whitestrat
Well-known member
Here's an interesting page I stumbled across on how different body shapes vibrate acoustically.
Dr. Russell's Research - Acoustics of Guitars
Dr. Russell's Research - Acoustics of Guitars
Off Topic How a body shape difference matters
- Thread starter whitestrat
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fbecir
Well-known member
This Dr Russell is a clever guy : he received the guitars free of charge from Gibson ... 
Well, after that you just have to write a report with nice photos and drawings.
Big Poppa : I can do the same with EBMM guitars. Just send me a 25th, a BFR Pet, an Y2D, an AL and a Silo and I will write the best technical report on guitar vibration !
Well, after that you just have to write a report with nice photos and drawings.
Big Poppa : I can do the same with EBMM guitars. Just send me a 25th, a BFR Pet, an Y2D, an AL and a Silo and I will write the best technical report on guitar vibration !
DrKev
Moderator
Well, if he's ending them to Paris anyway, I may as well be involved. Can't discuss physics of guitars without a guitar playing physicist.
That said, I can't see much use of this work (after an admittedly brief scan of what's posted online). What does a guitar sound like when you mute the strings and bang it with a hammer? We already know it goes 'thunk'. Now we know the frequencies and why. That in itself is pretty cool but in solid body electrics I can't see body shape having an appreciable effect on tone especially compared to wood, construction techniques, and pickup choice.
What I would like to see are acoustic absorption spectra of different tone wood species, correlated to density and grain size. That may actually be useful, aside from interesting. I'm sure a few ideas/myths regarding tone and wood choice might crumble. It'd be interesting to see which ones!
That said, I can't see much use of this work (after an admittedly brief scan of what's posted online). What does a guitar sound like when you mute the strings and bang it with a hammer? We already know it goes 'thunk'. Now we know the frequencies and why. That in itself is pretty cool but in solid body electrics I can't see body shape having an appreciable effect on tone especially compared to wood, construction techniques, and pickup choice.
What I would like to see are acoustic absorption spectra of different tone wood species, correlated to density and grain size. That may actually be useful, aside from interesting. I'm sure a few ideas/myths regarding tone and wood choice might crumble. It'd be interesting to see which ones!
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Jack FFR1846
Well-known member
Thanks for posting and the experiments were interesting. I do think that the equipment and experimental technique had some value. However, I 100% disagree that they have shown anything...whatsoever that the shape of the instrument has any effect on the various bending, resonant frequencies or much of anything else.
Why?
There was no consistancy in the guitars under test. If they started with the explorer and then had another guitar with the same mass and wood type and construction with nothing different but the shape and found results showing changes due to shape.......and then did it with say an Ash guitar with the same shapes being tested and then with a poplar.....
If the results were that all Explorer shapes did something and all Strat shapes did something else and all Axis shapes did something completely different, we'd have valid results. Maybe this was an introduction and he's planning to do that.....but I don't think so.
......oh.....and when I play "Free Bird", my guitar does that flapping wing vibration.
Why?
There was no consistancy in the guitars under test. If they started with the explorer and then had another guitar with the same mass and wood type and construction with nothing different but the shape and found results showing changes due to shape.......and then did it with say an Ash guitar with the same shapes being tested and then with a poplar.....
If the results were that all Explorer shapes did something and all Strat shapes did something else and all Axis shapes did something completely different, we'd have valid results. Maybe this was an introduction and he's planning to do that.....but I don't think so.
......oh.....and when I play "Free Bird", my guitar does that flapping wing vibration.
JoeDogInKC
Well-known member
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You can just send me a 25th BP, and I'll write a report on how it's better than anything else ... period!
catdaddy
Well-known member
Bo understood. Dig the combo stack also.
PeteDuBaldo
Well-known member
The results would have been very interesting if they had tested 3 or 4 guitars of EACH body style. Cool physics, nonetheless!
