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What do you mean with «sounds great»?

Let's take my 4-string CBG from a Camacho box as an example: acoustically it doesn't sound at all, but with two Power Rails from GuitarFetish even with a simple amp with volume and gain only it sounds great. With the idea to learn from each other, let us know, how your CBG sounds without an amp and with which pics it sounds great. What do you think about this idea?

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Permalink Reply by Fomhorach on May 5, 2016 at 9:16pm

The egg is probably round because of the hens ass.

I wonder if Charles Darwin ever played the violin.

Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on May 5, 2016 at 11:45pm

Einstein did

Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on May 5, 2016 at 11:54pm

https://youtu.be/qrmn7Cxof0k

Maybe not a proof, but some supporting evidence for other possibilities.

Permalink Reply by Moritz Voegeli on May 6, 2016 at 3:01am

Tell me one improvement about building violins since the times of Amati, Guarneri and Stradivari, they were professional luthiers and not hobbyists as we are. An electric violin is not an improvement, it's a lousy adaption of a well sounding acoustic instrument. (Ever heard Bach's Partita No. 2 in d-minor on an electric violin?) Do you really believe that numerous luthiers trough the centuries did not try to build better sounding instruments?

The discussion started about sound posts: I tried to explain that a sound post is not just an advice to transmit vibrations from the sound board to the bottom of the body, but part of a design that's a lot more complex, And this design has remained the same for centuries due to the ingenuity of early violin makers.

You believe somebody will pay a million for a Swamp Whitch in 2316? I have my doubts...

Permalink Reply by Fomhorach on May 6, 2016 at 3:56am

Try this..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13856203

Even a master craftsman like him experimented with shapes and sound holes. His violins changed shape and design over the years he made instruments.

Even he knew that his instruments could be made better.
This is all pointless anyway and I'm out.

I will leave you all with this thought.. If the humble design of the guitar was never experimented on then we would not have such great modern music and our culture would not be the same.

Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on May 5, 2016 at 5:17am

If you're talking about me Wayfinder, I'm not a nut case, maybe a fruitcake with a handful of nuts tossed in, lol. If I had an actual nut case I bet it would make a fine instrument and I'd play Salty Dog on it with great relish. I will add, of the 25 box fiddles I've made only two of them had concert quality sound. The rest were excellent for scratching out a square dance tune.

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Permalink Reply by Moritz Voegeli on May 5, 2016 at 1:17am

A further difference between guitars and violins is a bridge which is not stiff but somewhat elastic due to the special design it has.

Sound posts in a guitar? Several luthiers I know had given it a try without conviction, but there is a german luthier, Klaus Röder, who builds gipsy guitars with sound posts.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on May 5, 2016 at 1:48am

I make violins and mandolins with sound posts and bass bars. One thing I've noticed, particularly on mandolins since they are held against one's body, is how much more the back of the instrument vibrates with a sound post. Since I make mainly acoustic instruments I like the idea of the entire instrument vibrating. With some of my mandolins a wah wah effect can often be obtained by moving the back away from and then back against the body. Even when a top is braced and has plenty of strength to withstand string pressure, a sound post can be used to help transfer vibrations to the back.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on May 5, 2016 at 9:49am

Hi Jim, I was going to mention, well I think I did way back in this thread, about active backs, and I commented on how a thick back combined with a post could dampen the top. even with a reactive back any vibrations can be damped by having the instrument against the body.

I build my acoustic guitars with the backs "active", they react to the movement of the top plate, and hopefully increase the movement of air in the body. This is done by carefully tuning [by carving braces] the top and back plates until the desired result is obtained. So, when playing one of my guitars, holding the back against the body whilst playing does effect what you hear out of the soundhole. The back is really put in motion, and as you say you can feel it.

I'm thinking that with such a small top area on a CBG and less energy created by fewer strings, it may be harder to get that back to play a part in sound reproduction on its own. I should mention I'm not into Physics, I can't even count with out a pencil. Ha Ha.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on May 5, 2016 at 3:58pm

regarding the placement of the bridge,depending on the type of wood,method of construction,bracing etc,it's not surprising that some boxes will resonate better with the bridge closer to the rear,an unsupported top with no bracing,and the bridge mounted more central,will,in effect be permanently depressed under tension of the strings lessening it's ability to resonate to a degree,moving it to a spot with some support,ie bracing,box side or end etc would tend to counter the preload a bit and give the soundboard more freedom,boxes will vary a lot,but i've been putting some bracing in all boxes for over a year now,sometimes just a single batten,and i will continue to do it,unless the top shows a lot of resistance to string tension

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on May 5, 2016 at 2:23pm

Thanks Taffy, I may have missed your mention of backs being active but I'm glad it's something that is of interest to others besides myself. I think most guitars backs vibrate quite nicely with no sound post maybe due to the comparitively large body size. I too am certainly no physicist but I feel an instinct for what will vibrate well and what won't. Much more at home with those type issues than pickups, capacitors and volume knobs, plus I prefer the sound of an instrument itself producing vibrations and moving air rather than transducers. Oh, I love my electric guitars for sure but I'm much more at home dealing with acoustic stuff. I haven't experimented much with tuning braces but it's something I really need to look into.