Can anyone one else tell us what factors make for better sounding guitars these days and who (guitar builders) is doing what to improve their guitars. Love to hear from you Taylor, Martin, Takamine, Seagul, Stonebridge and Clarke Kent fans......
How can guitars sound better?
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neverfoundthetime
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This may be of interest. It may be the start of better sounding guitars in the future. Just saw a German TV report on a Swiss Violin builder called Michael Rhonheimer who lives 20 minutes down the road from me. They showed a blind test of 5 violins. One was a a miilion dollar Stradivari the others were made by Rhonheimer, 2 were treated with a special fungus which normally grows in trees and causes them to hollow out, two were not treated. The unanimous winner (audience and jury) was one of the fungus treated Rhonheimer violins. It won on sound alone. Stradivaris are renown not just because of the way they were made but because the wood used allows sound to resonate much better. Rhonheimer just decided it must be possible to copy the wood characteristics with modern technology. This will surely find it's way into to guitar building. You heard it here first!
Can anyone one else tell us what factors make for better sounding guitars these days and who (guitar builders) is doing what to improve their guitars. Love to hear from you Taylor, Martin, Takamine, Seagul, Stonebridge and Clarke Kent fans......
Can anyone one else tell us what factors make for better sounding guitars these days and who (guitar builders) is doing what to improve their guitars. Love to hear from you Taylor, Martin, Takamine, Seagul, Stonebridge and Clarke Kent fans......
Chris- that's fascinating! Good stuff!
Many people thought that guitar tone wood was the single most important component to a guitar's sound. And it is significant. Look at lutherie's former love affair with Brazillian Rosewood. But many guitar makers, Taylor notable amongst them, have used Koa, Walnut, Cherry, Sapele, Morado, Myrtlewood, Ash, Poplar and many others to great effect.
I think the single greatest technology achievement in lutherie was Martin's introduction of X-bracing back in the mid-1800's. This allowed the top to be planed thinner and still be strong enough to resist the abuse of a typical guitar. With thinner tops the guitar resonates more freely producing more/better sound.
Most of the modern technology changes have been in manufacturing notably the use of CNC machines (computer numerical control). Although Taylor isn't credited with first using it on guitars they have certainly been at the forefront of mass producing premium guitars using this machine. This seems to fly in the face of "hand made" guitars but Taylor has achieved remarkable consistency of their necks. Anyone who has played several of them will tell you they all play the same, they just sound a little different.
Traditionally, a bolt-on neck was considered a cheap sustitute for a dovetail neck-body connection. BUt Taylor has proven otherwise allowing great versatility for adjusting and setting up their guitars!
Anyway, a lot has happened in guitar tech over the last two centuries but as far as sound goes I don't know how much better we've made them sound. We've just made them more stable and much easier to build for less money.
Cheers! :cheer:
Many people thought that guitar tone wood was the single most important component to a guitar's sound. And it is significant. Look at lutherie's former love affair with Brazillian Rosewood. But many guitar makers, Taylor notable amongst them, have used Koa, Walnut, Cherry, Sapele, Morado, Myrtlewood, Ash, Poplar and many others to great effect.
I think the single greatest technology achievement in lutherie was Martin's introduction of X-bracing back in the mid-1800's. This allowed the top to be planed thinner and still be strong enough to resist the abuse of a typical guitar. With thinner tops the guitar resonates more freely producing more/better sound.
Most of the modern technology changes have been in manufacturing notably the use of CNC machines (computer numerical control). Although Taylor isn't credited with first using it on guitars they have certainly been at the forefront of mass producing premium guitars using this machine. This seems to fly in the face of "hand made" guitars but Taylor has achieved remarkable consistency of their necks. Anyone who has played several of them will tell you they all play the same, they just sound a little different.
Traditionally, a bolt-on neck was considered a cheap sustitute for a dovetail neck-body connection. BUt Taylor has proven otherwise allowing great versatility for adjusting and setting up their guitars!
Anyway, a lot has happened in guitar tech over the last two centuries but as far as sound goes I don't know how much better we've made them sound. We've just made them more stable and much easier to build for less money.
Cheers! :cheer:
One of the best tone woods for acoustic guitar tops is red spruce. It was used by Martin for their tops until it was logged out in the 40 - 60's. It is compared favorably to Engelmann spruce. The second growth of these trees planted during 40's - 60's have matured so they are now being harvested and there is beginning to be a supply of this tone wood.
Guild designed a "contemporary series" acoustic guitar with a graphite reinforced method of bolting on the neck that increased the transference of vibration from body to neck and improved stability and consistency, it was patented and produced in Tacoma WA in 2007. Guild also used the Red Spruce for some of the tops as well as for bracing the tops for great tone and vibration.
The "contemporary series" designed a patented electronic system increasing the under saddle voltage from 9V to 18v & adjustment control access from the sound hole leaving the sides of the to guitar untouched for full body acoustics.
Guild designed a "contemporary series" acoustic guitar with a graphite reinforced method of bolting on the neck that increased the transference of vibration from body to neck and improved stability and consistency, it was patented and produced in Tacoma WA in 2007. Guild also used the Red Spruce for some of the tops as well as for bracing the tops for great tone and vibration.
The "contemporary series" designed a patented electronic system increasing the under saddle voltage from 9V to 18v & adjustment control access from the sound hole leaving the sides of the to guitar untouched for full body acoustics.
Is it a bird is it a plane no its Clarke Kent.... !!!!!
Cheek of it...
Cole Clarks use a lot of old ideas from the concave top and back done with CNC, this is copying how the fronts and backs of Violins used to be produced, they also use the Spanish neck joint found mostly in top end classical guitars. These techniques help the Cole sound good a combination of old and new! How else to make them sound better hmmm easy practice
Cheek of it...
Cole Clarks use a lot of old ideas from the concave top and back done with CNC, this is copying how the fronts and backs of Violins used to be produced, they also use the Spanish neck joint found mostly in top end classical guitars. These techniques help the Cole sound good a combination of old and new! How else to make them sound better hmmm easy practice