Guitar innovation was going on throughout Europe and America at the same time that Torres was experimenting on the design of the classical guitar. The fan bracing of Torres was innovative and is still used on classical guitars today. But alternatives would eventually prove important for flat top guitars.
Martin’s X bracing was a different solution to the problem of getting more vibrations and volume from the top of the guitar. It may not have been as good for gut stringed guitars. But when steel strings started being substituted for gut strings, near the end of the 19th century, the X-bracing proved the better design. Example of a 19th century martin.
