Hi <<First Name>>
This is the third, and final, part in a brief discussion on the back and sides of an acoustic instrument. The three parts are:
1) Relative effect on Tone
2) The luthier
3) Materials
To summarise the previous discussion I argued that, firstly, the back and sides have a lesser weight of influence on the overall tone colour of an instrument than that of the soundboard and, secondly, the luthier has at his disposal a wide array of design options to further influence the function and quality of the back and sides, irrespective of the species of wood chosen.
So, leaving aside the tonal properties of the woods, what other factors have come into play, over hundreds of years, to settle on the relatively few common choices of species for the back and sides up to this time?
There are probably many but I will restrict myself to the following three, in no particular order.
a)Workability
With no scarcity of wood, it has been convenient for luthiers to use what is easier to cut, chisel, plane and glue. After all, there is no sense in making things harder than they need to be on the workman or, for that matter, his tools.
b) Stability
For the longevity and robustness of an instrument, it is prudent to select woods that will hold up under the stresses of time especially over the regular seasonal changes of temperature and humidity.
c) Beauty
When we have a choice between two species that have similar properties but one has more interesting grain and colour it is the more beautiful that we choose.
This being the case, it follows that though there might be a small subset of what can be called "optimal" tonewoods for use as back and sides it is reasonable to assume that a wider selection of tonewoods might be possible if the luthier is prepared to have more input in the design and construction and perhaps be a bit more adventurous in working with more difficult, but otherwise suitable tonewoods. And this is, in my experience, what I have discovered to be the case over 25 years of building with many alternative species from New Zealand and around the world.
Finally, as we have seen many of the traditional species become more scarce, and the quality of the wood decrease, we have seen the evolution of major guitar makers' marketing strategy. Where once they would be emphatic about the superiority of rosewood for the back and sides, many companies now champion the excellent sound properties of some new alternative species.
Of course, for those of you who have followed me over these 25 years, you know that I have built with alternative species long before it started to become fashionable. For me, it was never a marketing strategy, it was simply a desire to use some of the most beautiful timbers in the world that just happened to be in my own backyard. It has taken time, and they do require more work on my part, but I learnt long ago that I could indeed build concert quality instruments with many of these extraordinary timbers.
As aaaaaa
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Well, I trust you have enjoyed this brief discussion on the back and sides. If you have any further questions or would like me to go further into a particular subject please email me and I will endeavour to answer as best I can, maybe in another newsletter.
Before I leave you, I would like to draw our attention to this month's Anniversary specials. I was late in completing an instrument for an August auction so this month I have listed two instruments at some fantastic low prices just for September. They are two Tui models that embody all that I have been discussing and, though not papier mache back and sides, they have a world-class concert tone.
Click on an image below to see more information and pictures in your browser.
Happy playing!
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September Special
Tui model (#18198) has an ancient kauri 410 set paired with Waingarara kauri soundboard.
Retail $11,370
September special $7,390
See here for more details.
Reta
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September Special
Tui model (#18201) has an ancient kauri 612-1 set paired with Waingarara kauri soundboard.
Retail $12,160
September special $7,900
See here for more details.
Reta
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