Acoustic Guitars: Construction Influences Sound
Acoustic Guitars: Construction Influences Sound
We continue our exploration of guitars and how they are made, what makes them more or less valuable, pricy with this musing on material and something called plate bracing.
Construction methods and materials influence the sound quality. That much we have established so far.
Center-cut woods, preferably hardwoods are mostly used. There are typical economic and conservation voices and concerns here and mostly instruments are cut from sustainable forestry type sources The types of wood have natural acoustic properties. How it is harvested, where it comes from, the age of the tree etc. all matter.
Parts of the guitar are all made from different types of wood due to their variation and variety in sound properties and acoustic characteristics. No real comparison with fibreglass, carbon fibre and various other polymers, also used in other instruments and variants other than acoustics. There is not real replacement or imitation for wood. Less vibration and less costs does not seem like the best way for the guitar to be going, if we are to experience great sound at a reasonable price. Quality does still matter when it comes to guitar purists.
Other areas where some of these synthetic and composite type materials fell short, were on the stiffness-to-mass ratio, elastic moduli, damping, or longitudinal to lateral grain properties that is needed to create great-sounding timbre and depth in the produced sound.
As complements, not main or base materials (carbon-fibre strut reinforcements) they can add quality to the soundboards and end-result. Aesthetics will never matter more than acoustics and quality sound!
Plate Bracing features on the guitar include the sound board and back plate, typically thin and in need of more support. The design is attributed to Antonio de Torres Juan (1817-1892). And more recently Greg Smallman, considered inspiration for the criss-cross’ lattice bracing tapering outward, radially from underneath the bridge saddle. These principles and development all have to do with how the guitar radiates sound. Whoever thought that geometry would come in handy! It is crucial, whether asymmetrical or symmetrical design and patterns are used, they are critical for the acoustics and resonance of the instrument as most makers will be the first to tell you. It is about so much more than the properties of the wood, materials, placement, design!