They weren't all ladder braced, many of the later dreads had variations of X bracing, and some of those with solid tops could be made to sound okay. Beyond that, most others were slag. I happen to have a later Sovereign ply top which I bought at a pawn shop while on vacation far from home. It made a dandy lapsteel for a while, but now hangs in my workshop awaiting a new bridge. There's no comparison to the variety of good guitars I flatter myself with, so the Sovereign is ignored.

Peace, Mooh.