http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MwbsjgMIk0
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| How Small can you go? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=23245 |
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| Author: | John Hale [ Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | How Small can you go? |
I've recently built a tenor uke and love it as I can sit in my seat in the car and play it comfortably, and was wondering how small people here had made guitars before they lost their bass and warmth and started to sound boxy? I know it's a very subjective, I've played parlours with more bass than some dreadnoughts so size can be deceptive. Also any hints tips and tricks for making good sounding small guitars, as I know shorter scale length won't power the sound board as well. Oh should of mentioned steel string guitar is what I'd intended. Cheers Guys |
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| Author: | Kent Chasson [ Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
I've built about 15 travel guitars (no parlors yet). The limiting factor with those, as you mention, is scale length. Not necessarily because of a lack of power but because of geometry. If you are trying to build a small AND short guitar, you run into problems with bridge placement. Shorten the body and keep the same scale length and the bridge starts moving too far south. And you can only shorten the scale length so much before the strings just get too floppy. 22.5 is as short as I've gone using mediums (although I think Taylor uses lights on their travel guitar with that scale length). So in my mind, the limiting factor for having a full sounding bass response is overall length (and depth, to some extent) more than body width. |
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| Author: | Frei [ Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MwbsjgMIk0
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| Author: | joekelly9692 [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
that was very cool.........what is that piece called???...i would like to learn that one.....lovley little geetar also |
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| Author: | Frei [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
Thats Fugue 1 by Gaspar Sanz. This site doesnt have it, but lots of baroque stuff. Not sure if powertab has it. http://freetabs.org/classical.htm |
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| Author: | joekelly9692 [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
thanks Frei |
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| Author: | David Newton [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 3:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
John, I think you are on to the key of making good sounding little guitars. I like little guitars, but won't make a shorter scale then 24.9". Even though I cut the weight of all the members of my last "scott antes small concert guitar" 24.375" scale still was verging on a boxy tone, though the owner hasn't complained. |
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| Author: | MRS [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
Frei wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MwbsjgMIk0 Actually thats a giant playing normal size guitar. 
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| Author: | truckjohn [ Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
I love them! If my Ditson GC is any indication of things to come... I will be building more small body guitars.. I think Brune's 1863 Torres (With no lower bout bracing at all) tells the story... the key to small guitars is LIGHT... Very lightly built.. Things that would be scary on a Dread are HUGE on an itty bitty Size 5... The down side is that they will never have the *Whomp* of a Dread... but that is OK too... Thanks John |
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| Author: | John Hale [ Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: How Small can you go? |
To get over the scale length problem could you tune to F B E A C F, I don't know if you tuned higher how you could work out the tension increase and then match say the same tension as a 25.4" scale length though. |
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