Ladder Bracing
Leabelly's Stella 12-string had transverse Ladder Bracing
The earliest and most primitive guitars had simple transverse or "ladder" top bracing that looked something like this:
Drawing courtesy of the Guild of American Luthiers
Later, around 1850, fan bracing and cross bracing became the standard for most fine guitars. Ladder bracing was more often used on production instruments of lower price.
