I've always thought it better not to have to drill all those holes in a nice rim for shoe brackets. Some makers overcome this problem with a bracket band (bracket shoes attached to a sheet metal covering) but I wanted to see the wood. Here's my solution. This is a separately made ring which rests on a shoulder set into the rim. Lots of extra work, but well worth the effort in both sound and appearance. This arrangement really lets the block rim do its thing. The hardware is solid polished brass and made in my shop. You can also just make out the bracket that holds the No Knot tailpiece in position (picture at right).
