Build A Guitar
Bad Tuners, Low Batteries and Old Strings
by jonas on Mar.03, 2009, under Custom Guitar Articles
Have you ever found yourself in this situation? You’ve set the intonation on your guitar or bass perfectly. Your tuner reads exactly the same pitch for the harmonic at the twelfth fret and the fretted note at the twelfth, but some frets still produce notes that are out of tune. The previous Xylem article discussed intonation and how to adjust it properly for guitars and basses. This two-part article will address various intonation problems and their solutions. After you have completed any of the adjustments below, you should re-intonate your instrument. While reading, keep in mind that instruments that intonate perfectly for every fret are very rare and you should expect slight variations from perfect pitch. However, you should be able to fix variations greater than about 6 cents sharp or flat in most cases.
Bad Tuners, Low Batteries and Old Strings
(Please follow the link at the bottom of the article to view the associated figures)
When checking the intonation of an instrument, make sure to use a decent quality chromatic tuner with fresh batteries. The intonation may seem to be off simply because a cheap tuner, or a good one with low batteries, produces inaccurate readings. Another potential cheap fix for bad intonation is a string replacement. As guitar and bass strings get old, they become corroded, develop pits and dings, and the cores stretch more easily, all of which can affect intonation.
Excessive Relief
Ruling out a faulty tuner or old strings, the next thing to check is the relief of the neck. If your instrument’s intonation is properly set at the 12th fret, but is still incorrect at certain other frets (especially those in the middle of the fretboard), it may have too much relief. Excessive relief requires that the strings travel further to contact the frets, which causes the strings to stretch further and results in a slightly sharp pitch. To correct this problem, optimize the relief of your instrument (refer to the Xylem truss rod articles, parts one through three for detailed procedures for optimizing relief).
Nut and Saddle Slots
On a well-made nut, the slots are angled down towards the headstock and, as a result, the string contacts the nut at a single point in the slot nearest the fretboard (Figures 1 & 2). If the nut slots have more than one contact point, or the contact point is further away from the fretboard, intonation may be thrown off. If the nut slots of your instrument are not cut at such an angle, and/or the highest points of the slots are not right at the fretboard face of the nut, the nut slots may need to be filed. You will need a set of gauged nut-slotting files that match your instrument’s string gauges to file the slots properly (these can be purchased from luthier supply companies, try to get files that are about .003″ larger than your string gauges). File away material in small increments, making sure that the depths of the slots do not exceed ½ to ¾ of the string’s diameters. If the slots are already too deep to allow further filing, you may need to install a new nut. Once the fretboard faces of the slots are higher than the rest, you will have fixed the problem. If you are not comfortable filing the nut yourself, most repair techs and luthiers (including myself) charge between $20-$50 for nut modifications.
A similar procedure can be done to the slotted saddles on some instruments. Extra caution should be used when filing these saddles, as they may not be as easily replaced as the nut. Saddles that consist of an edge only (such as those found on most acoustic guitars) should not be filed in this manner. Also, the strings should be pressed down into the saddle slots with a fingernail to ensure that the strings are contacting the leading edge of the slot.
The second part of this article will discuss how to modify a nut that is too high for proper intonation and a few simple, cheap ways to improve the intonation of an instrument with fixed saddles or moveable saddles that are adjusted all the way back or forward. Thanks for reading, see you next month!
Copyright © Anthony Olinger, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars 2008.
Follow this link to view the figures for this article.
If you have any questions or comments about this article please visit the Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars website and follow the “Contact” link on the navigation menu on the left.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Olinger
handmade acoustic guitars | the instrument of your dreams
by jonas on Mar.02, 2009, under Custom Guitar Articles
There are many people that own guitars or are considering purchasing a guitar for themselves or someone they love. They make great Christmas gifts, especially for young children. Musical instruments are a great gift to get for your little one, the whole family will have such a great time enjoying watching them play with it for the first time, it will be so entertaining. The family will have the ability to create many lasting memories to last a lifetime. Some people are choosing to have their guitars custom made. This is a great idea if you are wanting to show off your creative side. Having a guitar custom made will allow you to create a design, any design that you may want. It is a fun way to make the instrument of your dreams.
Custom guitars are created by experienced professionals for any kind of person, for all styles and tastes, from tough girly looking to total hardcore, it is all up to you. These are created to make you happy, so that you can show off your custom made guitar to all of your friends and family, they will all be so envious, wishing they had one for themselves. These are really a tasteful work of fabulous art and if you are interested in having one made for yourself then all you have to do is look into it, ask around, do the research. In no time, you too, could have one of these brilliantly made guitars of your choice. Now these types of guitars are not created for you to actually play them, they are specifically designed for you to show off to everyone, and possibly one day sell it for a whole lot of money.
It is no different than having a custom made bike or a custom made car, they are all unique and one of a kind. The same design is rarely ever used more than once, that is what makes your guitar so special and so unique. The designs that the manufacturers come up with are rarely marketed because of not wanting the same design put on different guitars, they want their piece of art to remain a one of a kind. The most common type of material they will be using would be rosewood. This material is so popular because of its lasting ability. Just make sure that they are using this when you have your own guitar custom made.
If you are interested in having a guitar custom made for you then you need to start now doing the research. Once you find the professionals that you are interested in using, contact them, go in and talk with them, tell them exactly what you are wanting. These specialists are ready and willing to please you and if you contact the right ones, you will know that you will be working with a reputable business. The result will be a one of a kind, fine piece of art, just for you.
Looking for a guitar or accessories? Check out Guitar Heaven for a full range of guitars and accessories. Also download free guitar lessons.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_B_Simpson
What Gives a Custom Acoustic Guitar that Exceptionally Great Sound? Part 1.
by jonas on Mar.01, 2009, under Acoustic Guitar Builders, Build A Guitar
What Gives a Custom Acoustic Guitar that Exceptionally Great Sound? Part 1.
Many factors come together into the puzzling and complex issue; what goes into a custom acoustic guitar to make it sound great? To answer this question is very complex and I’ll suggest to you step by step. Articles will follow this one that will encompass the details of each of the factors involved.
THIS ARTICLE IS INTEND TO BRIEFLY TOUCH UPON SOME OF THE BASICS OF THIS SUBJECT – Great sound in Custom Guitars
First of all, the sound that comes out of any guitar is just what it is, as you hear it. Our Judgment of it is based on what we come to judge throughout history and what we have come to accept as todays standards set by others to what a Good or Bad Sounding guitar for should sound like.
In other words, in nature there is no such thing as a good or bad sound in a strict sense. It’s only what we have come to accept as standards to what a guitar should sound like. Developing this idea further, hopefully, in the future we can learn to set higher standards and maybe the custom guitars at that time would even sound better than todays guitars. Woudn’t that be awesome?
The standards were achieved by ground breaking companies such as Martin Guitars and Gibson, who spent money and research to allow standards to exist within the ‘sound’ of a custom acoustic guitar, or any custom guitar for that matter.
OK, let’s get to it.
When you pluck a string, this produces an energy wave that we know as sound. What this guitar must do is transfer the energy introduced by plucking the strings. This is what I call the ‘final common denominator’.
The guitar string energy in motion is transferring through the whole thing (glue and everything, with a dependance also as to the current temperature), how this perceived sound being generated by a complex system, finally producing that resulting factor we call ‘resonance’.
In other words, everything combined about this “Complete Unit” and all its complexity called a “Guitar”, contributes to the sound you are hearing at the moment the strings are put into action.
Therefor the sound depends on:
- The Design of the guitar, it’s shape.
- The construction, the manner in which the guitar is constructed.
- The types of woods used in the guitar making process
- The types of bracing inside on the soundboard.
- The materials used for nut and sandal, including the bridge pins.
- The finnish used on the outside of the guitar.
There’s more on this later. Ideally a guitar should sound like, what? It’s only limited to our imagination. Therefore a custom guitar builder of any size has the same ability to further advance the sound quality of any custom built guitar.
What I’m going to share with you over the course of several articles, are some secrets about this and how do we go about constructing a great sounding guitar in practice.
This article will concern itself with the Construction in general and we’ll touch upon the woods and others stuff in a later article. After I built my first Martin Guitar, many years ago with the guidance of my Father a Master craftsman himself during my youth;
I discovered that:
As a general rule, a lighter built guitar would bring out tones more clearly, and with the right construction technique, a louder response.
The energy brought forward by plucking the strings had less mass to hide in, less places to get lost or trapped. The energy had less ‘knee jerk’ obstacles to overcome hence forth, due to fine shaped braces, more on that later. In other words as a direct result, the guitar became more alive and responsive.
The advantage of that is that the whole guitar becomes more flexible and at the same time more producing a likeable and even louder sound. The thinner I made, the back, sides and top, (up to a point, more later) the more sound was able to transfer through the woods. The wonderful advantage of this is that the player can feel the sound transferring into his ear, guts, and body while playing my guitars. As a result, a better and direct connection and relationship with the musician. The guitars simply talk better to the players.
This has to be done within it’s own limitations for obvious reasons, the overall strength of the guitar must be maintained we’ll discuss it in a later chapter.
THE INSIDE GUTS
When you look at the basic Martin Cross bracing pattern for the sound board, you’ll feel the representation of a water reservoir or lake. The idea is that if you throw a rock into a calm lake, it produces wave patterns, getting smaller the farther they travel until they disappear back to the balanced state of the water surface or to its original neutrality.
Because the waves of water are essentially the same as the waves in the air, slower because of a thick medium; the idea is to construct the soundboard bracing pattern in such a way that the wave energy generated by the strings, is gently and ‘smoothly’ transferred into the guitar’s soundboard. To help transfer this energy wave back to a state of natural balance of the sound board shape, just like it’s counter example in nature, the rock thrown into the water.
These are the kinds of revelations one receives as a master guitar craftsman, like myself. This way we can create the sound waves the way that I want. This is the doorway to understanding a bit more on creating even better sounds in the future, like the sounds that are produced in the Peace Guitar.
In the case of making a guitar sound good, or Great, on this one point:
It is the individual shapes of the braces that represent water waves. And, the idea is to help the energy waves return to their original balance of rest.
But the fun of all this is, that I get to surf the waves right in my guitar building shop. I am proud to say that the more attention I pay to this phenomena, the better the guitars turn out and come to sound.
My favorite quote: “better sound is a concept that may be in perpetual changing mode due to human perception.”
Preparation before ordering a custom built electric guitar.
by jonas on Feb.27, 2009, under Custom Guitar Articles
1.) The first thing you’ll need to do is draw the guitar to scale. This doesn’t have to be an entire 3D drawing, but a large enough flat picture on paper drawn to scale, preferably of the head and body of the guitar can help speed up the design process.
What the luthier (fancy name for guitar builder) has to do first is create templates of both the neck and body of the guitar. These are made out of plywood or sometimes perspex, kind of like a flat version of the guitar that’s going to be created.
2.) You need to know beforehand exactly what parts you want on the guitar, as those measurements are crucial to the design of the guitar. An electric guitar builder can’t even think about starting on a guitar before all the parts are right there with him or her.
Acoustic guitar builders have less of a problem with that, seeing as there are less parts to worry about.
3.) Find a guitar neck that you like the feel of and try find out the measurements, like fretboard radius, neck thickness and scale length.
The best electric guitar construction method
There are three basic electric guitar building methods to consider. Mostly a good luthier will have this pretty much figured out, but surprisingly enough, there are some differing opinions.
The three methods that are most commonly referred to are bolt on neck, glued in or set neck, and neck through body construction.
In my opinion there is only one choice, and that’s neck through body construction.
This means that the neck runs all the way through the body, and the sides are glued on.
Second choice is a set neck.
Some luthiers will do something called a deep set neck tenon, which is half way between a set neck and a neck through. Not a bad compromise at all.
Good wood equals good tone
There are many good woods to use on a guitar, my favorite is African Mahogany.
A good idea is to do some proper research, the best kind being to listen to some of your favorite guitars and see what wood they used on them.
Guitar tone is a very personal thing, so no-one can tell you what to do there.
An experienced luthier will have a good grasp of the tonal character of various woods, so tell them what you want and they should know what to do.
The value of a personalized custom electric guitar is something that’s difficult to quantify. I’ve always said that any good guitar is worth more than the money you pay for it.
If you’d like to know where you can get your own true custom electric guitar, feel free to pay a visit and see what this Custom electric guitar builder created for me.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Gavin_Webber
Every musician is particular about instrument set up.
by jonas on Feb.27, 2009, under Custom Guitar Articles
Guitarists like to have their guitars custom-made to reflect their unique identity. Custom-made guitars are a unique combination of order, expertise, dreamy innovations and intuition clubbed together to make a fine piece of art. Studio owners and professional players all swear by custom-made guitars, and they are very popular.
There are radical custom designs that are incorporated from every facet of art to produce a custom made guitar. Creators of custom designs release very few pieces of any particular make, in order to keep it a unique creation. They have artistic designs that run through the entire front of the guitar. The designs are made of different materials and
crafted using techniques similar to furniture making. The most common material used to produce custom guitars is Rosewood. It is used for making concert instruments, and is generally aged for 15 to 30 years. It is therefore considerably better than virtually all other commercially available material. Other materials used are ribs and backs that are stored at a controlled humidity to ensure their stability before use.
The designs of a custom-made guitar may be complex and intricate, adding in a particular theme or an outlook. A custom-made guitar is considered a collector?s item and usually created from the most exquisite materials available. Guitarists do not play these guitars ? they flaunt them as a showpiece. Large guitar manufacturers often issue these guitars to celebrate a significant historical milestone.
Custom made guitars have high historical value and fetch large amounts of money when auctioned. Rock bands are usually associated with the use of customized instruments to exhibit their personalities. The famous rock star, Jimmy Hendricks is known to have auctioned his guitar for over $1 million. Just like custom bikes, cars, houses, furniture and clothes, custom guitars have seen an upsurge in popularity especially amongst the modern rock bands of the 21st century.
Electric Guitars provides detailed information on Electric Guitars, Acoustic Electric Guitars, Cheap Electric Guitars, Electric Bass Guitars and more. Electric Guitars is affiliated with Piano Lessons.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Seth_Miller
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The World Peace Guitar
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Michael Franti and his World Peace Guitar
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