Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi folks,
A valid way to evaluate a new guitar is to compare it to one of the best sounding classics. Eventually this brings us in a new dilemma. The great mystery we are dealing with is: how did the comp guitar sound when it was new or just broken in?

How do acoustic guitars change their sound over centuries? How much effect does the constant change in temperature and humidity have, what happens to the wood cell structure over time, how much influence had the playing on the guitar and how much have repair people tempered with the instrument. Is there a way to properly answer these question since there is no audible recorded proof from a century ago? We have written statements. But even those are a matter to subjectivity - and the way of hearing has dramatically changed, too.

Still, it would be of the utmost importance for a maker today, to know what will happen to the tonal properties of his instruments over time. Many luthiers try to "build-in" the sound of the old classics in their guitars. Some get close. Which brings up another question: How will these new guitars sound, when they are a century old? Do they improve even more?

And that raises the final question! Did the makers back then compare to anything "vintage" or did they just try to go the next evolutionary step?
This is the topic of the third José Romanillos Custom Guitar Video installment.
And I would love to read your thoughts on this topic!

http://www.customguitarvideo.com/2009/10/07/jose-romanillos-03/

Enjoy!
Holger

Thanks for that! Looking forward to part 4.

I have read with interest the description of the Torres sound in Romanillos' book. This brings up yet another issue. The contemporary descriptions, while interesting, are not very useful at all to a modern reader. They talk about the emotive response to the sound quality of the Torres guitar. There is no comparative description at all, there is no reference standard. With this in mind, we need to leave to future generations an accurate description of the quality of our instruments as the are today. Fortunately, we can utilize audio recording, something not available to the 19thc century audience, but the recordings do need quality analysis to help guide the inquiring listener. There are precious few recordings which are focused on the instrument in order to document it at this point in time.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I love to listen to this guy talk. What he says makes sense, as usual. I'm looking forward to part 4. Thanks again for taking the time to post these.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"