For sure Art, I will seal every little gap. My Infinity speakers look like they have an epoxy sealant where needed. I am considering silicone, as it is a great sealant, will adhere to wood, and stays relatively soft, so it can be disassembled, which is critical to get at the drivers and electronics if needed. Then I will test again.
I was surprised how sturdy the 1/2" Birch is with only (8) screws. I was planning on using about (20), so I may add more, easy to do. I am using self tapping sheet metal screws, with a smaller drill hole than specified, I like to get a little more bite with the threads. They come out and go back in very easily, I can have that thing off in about two minutes. Plus just a few minutes to remove the neck.
I think the reason it sounds good with gaps on the edges, is about three feet of each horn is totally sealed, then the horn hugs the outside wall where there are gaps for about a two foot distance. It is not an open chamber, so that helps, but or course still needs improvement!
I was surprised how sturdy the 1/2" Birch is with only (8) screws. I was planning on using about (20), so I may add more, easy to do. I am using self tapping sheet metal screws, with a smaller drill hole than specified, I like to get a little more bite with the threads. They come out and go back in very easily, I can have that thing off in about two minutes. Plus just a few minutes to remove the neck.
I think the reason it sounds good with gaps on the edges, is about three feet of each horn is totally sealed, then the horn hugs the outside wall where there are gaps for about a two foot distance. It is not an open chamber, so that helps, but or course still needs improvement!
I only had time to do some neck work tonight. Work is going into major overdrive, may be out of commission for a few weeks. My truss rod was too long, so I ripped the fretboard off the neck. Fretboard is junk (I have many), but the critical neck was saved. This is the only piece that needs glue, and I was surprised to see it came off OK, with only the fretboard being ruined. Did not add frets yet, so OK. Love screws, hate glue. 🤣
New fretboard is on with shorter two way acting truss rod that is correct length, much better!
New fretboard is on with shorter two way acting truss rod that is correct length, much better!
I always knew sealing the horns was important, but I don't think I had a true appreciation for it until I experienced it myself (and thankfully JJ and Art kept emphasizing the importance of the concept). I have done some of this before, but it is a very quick test, so I had that kind of time. I try to think of it in my world, which would be a hydraulic system or an air cylinder. If it leaks in the smallest amount, it will not work!
Last night I went from horns uncovered, totally open, horrible sound almost zero bass from these 3" drivers. Then to 1/4" Birch with large port, much much better actually. Then to 1/4" Birch no port, even better, not as "tinny", warmer. Then to 1/2" Birch no port, just so happy with that sound, with two pickups. Then I actually stood on top of the horns with 1/2" Birch, this beast can handle my 220 lbs. easy (I won't post that picture again, nobody wants to see my feet - size 13 extra wide). I swear that thing sounded even better, just really tightened up the horns and great sound. Less buzz Art? Not that I hear any now, but maybe that is part of the problem, what is there that I can't hear? No Kazoo! 🤣
I mean the mass from the 1/4" Rock Maple horn walls really does something that I think thin plastic or carbon fiber can not do. But I could feel it resonate through my legs, so maybe that was what I liked better? I think about standing on some cheap plastic speakers, they would likely crack. Stand on nice cabinets, not a chance.
Then I did some really crude sealing of the outside. I swear the sound just gets better, more air cushion, less excursion, less distortion, damn that works. My next step is to get some silicone and seal it 100%. I need to take it to work and test it with shop air to validate the seal! I see no reason why the sound would not improve even more. Ok back to work, I really want to try Tascam again tonight, but not sure I have time. I do like engineering, but I love music and this project. Thanks for hanging with me guys, if I am not building, testing and posting, I am thinking about it. Wish there were more hours in a day, there is a word for that - Life! 🤣
Last night I went from horns uncovered, totally open, horrible sound almost zero bass from these 3" drivers. Then to 1/4" Birch with large port, much much better actually. Then to 1/4" Birch no port, even better, not as "tinny", warmer. Then to 1/2" Birch no port, just so happy with that sound, with two pickups. Then I actually stood on top of the horns with 1/2" Birch, this beast can handle my 220 lbs. easy (I won't post that picture again, nobody wants to see my feet - size 13 extra wide). I swear that thing sounded even better, just really tightened up the horns and great sound. Less buzz Art? Not that I hear any now, but maybe that is part of the problem, what is there that I can't hear? No Kazoo! 🤣
I mean the mass from the 1/4" Rock Maple horn walls really does something that I think thin plastic or carbon fiber can not do. But I could feel it resonate through my legs, so maybe that was what I liked better? I think about standing on some cheap plastic speakers, they would likely crack. Stand on nice cabinets, not a chance.
Then I did some really crude sealing of the outside. I swear the sound just gets better, more air cushion, less excursion, less distortion, damn that works. My next step is to get some silicone and seal it 100%. I need to take it to work and test it with shop air to validate the seal! I see no reason why the sound would not improve even more. Ok back to work, I really want to try Tascam again tonight, but not sure I have time. I do like engineering, but I love music and this project. Thanks for hanging with me guys, if I am not building, testing and posting, I am thinking about it. Wish there were more hours in a day, there is a word for that - Life! 🤣
Everything seems to work fine with Tascam, but when I connect it to my laptop, it will recognize the directory, but will not show the files. I have tried everything, and see errors online about this, Windows incompatibility...drivers...showing me how to change system, which I will not do.
Thought it was a nice system, but may just need to throw it in the piece of **** pile and buy something else, unless somebody has a solution??
Oh well I have spent much more money than this on testing...write it off...really wanted to record with a little time on my hands...stay tuned!
OK time to get philosophical about music, the tiny little recorder that will not do a simple song transfer to my laptop has pissed me off (known problem). The digital revolution is great, love my laptop, my iPhone...awesome. Send files everywhere, fantastic. But what about the output of music. Back in the day everything was big and powerful, sounded great! Now many people get their music though earbuds, ouch! The sound sucks! Small little plastic speakers, wow, and this sounds good? Tiny little cords and connectors that don't last?
Thankfully there are some real headphones that rock.
Where are the big speakers? The horns? The Weltersys and similar horns - do tell Art!
A grand piano, wow! A plastic keyboard, really?
My guitar may be big and heavy, but the damn thing has power, and great tone, and you don't need to beat the hell out of it to hear it! It is made of maple that will be around in 100 years, if protected properly, easy!
Size matters 🤣
Two steps forward and one step back, or maybe one and a half? Would love to hear some opinions about this!
Thankfully there are some real headphones that rock.
Where are the big speakers? The horns? The Weltersys and similar horns - do tell Art!
A grand piano, wow! A plastic keyboard, really?
My guitar may be big and heavy, but the damn thing has power, and great tone, and you don't need to beat the hell out of it to hear it! It is made of maple that will be around in 100 years, if protected properly, easy!
Size matters 🤣
Two steps forward and one step back, or maybe one and a half? Would love to hear some opinions about this!
I have attempted to seal the horns 100%. I put a 1/4" birch piece on top of horns, plenty of tape. Then I put another 1/4" birch piece on top of that, less width, not on top of tape. Then a third 1/4" birch piece, plenty of tape. Then I actually sat on top of this sealed chamber divider assembly, rigid, should be good. Crude I know, but effective.
I played my usual jazz 7th and 9th chords up and down the neck, sounded great. Do I hear improvement? Maybe, really liked it. Time to measure and get some good data. I kind of rock on this, so I need something more subtle.
Then I finger picked through my piezo only, still really like that clean sound, but improvement? Yes! Hard to explain, need data.
Only now do I realize why I liked the finger picking with the piezo only (which does not have as much power as using both pickups obviously). When I used the magnetic pickup with the piezo, I heard some faint sound that I would describe as "faint growling", did not like it, so I turned off the magnetic pickup. This is obviously distortion, which sometimes I like, but not with finger picking.
With the sealed horns and the piezo and magnetic both on, growling gone, completely! So, I started doing some "pick" picking, not just fingers, added more tone than I used before, and wow, no distortion, just opened up even more than I liked before. Sealed horns, more efficient, less excursion, less distortion, cleaner sound, more power, able to use more tone controls, horns work, just gets better. The back of the speaker chambers rest on the floor, but there are speaker wires coming out, so I know they are not 100% sealed, might get even better! Lets Rock!
I played my usual jazz 7th and 9th chords up and down the neck, sounded great. Do I hear improvement? Maybe, really liked it. Time to measure and get some good data. I kind of rock on this, so I need something more subtle.
Then I finger picked through my piezo only, still really like that clean sound, but improvement? Yes! Hard to explain, need data.
Only now do I realize why I liked the finger picking with the piezo only (which does not have as much power as using both pickups obviously). When I used the magnetic pickup with the piezo, I heard some faint sound that I would describe as "faint growling", did not like it, so I turned off the magnetic pickup. This is obviously distortion, which sometimes I like, but not with finger picking.
With the sealed horns and the piezo and magnetic both on, growling gone, completely! So, I started doing some "pick" picking, not just fingers, added more tone than I used before, and wow, no distortion, just opened up even more than I liked before. Sealed horns, more efficient, less excursion, less distortion, cleaner sound, more power, able to use more tone controls, horns work, just gets better. The back of the speaker chambers rest on the floor, but there are speaker wires coming out, so I know they are not 100% sealed, might get even better! Lets Rock!
The attached file shows sealed horns vs. unsealed horns. What a difference, I could hear it, now I can measure it. Not as peaky, higher dB, highs do not drop off as quickly. I only sealed this with tape, so pretty crude, real sealing will be even better!
I bought a horn from Ian, a small horn, about two feet tall, with a three inch driver, will be fun to compare.
I played an acoustic guitar at a friends house recently, without an amp, could barely even stand to play it, spoiled now. Once you get used to this volume, and ease of playing, there is no going back! Have my new ZOOM eight rack, hopefully this will be compatible. Still working loooong hours, hope to be back in action early next year.
I bought a horn from Ian, a small horn, about two feet tall, with a three inch driver, will be fun to compare.
I played an acoustic guitar at a friends house recently, without an amp, could barely even stand to play it, spoiled now. Once you get used to this volume, and ease of playing, there is no going back! Have my new ZOOM eight rack, hopefully this will be compatible. Still working loooong hours, hope to be back in action early next year.
Holy ****, loved the sound but noticed my REW was at 110 dB max. I had it louder than that before, didn't think much of it last night. Tonight I noticed one of the speaker connections was out, oh ****! I thought it was not quite up to speed last night, now I know why. I have been testing the sealed horns with one speaker only! I will replace it tonight, let's see what two speakers in sealed horns does, apparently this has not been tested yet, stay tuned!
Joe, did you see the measurements I did on various acoustic guitar bodies for frequency response in another thread? I simply excited the guitar with a DaytonDAEX25FHE exciter, set on the bridge. I did it both ways; pink noise and swept sine, using REW of course to get the graphs.
I bought this Alvarez, which was a unique instrument and looked great. First chord strum after stringing and tune up I was disappointed. So disappointed... I began the investigation to see why it sounded so relatively terrible to me, the wife, the kid... As nice as it may look, as nice as it might play - I just couldnt keep it and sent it on its way via ebay.
The test method may not be definitive as in see this graph, buy that guitar. But I think it's good enough to weed out what I wouldnt like to hear, relative to other guitars I happen to like the sound of. Probably not even 100% at that.
Yeah - I can see me hauling a laptop, transducer, amplifier / power supply, USB interface and mic with stand to some guitar store and going through everything they have - if they'd let me that is - to see what guitars' I think I might like to play. Actually, I could pare it down to battery powered amp / pink noise / phone app analyzer.
IMHO the pink noise can be effective enough as a screen to weed out units I'd think I wouldnt be interested in, but not accurate enough to come within a fraction of a Hz body resonance value to a concert pitch note. I've read on-line and heard in that thread that "tuning" the body resonances should be off (flat/sharp) a concert pitch; two of my better sounding guitars are flat to A notes with distinct resonances just under 110, 220, 440.
But other guitars I've owned (Gibson; acoustic and electric) I distinctly recall a positive response in the guitar when brought up to concert tuning, i.e. the SG would sustain forever when tuned to concert pitch. How'd they do that!?!
Of course your instrument will have it's own signature; perhaps useful to compare to what the "body as a filter" does to the sound input by the strings at the bridge of other guitars that sound like a typical, but OK acoustic. But I wouldnt get too hung up on some kind of precise matching up. Yours is a guitar / speaker combo.
Saw a couple new Pignose mini-electric guitars - with a speaker simply wedged into the solid body between the neck and bridge - go for over $400 each at auction recently. That says there's market for self contained amplified and speaker'd guitars; versus if no one wanted them.
I bought this Alvarez, which was a unique instrument and looked great. First chord strum after stringing and tune up I was disappointed. So disappointed... I began the investigation to see why it sounded so relatively terrible to me, the wife, the kid... As nice as it may look, as nice as it might play - I just couldnt keep it and sent it on its way via ebay.
The test method may not be definitive as in see this graph, buy that guitar. But I think it's good enough to weed out what I wouldnt like to hear, relative to other guitars I happen to like the sound of. Probably not even 100% at that.
Yeah - I can see me hauling a laptop, transducer, amplifier / power supply, USB interface and mic with stand to some guitar store and going through everything they have - if they'd let me that is - to see what guitars' I think I might like to play. Actually, I could pare it down to battery powered amp / pink noise / phone app analyzer.
IMHO the pink noise can be effective enough as a screen to weed out units I'd think I wouldnt be interested in, but not accurate enough to come within a fraction of a Hz body resonance value to a concert pitch note. I've read on-line and heard in that thread that "tuning" the body resonances should be off (flat/sharp) a concert pitch; two of my better sounding guitars are flat to A notes with distinct resonances just under 110, 220, 440.
But other guitars I've owned (Gibson; acoustic and electric) I distinctly recall a positive response in the guitar when brought up to concert tuning, i.e. the SG would sustain forever when tuned to concert pitch. How'd they do that!?!
Of course your instrument will have it's own signature; perhaps useful to compare to what the "body as a filter" does to the sound input by the strings at the bridge of other guitars that sound like a typical, but OK acoustic. But I wouldnt get too hung up on some kind of precise matching up. Yours is a guitar / speaker combo.
Saw a couple new Pignose mini-electric guitars - with a speaker simply wedged into the solid body between the neck and bridge - go for over $400 each at auction recently. That says there's market for self contained amplified and speaker'd guitars; versus if no one wanted them.
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Great to hear from you JJ, can you send me the REW data, very interested in this. Also which thread are you on, would like to check out that discussion. Did you see my REW data for sealed horns? Next weekend will be even better with two speakers. I can't believe it was so good I didn't even notice only one speaker was working, by ear and by data. Now I am glad I did not release any recordings, as good as they may have sounded, the sealed horns are even better, and yes I admit I underestimated this. I will get to that recording eventually.
Good to hear the speaker in electric guitar has at least some interest. I posted one earlier that seems to be doing OK, but never heard it live, so not sure, can't remember the name. I don't see how a speaker placed inside a solid body guitar, or with a small chamber, can sound great. Reminds me of cheap little speakers from big box stores. How do you just throw the all important speaker cabinet out of the equation, and still get great sound at all frequencies. You don't, you just get "sound". People that really know guitars, music and audio equipment will not put up with this ****, it will just be an interesting novelty, not a serious instrument. No big size, no big sound.
Tonight I received a YouTube video of a guy that made an acoustic guitar that looked like an electric guitar (we have seen that before). It sounded good with a pickup though an amp, why wouldn't it? Then he unplugged it and played it as an acoustic guitar, boy did that thing sound horrible, low volume, terrible tone.
The smallest package I ever heard that sounds really good is the Bose Waveguide radio. Two nice 3" drivers. Only one speaker had a waveguide, and it started large and got smaller, still can't figure that out, but it works.
The 440 Hz by yourself OK, with others, don't see how that works. Send info please and thanks! Joe
Good to hear the speaker in electric guitar has at least some interest. I posted one earlier that seems to be doing OK, but never heard it live, so not sure, can't remember the name. I don't see how a speaker placed inside a solid body guitar, or with a small chamber, can sound great. Reminds me of cheap little speakers from big box stores. How do you just throw the all important speaker cabinet out of the equation, and still get great sound at all frequencies. You don't, you just get "sound". People that really know guitars, music and audio equipment will not put up with this ****, it will just be an interesting novelty, not a serious instrument. No big size, no big sound.
Tonight I received a YouTube video of a guy that made an acoustic guitar that looked like an electric guitar (we have seen that before). It sounded good with a pickup though an amp, why wouldn't it? Then he unplugged it and played it as an acoustic guitar, boy did that thing sound horrible, low volume, terrible tone.
The smallest package I ever heard that sounds really good is the Bose Waveguide radio. Two nice 3" drivers. Only one speaker had a waveguide, and it started large and got smaller, still can't figure that out, but it works.
The 440 Hz by yourself OK, with others, don't see how that works. Send info please and thanks! Joe
$400+ for a novelty toy, which I'd be more than glad to accept for any guitar I own. I'm certain the "Pignose" mini-amplified-guitar is riding on their pedigree, having been around since I was in high scool with their famous little stashbox amps running off batteries.
My other thread is here; https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/some-acoustic-guitar-body-measurements.392394
Turns out one could make analytical measurements with just an old iPhone, software, cable and transducer. No transducer necessary in your case ;')
JJ I really like the PigNose, it can run on batteries and has a cabinet, great for electric guitars. I just don't see how putting a speaker into a guitar without a cabinet, horns or waveguide can sound really good. I mean for an acoustic guitar, which has great tone to start, so it better be as good or better at a much louder volume. Thanks much for the thread and data. I will check it out for sure!
I've seen on line when you plug the hole in an acoustic, the lowest resonance peak goes away. Therefore one could put a speaker where the sound hole is, perhaps mounted fast to a pipe going through a mid-plane into some guitar shaped air-space behind the mid plane isolator - as in your design.
The space between the mid plane and the sound board would also be like your guitar. The sound board / bracing would be free to flex normally, however in this arrangement, there's be a smaller chamber in between it and the mid plane surface, than in an ordinary acoustic guitar, but sealed. Also like yours.
One could even seal around the speaker frame to the edge of the sound hole with butyl rubber sheet - like the surround of a speaker - allowing that locale of the sound board to vibrate freely, floating over the speaker - versus say, it being mounted fast to the speaker frame like a baffle board.
Perhaps one could get it to sound like different guitars - or at least have some tonal variability at the very bottom - by putting various electronic filters in between the pickup and amplified speaker output. Maybe just a resonant high pass filter would be all that's needed to both amplify the guitar and bring back the missing sound hole sound. One would think tuning down to 80 Hz would be doable, so when you hit that open E, you get a nice deep fundamental along with the string harmonics.
I wonder if one of those Tectonic BMR speakers would work? The TEBM65C20F-8 might be working bass wise at 110Hz, but not 80. I'm unsure if the BMR part kicks in below where it has some dreadful FR notch due to transition in modes - they are used as midranges in a 3 way commercial speaker for their BMR radiation pattern; unsure of what frequency they're crossed at in that application.
The space between the mid plane and the sound board would also be like your guitar. The sound board / bracing would be free to flex normally, however in this arrangement, there's be a smaller chamber in between it and the mid plane surface, than in an ordinary acoustic guitar, but sealed. Also like yours.
One could even seal around the speaker frame to the edge of the sound hole with butyl rubber sheet - like the surround of a speaker - allowing that locale of the sound board to vibrate freely, floating over the speaker - versus say, it being mounted fast to the speaker frame like a baffle board.
Perhaps one could get it to sound like different guitars - or at least have some tonal variability at the very bottom - by putting various electronic filters in between the pickup and amplified speaker output. Maybe just a resonant high pass filter would be all that's needed to both amplify the guitar and bring back the missing sound hole sound. One would think tuning down to 80 Hz would be doable, so when you hit that open E, you get a nice deep fundamental along with the string harmonics.
I wonder if one of those Tectonic BMR speakers would work? The TEBM65C20F-8 might be working bass wise at 110Hz, but not 80. I'm unsure if the BMR part kicks in below where it has some dreadful FR notch due to transition in modes - they are used as midranges in a 3 way commercial speaker for their BMR radiation pattern; unsure of what frequency they're crossed at in that application.
Now you are talking JJ! The feedback suppression will be key, if it does not work, the guitar is toast. Many good ideas and details to think about, I like the filter idea. If this is covered by my patent, I would just license it to you, and you get most of the profits, to encourage your efforts. If it is not covered by my patent, then have at it! I am trying to encourage this type of guitar design and build. Not just different, better for reasons I have mentioned many times.
If I quite my job, this thing would be done by now, but I am not going to do that. Keep money coming in on one side, and develop other ideas on the other, without any financial worries or pressure, that make people tend to compromise, to keep the bank happy. Patience is easy IF you love what you are doing, believe in it, and have proof of concept that looks very encouraging, check, check and check!
I picture myself down in Nashville, on the sidewalk in front of Gibson Guitar headquarters (will bring my Heritage also, to keep the faith). Playing this guitar at a good volume, maybe get somebody that can actually sing to come along. Plus bring my blues harp. People might say: is this thing powered by Wi-Fi someplace I can't see. Nope, all in the guitar. Let others jam on it, game changer.
Then go down to Tootsie's and play on the street there. Also Chicago, Beale Street in Memphis (I jammed blues harp both places in my younger days, with other street musicians, great jams, great crowds). Don't forget New Orleans and NYC. Europeans would love it also. U.S. Patent covers that based on agreements, but not 100% solid. I jammed blues harp in a German bar one night, they went wild for Chicago Blues. I was in China once for business and did not bring an instrument, but that is ripoff central, so not a good idea. Let's Dream!
If I quite my job, this thing would be done by now, but I am not going to do that. Keep money coming in on one side, and develop other ideas on the other, without any financial worries or pressure, that make people tend to compromise, to keep the bank happy. Patience is easy IF you love what you are doing, believe in it, and have proof of concept that looks very encouraging, check, check and check!
I picture myself down in Nashville, on the sidewalk in front of Gibson Guitar headquarters (will bring my Heritage also, to keep the faith). Playing this guitar at a good volume, maybe get somebody that can actually sing to come along. Plus bring my blues harp. People might say: is this thing powered by Wi-Fi someplace I can't see. Nope, all in the guitar. Let others jam on it, game changer.
Then go down to Tootsie's and play on the street there. Also Chicago, Beale Street in Memphis (I jammed blues harp both places in my younger days, with other street musicians, great jams, great crowds). Don't forget New Orleans and NYC. Europeans would love it also. U.S. Patent covers that based on agreements, but not 100% solid. I jammed blues harp in a German bar one night, they went wild for Chicago Blues. I was in China once for business and did not bring an instrument, but that is ripoff central, so not a good idea. Let's Dream!
Well, that idea wouldn't be a horn, just a speaker where the sound hole normally is on an acoustic guitar. Only with a slight thought into what to do with the back wave, to give the speaker a little breathing room - versus where a solid body was simply routed out just enough to make a driver fit into it.
Surely some of the people doing this - Pignose included - must have done a little something to help the driver rear chamber volume wise. Maybe if you're Pignose, you dont have to, as you can sell mini-6 string electrics all day long for $500 with your signature amp electronics and the driver mounted into the guitar any way that's cheapest to manufacture.
Yamaha has begun a trend where they excite the guitar body with DSP 'effects', like echo, where the idea is you can get these effects just within the guitar itself, without having to lug around a separate amp. Put an XLR input on your guitar's embedded amp and there you go! Sing into a headset mic while you play and it all comes out the guitar! Or make it a wireless mic - all the constituent bits so common these days.
The Chinese already have these "effects" amps, powered by a lithium battery, available as a little panel you can install in the side wall of any existing acoustic - just like the typical preamp/tuner control panels. Around $60 on ebay I've seen. You get a little transducer similar to the Dayton one I use, that connects to the guitar's back side, to make the effect sound speak.
Yeah the Pignose was a great product. Many people want distortion and want to crunch solos, that is great, but there is no way somebody is going to do a beautiful Dicky Betts Blue Sky solo with that amp, just different animals.
I also like the Tonewood product to get many different sounds from an acoustic guitar, seems to be selling well, great idea.
Personally I am not a big effects guy. Sometimes a fuzzbuster is great, but nobody uses it on every song, a good option.
What I really need now is a smaller class D amp, 15 watts per channel to fit in my guitar. I can fit the one I have, but it is tight. The 5 watt amps just don't cut it.
I also like the Tonewood product to get many different sounds from an acoustic guitar, seems to be selling well, great idea.
Personally I am not a big effects guy. Sometimes a fuzzbuster is great, but nobody uses it on every song, a good option.
What I really need now is a smaller class D amp, 15 watts per channel to fit in my guitar. I can fit the one I have, but it is tight. The 5 watt amps just don't cut it.
Hello all - I now have both guitar horns 100% sealed, and both drivers working (oops, last time one was not connected). WOW. I am getting 120 dB for the first time ever. It's not just the great volume, the tone is very much like an acoustic guitar, clean, no distortion that I can hear!
The attached PDF shows the lows are above 80 dB even at 20 Hz, which is below the range of an acoustic guitar, how does that happen? Horns?
The highs are all above 80 dB way beyond 1K, great harmonics (thank you Art). I still don't like the "tinny" E string on an acoustic so much (hey electric guitar E string rocks), but the strong highs from harmonics are different, more of a "shimmer" I would say, like that!
Compared to a standard acoustic guitar as shown, the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar, has much more power obviously, and now is strong on the bass, mid and highs, what more could I ask for? The damn thing sounds great, a sonic machine!
Still working waaay too much, but had time to file down all my frets, hope to get back at assembly soon.
Where is Art? Let me have it! Joe
The attached PDF shows the lows are above 80 dB even at 20 Hz, which is below the range of an acoustic guitar, how does that happen? Horns?
The highs are all above 80 dB way beyond 1K, great harmonics (thank you Art). I still don't like the "tinny" E string on an acoustic so much (hey electric guitar E string rocks), but the strong highs from harmonics are different, more of a "shimmer" I would say, like that!
Compared to a standard acoustic guitar as shown, the Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar, has much more power obviously, and now is strong on the bass, mid and highs, what more could I ask for? The damn thing sounds great, a sonic machine!
Still working waaay too much, but had time to file down all my frets, hope to get back at assembly soon.
Where is Art? Let me have it! Joe
What did you use as input for the graphs, an open chord E strum? Really need to see it with the pink noise as input. That can be direct to the two speakers, or through a transducer to the bridge piezo pickup - assuming you have one located there.
Part of an acoustic guitar's character is, apparently, three resonances. One is due to the sound hole and can be ~110 Hz. Another is due to the first mode of the top, which can be around 220. A third can be around 440Hz - these are all A notes. Of course, they can be shifted up or down corresponding to other notes in a concert chromatic scale.
I say "around" because some thinking is that these resonances shouldnt be exact. In a few guitars I own and measured, they're all just flat to the concert pitch. I dont own a Godin acoustic that you "cant stop it from ringing sustain" even when the soundboard is pressed upon, so, I dont know what something like that would do FR wise with pink noise injected into the saddle.
Thanks much JJ, the song I used to record both of these are in the key of E, so the bottom E string is always ringing with bass, and the top E string is always ringing, but try not to do too much. Without the horns, that high E string would be the weakest part of the song, so I always tried to mute it a little.
With the horns and strong harmonics, it sounds great. Pretty much up and down the neck from first to twelfth fret, mostly jamming, but ending the song with softer picking, then the final E chord with a strong finish, and that damn things resonates for I bet a good strong 30 seconds. The chords
are all open chords up and down the neck, no bar chords. Working today, but very happy with the results last night. My next step is to get about (24) screws into the 1/2" Baltic Birch chamber divider, right now I only have (8). I am sitting on it, so the pressure on that divider is very critical, as you know, but I am discovering. Like a good strong folded horn speaker enclosure that rocks! More pink noise, would love to do that, finding the time, hmm...
With the horns and strong harmonics, it sounds great. Pretty much up and down the neck from first to twelfth fret, mostly jamming, but ending the song with softer picking, then the final E chord with a strong finish, and that damn things resonates for I bet a good strong 30 seconds. The chords
are all open chords up and down the neck, no bar chords. Working today, but very happy with the results last night. My next step is to get about (24) screws into the 1/2" Baltic Birch chamber divider, right now I only have (8). I am sitting on it, so the pressure on that divider is very critical, as you know, but I am discovering. Like a good strong folded horn speaker enclosure that rocks! More pink noise, would love to do that, finding the time, hmm...
Without comparing an input signal to the speaker's output, who knows what noise you are showing?
Art