Ergonomic guitars

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Ergonomic guitars

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kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

Ergonomic guitars

Our Google machine came up with an advertisement about Ergonomic guitars and I just followed the link and saw something which was new to me.

A few months ago I'd seen a documentary on BBC about the Fender Telecaster/Stratocaster that something simalar was done because people felt the hard edge uncomfortable.

This picture here is a guitar which Kenny Hill made.
What are the responses to this, I am just curious?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 5 2009 18:17:23

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

another one

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 5 2009 18:19:54

GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

I don't think that guitar was made by Kenny. The only ergonomic modification that he recently made was for his Stand-Up guitar.

http://hillguitar.blogspot.com/2007/11/stand-up-and-play-update.html

Classical guitarist Scott Tennant uses the Stand-Up while sitting down.

The sloped lower-bout top of that guitar in those two photos that you posted reduces the size of the soundboard. There are other designs which can create a comfortable area for the RH forearm without substantially reducing the soundboard. I don't see the benefit of the sloped lower-bout back.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 8:04:48

GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

I traced the origin of your photos and sent an email to Kenny for verification.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 8:13:26

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to GuitarVlog)

quote:

I traced the origin of your photos and sent an email to Kenny for verification.

That's ok,
here's the link I got it from.
http://ergonomic-guitar.com/produit.php?ref=20PC&id_rubrique=17

Which other designs are there?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 8:33:36

RobJe

Posts: 731
Joined: Dec. 16 2006
From: UK

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

I'd rather be uncomfortable than have to play someething as ugly as this!

Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 12:23:27

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

quote:

here's the link I got it from.
http://ergonomic-guitar.com/produit.php?ref=20PC&id_rubrique=17

I think they forgot to attach the toaster....

Well,.. but interesting. hmm... because the sounding and the playability is most important to me I would check them.. But I dont think that cut-offs are making a huge difference.. I think the cut off at the right end of the guitar is very useful. I always damaged this part of my guitars because I used to play a lot sitting on a bench leaning on a rough wall in a cellar.. With this cutoff the damage could have been avoided. But does it change the fullness of the sound?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 13:11:08

GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

This is a steel-string but I've seen some luthiers applying the same idea of a beveled edge to classical guitars (but not flamenco).

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 21:12:06

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

i think those slopes were made with classical guitarists in mind, the way they sit, where the guitar is slightly tilted backwards and is supported on the left leg. that's the only time where my arm would rest on that hard edge.

and now that i think of it, that's probably why the back is sloped too, for where the guitar rests on the right leg.

in the flamenco positions, my arm never rests on that hard edge. plus i wear a thick sweater because it's damn cold over here!

this was the first guitar i saw that had these "slopes."

guitarvlog, that's one freakin' ornate guitar!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 22:24:56

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

Am I wrong or does this model (the girl) hold this guitar the false way around... lol... I also wonder why they shoot the guitar with a model... That works for expensive cars but not for guitars.... She doesnt even wear a bikini..

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 6 2009 22:32:04

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

I also wonder why they shoot the guitar with a model... That works for expensive cars but not for guitars.... She doesnt even wear a bikini..

it's a "chanel" guitar. i bet it smells good. it comes with a gig bag. and a michael jackson glove... and pleather underwear... here you go.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 0:47:56

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to at_leo_87)

i pity the poor sucker that buys that or is the bloke forced to buy that for a woman.

http://www.sassybella.com/2009/03/sing-songs-camp-fire-chanels-spring-summer-2009-guitar/

$11,000 for a calf skin guitar case getttaouttaa heeerrre.

charge oodles of cash just for putting coco chanels name on it...what a jip.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 5:15:51

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to henrym3483)

quote:

$11,000 for a calf skin guitar case getttaouttaa heeerrre.

The model is probably earning that per hour.

cheers,

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 5:37:18

henrym3483

Posts: 1584
Joined: Nov. 13 2005
From: Limerick,Ireland

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to Ron.M)

being honest bout it ron, she aint the type of bird i'd offer a battered sausage and chip after a night out.

what ever happened to having good looking sassy broad's in fashion, most of em today look enemic and about as interesting to talk to as licking postage stamps.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 6:24:13

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to henrym3483)

quote:

$11,000 for a calf skin guitar case getttaouttaa heeerrre

yeah, and there was that thread recently about how more than 3-4 grand was too much to pay for a guitar!!!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 7:53:05

estebanana

Posts: 9379
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

All that stuff is for guitar makers who are either bored and looking to do something different because guitar making inherently repetitive technically. Or guitar makers looking to make some new "talking point" for their guitars.

Arrgg! That steel string guitar is the ugliest thing I've ever seen. As for the conversation that implied paying three or four thousand dollars for a guitar was too much money to pay; I trust the people on the side of it being too much money were soundly disabused of this horrible notion.

Guitar voodoo- Bah-patooey!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 11:00:13

mark indigo

Posts: 3625
Joined: Dec. 5 2007

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to estebanana)

quote:

As for the conversation that implied paying three or four thousand dollars for a guitar was too much money to pay; I trust the people on the side of it being too much money were soundly disabused of this horrible notion

i probably got it a bit wrong, for a start it was more like 3-4,000 Euros or Pounds (which are nearly the same now), not dollars (so that would be 4-5,500 dollars?) and it wasn't that that amount was too much, it was just that that was the upper limit - a handmade guitar is gonna cost 2-4,000 Euros, depending on luthier, right?

but there are Reyes for sale for 15-20,000 Euros, the point of the thread being are they really 4-5 times as good? but you can look it up on search, lets not go into it again here

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 11:58:10

GuitarVlog

Posts: 441
Joined: Mar. 19 2009
From: San Francisco Bay Area

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to kozz)

I just got a reply from Kenny. It is a guitar that he built.

The French company owns the patent on the design. Kenny built 6-8 of them as an R&D project to try to improve the sound of their guitars. He may make more for them.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 13:27:58

kozz

Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL

RE: Ergonomic guitars (in reply to GuitarVlog)

quote:

I just got a reply from Kenny. It is a guitar that he built.
The French company owns the patent on the design. Kenny built 6-8 of them as an R&D project to try to improve the sound of their guitars. He may make more for them.

Ok, thanks.
So he will not alter the design (the looks), but on another level. Bracing, wood, soundports etc.

It's not the most beautifull guitar but I can imagine people can benefit from it. If you don't mind sitting in your classical tuxedo, the looks of the guitar won't matter either I suppose.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Dec. 7 2009 21:54:55