The next step will be to flip it over and run it through the thickness sander to remove the fake top from the back of it. We will thickness sand it down to the proper thickness to achieve the best sound without ever touching the original top!

This process will leave a few thousandths of an inch of the fake top in place. That'll guarantee that the original top will hold together under stress, and give us fresh wood on which to glue the bracing.

I know that there are some purists out there reading this right now that are thinking this will alter the tone of the original top. I need to remind you that the original top was decayed to the point that some spots were turning to dust in your fingers! The fact that any of the original top exsists at all is amazing. It certainly would never withstand the stress of string tension had it not been repaired in such a manner. The amount of the fake top that has remained after this repair is literally paper thin, but has added a surprising amount of strength to it. The top also sounds quite resonant when tapped on.