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Do any of you shift the sound hole down a little when building a D42-45?

Just wondering.

Thanks

Rick Gunn

Just about 1/8 in
When in doubt you start with the fretboard.
Once you know where the fretboard falls you know where the pearl comes across and mates with the rosette.

Pearl and b/w/b is about .160 in

Do the braces stay where they are the hole just shift down an 1/8th.

yes
braces don't change unless you change the scale length

Basically the sound hole edge is now 4 1/8 and not four from the front edge?

that is correct

Curious. What is the purpose in Martin moving the sound hole down an 1/8"?

Kevin

the rosette is wider and to accommodate the pearl trim along the fretboard you trim the fretboard shorter and the pearl that follows the extension will catch the rim pearl. If you don't the pearl fails to line up.

Thanks.
On the three 41-45s I have built so far I had always trimmed the fret board so that the intersection of the inlay around the fret board extension was just touching the rosette. I will try it the other way.

Thanks for the tip.

RG

The key is to get the pearl to fall into the rosette and blend in from the fretboard