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Box thickness effect on sound

If a guy wanted to build a dog bowl resonator:

Will a thick box produce a better tone than a thin box?

Will a larger - 10.5 X 9 - box sound better than an 8 X 6?

Is it better to attach the neck to the bottom or the lid?

Is it better to have the dog bowl suspended free and clear of the neck, or resting firmly on the neck?

Is a 3" thick box too much?

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on June 25, 2022 at 11:33pm

Hi Infirmity, wow, big subject you have opened here, as nobody has got in yet, I’ll try to help you.

To keep it short, hmmm, or shorter, I’ll try to give you the info that will help you [I hope] to apply the info to your own builds. Keep in mind that I refer to full acoustic instruments, but the issues mentioned would affect a box-style guitar as it does other stringed instruments.
Let’s start with some of the important features of a guitar. We want it to be responsive, we want decent volume, we want a balanced tone, and we want playability.

1 – Guitar sound comes from the vibration of, 1- strings, 2- Top and back, 3- air in the box [soundwaves. I feel the better the first two the better the third. It’s the soundwaves coming out of the soundhole/s and off the face of the top that we hear at different frequencies.
So, thick does not vibrate as readily or as long as thin. To put the answer simply.

2 - Basically size is not the be-all and end-all for the production of the quality of tone or volume. The quality of the materials used, and the quality of the build will determine to a large extent those two outcomes.
So, if both guitars are built exactly the same the larger one will have a larger sound and possibly more bass response. Due to the larger vibrating area and larger air volume. Will it sound better???

3 – Well, having mentioned the importance of a responsive vibrating top and back neither should be hampered or restricted from doing the job of creating soundwaves.
So, for the best acoustic sound attach to neither.

4 – In a resonator guitar the cone/dog bowl is the main sound-producing component, it vibrates.
So, free, and clear is best

5- I think you mean a 3” deep box. I don’t think that’s too deep, all other things taken into consideration as above.
So, if the dog bowl is doing its thing [vibrating] enough, it will work. But how well? Let us know

Also, don’t forget that a resonator guitar cone is designed and made to make music and make it louder, and a dog bowl is made, well, to keep the dog happy. Not all dog bowls are created equal.
I hope this helps. Big subject for a small space. Others may fill any gaps or provide different info. Just some of my thoughts on the subject.
If you are still awake…. cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on June 28, 2022 at 7:08pm

Hi again, I just noticed that your last question is the same as your title, sort of. The words you used to describe your box question may have misled me, so in case my answer misleads you and others I’ll expand a bit here.
The area between the back and top of a guitar or a box, I refer to as depth or height. As you used the word thickness, I assumed you were referring to the dimensions of the materials used.
Anyway, the above info still applies. Sorry for any confusion.
Taff