end result yet. I am very impressed with the sound now.. And so is Noah.
Hi David, I only own a couple of the ladder braced myself, so most of the fleet are X. You make a lot of great points, brother man.
Looking forward to the Harmony video and really glad you made that guitar right! 2 friends working together to make a deserving young man happy 😁👍🏻
@@randysrhythm
All I did was set it up. Thank you again Randy and I'll talk to you soon.
Interesting comparison 🤔. Great information 👍. When buying a guitar how do you know if it has ladder or x bracing.
Hi Bruce, if it’s new, it should be in the spec and plainly say if it’s X or Ladder braced. If you buy it used and there is no spec, the sound is unmistakable from the guitars I see you playing on YT. If you are buying on Reverb, and it’s used, if the description doesn’t plainly say that it has been converted, then it’s likely ladder braced, provided it’s one of the older ones. If you get stumped, just shoot me an email and I’ll help you figure it out, brother man 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm thank you 😊
I enjoyed this. Do you have any carve maple F-Hole type archtops to do a comparison?
Yes sir, I do. I purchased one about a year ago. I’ll find some time to do that, brother man 👍🏻
@@randysrhythm The last couple of years I have had a burning desire to get an archtop acoustic but I have this aversion to buying something I haven't tried before. I often wonder the tone difference as well.
I think you’re going to find that the F Holes don’t quite have the volume. I have a pickup in mine for that reason.
@@randysrhythm Thanks for your replies, I have mostly electrics but two are hollow body electrics and a 335 center block type. Both are from the late 60's early 70's japanese made. One is a thinline that is shaped like a 335 but has humbucker sized single coils. The other is a violin shaped with some really low output single coils that are super chimey. I am wanting a full sized, full depth Jazz box are they really low volume?
@skullheadwater9839 As much as I hate to say it, they really are best with a pickup. If you’ve seen many of my videos, you probably already know that I personally prefer an acoustic to be mic’d, unless you’re in a huge auditorium. The F Hole acoustics, at least the ones I’ve played, just don’t have the volume of a center hole. They can sound great, and if they have a larger depth they are certainly louder. I’ve just limited myself to F Holes on the electric side. I had a Gibson 335 and a Gretsch F Hole. I loved both of them. I have only owned one acoustic version and it had to have a pickup. There may be one out there, but I’ve yet to play it.
Love both ,for me my ladder braced kalamazoo i brefer over x braced. X braced bored me more with so.e time of playing.
Love me a great ladder braced guitar. Appreciate the comment, brother man 👍🏻