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I queried the AI search mode on Chrome to find answers to various questions about whether AI will eventually be able to build better classical ( flamenco) guitars than an experienced guitar builder:
Posts: 16154
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: AI and Experienced luthier - Q and A (in reply to estebanana)
I am not clear on why AI can't facilitate history and context? The other Luthier essentials sound pretty "woo woo" to me.
The missing thing about "feel" is really about "stiffness", again, I can't see why some device used by AI can't determine stiffness the same (or better) as experienced luthier fingers. But the main physical build aspects seem doable by AI, scary. It can already make you cry with hallmark card style fake music about your dead dog.
Once it can do that with it's own 3d printed guitar, it will own us.
Posts: 4720
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)
RE: AI and Experienced luthier - Q and A (in reply to Ricardo)
Chat GPT :
Will an A.I. studio eventually build a flamenco guitar just like an experienced luthier?
Short answer: **yes—very likely**, but with important caveats.
### Why it’s plausible
An “AI studio” (meaning AI + robotics + advanced manufacturing) could eventually match an experienced flamenco luthier because:
1. **Measurement & modeling**
* High-resolution scans (CT, laser, vibration analysis) can capture the geometry, thickness gradients, bracing patterns, and resonant behavior of great flamenco guitars. * Machine learning can correlate these variables with sound characteristics like *attack, dryness, rasgueado response,* and *percussiveness*.
2. **Material understanding**
* AI can statistically analyze cypress, spruce, and cedar—grain orientation, density, stiffness, damping—far beyond what the human eye or tap-testing can perceive. * Over time, it could select or even *engineer* wood (or wood-like composites) that behave consistently like top-tier flamenco tonewood.
3. **Precision fabrication**
* Robotic carving and assembly can achieve tolerances no human can repeat consistently. * AI-guided voicing could adjust thicknesses and braces iteratively based on real-time acoustic feedback.
4. **Learning from masters**
* If trained on enough instruments by great luthiers (old Conde, Barbero, Reyes, etc.), AI could replicate their *average* decision patterns extremely well.
### Where it gets tricky
Flamenco guitars are especially hard because they’re not just about “good tone”:
* **Controlled imperfection** Great flamenco guitars often sound alive *because* they’re pushed to the edge—light builds, fast decay, slight asymmetries. Humans sometimes break rules intuitively; AI tends to optimize.
* **Player-specific voicing** Luthiers subtly adjust for hand strength, golpe style, and repertoire. That kind of embodied empathy is hard to encode.
* **Aesthetic and cultural judgment** Flamenco sound is culturally defined and evolving. AI can imitate preferences, but deciding *what flamenco should sound like next* is harder.
### The most realistic outcome
Rather than replacing luthiers, AI studios will likely:
* Produce **exceptionally consistent, high-quality flamenco guitars** * Match or exceed **90–95%** of what great luthiers achieve * Make elite-level instruments more accessible * Still leave room at the top for human masters whose work is prized for individuality, history, and soul
Think of it like this:
> AI can learn how to build a great flamenco guitar. > A master luthier knows *when* to break what they’ve learned.
### Bottom line
Yes—an AI studio will eventually build flamenco guitars **as good as** those of experienced luthiers in sound and playability. But the very best human-made instruments will likely remain special, not because AI can’t copy them—but because flamenco values **human risk, tradition, and intention**, not just results.
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