The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97337   Message #1924716
Posted By: mandotim
02-Jan-07 - 09:23 AM
Thread Name: Guitar body belling up
Subject: RE: Guitar body belling up
Hi Seamus; not sure about this one, as to whether you'd get the full effect. Looking at the physics of it, I reckon the (undoubted) effect comes from three main sources; the first is that the top is flattened, and the bracing is therefore able to do its job properly. This should help the resonance of the top, and therefore volume and possibly tone. This would not apply if the top was flat already. Second source is the levelling of the bridge, which means the 'break angle' of the strings over the saddle is increased, which creates more pressure on the saddle, which means more efficient transfer of string vibration energy via the saddle into the top. Again, this would not apply if the bridge plate is already flat. Third source is the same as a violin soundpost, although in this case the 'soundpost' connects the bridge to the tailblock of the guitar rather than the back. This provides an extra physical conduit for vibration energy to be transmitted from the bridge to the rest of the body (as well as via the air in the body cavity and the top and sides of the instrument). This effect should still work. The only snag is that I'm not sure anyone has done the oscilloscope work to separate out the relative impact of each of the three sources, although I notice from the website that Breedlove are now installing these in new guitars. From my own experience (I've now done my own mandocello and two high-end guitars for friends) there is a marked difference in tone and volume; I wouldn't describe the tone as brighter, it seems to me to be 'clearer', losing the sometimes muddy mid-range that some guitars have. Overall volume is certainly increased. Hope this moves the discussion along.
Tim