The Science of Magic Guitars

Let’s talk science when it comes to singing guitars. Magic is fun. It adds mystery and excitement to things. But it can deceive, and as Azimov said: “Any science that’s sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic.” That’s why magic sometimes needs the steely cold blade of science between its shoulder blades if we’re going to get past the mystery and get productive with real knowledge. The magic of a highly resonant guitar is intoxicating. The guitar seems unnaturally light, it makes you play differently and you seem to play better. You do play better! But why?

Sympathetic frequencies are the answer. How we achieve them is the question. Sympathetic frequencies are in a nutshell, the natural frequencies left over after joining several items into one. Now, certain woods are naturals together like mahogany and ebony or ash/alder and maple but still some of the most respected luthiers I know have confessed that only about one in ten guitars they make are truly exceptional. One never really knows until the finish is done. I think the ratio of truly exceptional guitars coming from a manufacturer is about one in a hundred. It took me almost three years and 2 NAMM shows to find a great J-45, three years for a great SJ-200, over a year for a D-28 etc.

Everything has its own resonant frequencies, which are basically the frequencies most easily vibrated in a given item. Layering two items like a neck and a fingerboard and then joining them to a body (ash, alder – mahogany?) present further complications in figuring which frequencies are sympathetic and will create a whole with the finished instrument. Each item and its own frequencies can either compliment or clash with other frequencies from other parts of the guitar, and they can all be altered with the application of the finish. Heavy or light tailpiece- altered. String gauge changed- altered. String composition changed- altered. Different tuners- altered.

What’s the take away from all of this?
1. Don’t settle for less than inspiring. If the guitar doesn’t take you to the next level of playing comfort and ease, don’t make the investment.
2. Keep sound and feel above appearance.
3. Even with electrics, get a guitar that rings and feels good acoustically. You can always change the pickups.
4. Magic also becomes relative when an intermediate player with a marginal guitar trades up. The technology it took to give the new guitar better fit and finish and surpass the old guitar becomes in fact “indistinguishable from magic”.

Advertisement

~ by theguitarsite on December 13, 2009.