I hope this soundboard looks better, and of course sounds better! This has all the bracing on the back cut in solid from (2) matched 1/2" thick pieces of AAA Sitka Spruce. We shall see (hear)!
The Kentucky Headhunters were playing across the street last night at Strawberry Festival. They are a bit long in tooth, bless their hearts for still rocking live!
Their sound was VERY mid heavy, a few of Art's Keystone subs would have helped greatly.
The link below is a fun clip of some great jazz music, and is a good example of the standup Bass sound that I love. It's like back in the day it was the first surround sound system, so warm and encompassing but not over the top!
Their sound was VERY mid heavy, a few of Art's Keystone subs would have helped greatly.
The link below is a fun clip of some great jazz music, and is a good example of the standup Bass sound that I love. It's like back in the day it was the first surround sound system, so warm and encompassing but not over the top!
My Folded Horn Acoustic Guitar #2 soundboard was cut from Sitka Spruce for an archtop guitar. I need 18" wide minimum. Dreadnought are about 15-1/2", so that does not work for me. Plus I need the archtop thickness to cut the ribs in solid. I put another coat of polyurethane on it today, so getting closer.
Since I am cutting the ribs in solid, it is major hand work, and the top side gets a good beating, no matter how careful I try to be. Next time I might leave a good amount of stock on the top and run it through a sander for the new look. This one will have a "distressed" look. But with the Red Chestnut stain it looks like a well played violin color and texture!
Since I am cutting the ribs in solid, it is major hand work, and the top side gets a good beating, no matter how careful I try to be. Next time I might leave a good amount of stock on the top and run it through a sander for the new look. This one will have a "distressed" look. But with the Red Chestnut stain it looks like a well played violin color and texture!
I figured you used the CNC mill to pull those ribs out of the solid plank.
You know the next level is for the AI machine to listen to the top as it's being cut, auto-trim the ribs for the best sound, once placed in the guitar body. Secret process - nobody knows how it works. You're the only vendor in the world supplying acoustic guitar tops with integral ribs all from the same piece, tuned by your "virtual luthier" process while in production.
I decided I used all my CNC favors at work, the guys did me a great favor, I don't want to take advantage of it. Plus hand made soundboards are not difficult to do really, unless you cut all the bracing in solid, then it just takes lots of time, but fun!
Sounds like a good idea for a Patent. I did not see anything like this on Google Patents with just a quick search, write it up!
I did see this fairly new Patent for a way to support the soundboard, I like it! The guys are from PA, so they might be Martin guys.
I like this idea JJ! Plus "Virtual Luthier" could be a great brand. So this is a CNC machine that measures vibrations either while cutting or after cutting? The possibilities are endless. I have always thought bracing could be a great improvement. More power, possibly better tone. The standard guitar bracings today work very well, but man you can't tell there is no way to improve this. We shall see how my new soundboard bracing sounds, getting closer. Hoping the fuglies look better. 🤣
Sounds like a good idea for a Patent. I did not see anything like this on Google Patents with just a quick search, write it up!
I did see this fairly new Patent for a way to support the soundboard, I like it! The guys are from PA, so they might be Martin guys.
Joe,
The solid ribs perpendicular or 45 degrees to the strings will have very low stiffness to weight ratio compared to the standard practice of fastening ribs with their grain perpendicular to the soundboard. They will break with very little beating.
You will waste wood while reducing strength and resonance milling the ribs from the thick quarter sawn boards.
Art
I agree Art, that may happen. This is experimental, so if it fails I can just build a traditional soundboard with bracing. As shown below, I do have more thickness in the middle, and even more at the bridge. Plus the ribs are fanned out, so they go from parallel to diagonal, to perpendicular. Plus I have three pieces of Rosewood for additional support. The goal is to get a light yet strong soundboard that provides more vibration and power, but does not fail from approx. 200 lbs. of string force.
My current Baltic Birch soundboard works much better than myself and others expected. It does belly down toward the sound hole, but the bridge itself stays in the correct position, that is all that matters. An archtop has the bridge in correct position, then everything else blends away by design.
I believe having the bridge area supported well is critical for the soundboard strength, then slowly thin it down away from the bridge. Plus I know the screws can handle the force. If it fails I will say Art was right! If it does not fail and sounds good I will say who knew!?
Plus the large soundboard has somewhat of a bass drum quality when tapped. I think just maybe some of the lower frequencies I am measuring come from this soundboard resonance.
I am not sure how the sound can travel through the ribs, since they are cut in solid, maybe an advantage? Building something different is exciting to me, especially since I know it may fail, but also because I might find something new. Building a guitar exactly the way they have been built for over 100 years bores the **** out of me. I would rather just buy a guitar and play it, than build the same guitar everybody else builds. Stay tuned!
My current Baltic Birch soundboard works much better than myself and others expected. It does belly down toward the sound hole, but the bridge itself stays in the correct position, that is all that matters. An archtop has the bridge in correct position, then everything else blends away by design.
I believe having the bridge area supported well is critical for the soundboard strength, then slowly thin it down away from the bridge. Plus I know the screws can handle the force. If it fails I will say Art was right! If it does not fail and sounds good I will say who knew!?
Plus the large soundboard has somewhat of a bass drum quality when tapped. I think just maybe some of the lower frequencies I am measuring come from this soundboard resonance.
I am not sure how the sound can travel through the ribs, since they are cut in solid, maybe an advantage? Building something different is exciting to me, especially since I know it may fail, but also because I might find something new. Building a guitar exactly the way they have been built for over 100 years bores the **** out of me. I would rather just buy a guitar and play it, than build the same guitar everybody else builds. Stay tuned!