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Building LOUD guitars?   You are logged in as Guest
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Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

Building LOUD guitars? 
Hey all,
I've got my first order for a Spruce blanca, and the client is requesting a loud guitar: lots of volume.
My first blanca, while having a very beautiful voice with lots of clarity and flamenco attack, is not particularly loud. I'm going to be using the same bracing pattern (5 fans, no bridge patch), but I'm wondering what little tricks can I pull to make the new guitar louder without sacrificing too much tone?
I was thinking about going with a continuous laminated lining instead of tentalones, and maybe a lighter brace wood (I used Sitka before). What do you think?

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Andy Culpepper, luthier
http://www.andyculpepper.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 3 2010 11:42:14
 
jshelton5040

Posts: 1500
Joined: Jan. 17 2005
 

RE: Building LOUD guitars? (in reply to Andy Culpepper) 
quote:

ORIGINAL: deteresa1

I'm going to be using the same bracing pattern, but I'm wondering what little tricks can I pull to make the new guitar louder without sacrificing too much tone?
I was thinking about going with a continuous laminated lining instead of tentalones, and maybe a lighter brace wood (I used Sitka before). What do you think?

It's pretty much impossible to advise you without seeing what you're doing but it seems to me rather than fiddling with the linings you'd be better off getting the top and bracing and bridge as light as possible if you want volume. Of course it's a balancing act making sure you don't go too far.

We just finished a blanca that is a cannon. The top is 2mm Carpathian spruce and it has Red Cedar fan bracing.

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John Shelton - www.sheltonfarrettaguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 3 2010 11:53:21
 
estebanana

Posts: 9372
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
 

RE: Building LOUD guitars? (in reply to Andy Culpepper) 
I thought my guitars began to get louder because I started using laminated liners. Since then I've changed my mind. I built one this past October with glue blocks and it was the loudest one I've made.

So why loud? Why not a good voice and accept how much volume it has? Building for loud is cool, but building for a great voice is cooler and often loud goes along for the ride.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 5 2010 22:16:00
 
Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006
 

RE: Building LOUD guitars? (in reply to Andy Culpepper) 
Well, I´ll say something different.

Its your second guitar, yeah?

So my advice is to concentrate on yourself and try to make a better guitar than the one you did before. Go slow, its so easy to think you know by now. Believe me. My number 1 was better sound and playability wise than number 2, 3 and 4.

Stay with the same design and maybe change a few things. I would advice you to final thickness the top after bluing the bindings on. Also, I personally dont like to build with so much difference in top thickness as you did. But its personal.

Volume is a weird thing. Why volume? Does your player need to be heard in noisy environments or does he need to hear himself in a noisy environment. In the last case, make a guitar with a soundport.

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  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 6 2010 0:37:07
 
Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Building LOUD guitars? (in reply to Andy Culpepper) 
Thank you all for the input. He's a friend of mine and we play for dance together..it's always a bit of a struggle to get heard. I will take all of your advice and be happy with the sound I'm getting but maybe just tweak a few things. I might get a little gutsier with taking the soundboard down, but of course not too far, and I may also try putting all the tentalones flush together with no gaps...
Thanks again guys

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Andy Culpepper, luthier
http://www.andyculpepper.com
  REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |  Date Apr. 6 2010 19:14:01
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