Copy
View this email in your browser
Hi <<First Name>>

I recently gave a short interview in the course of which I downplayed the importance of the back and sides on the tone of an instrument.
A gentleman, not listening carefully, took me to task for saying the back and sides do not have any effect on tone at all.  Of course, I said no such thing but it does show that there are different views on the subject and they are often held very strongly.  In view of this I thought I would address the subject in greater depth through my newsletter but to keep these letters from getting too long I will spread it out over a few months. Even so, it will only be a brief survey of the issues involved and I would be interested in what you think when we are all done.
The main points I will address are:
1) Relative effect on tone
2) The luthier
3) Materials
 

Back and Sides: Relative effect on tone.

Let's begin with a brief look at how important the back and sides are with respect to tone.
Firstly, it is obvious that the back and sides will have an effect on tone, no luthier disputes this. The whole of the instrument is, in one way or another, a container for the transmission of energy in the form of waves; it either does this well or it absorbs and dissipates this energy, and often at one or two specific frequencies.  The component parts of an instrument can be evaluated similarly and each will have its own frequencies that it affects more than other components.
I said they can each be evaluated similarly but that does not necessarily imply equally. A strap button will have a dampening effect on the sound energy resonating in the guitar but is there anyone who truly believes they can hear the difference and, better yet, has committed to playing without one because of this negative effect? It has so negligible an influence as to be not even worthy of practical consideration.
So our first line of thought needs to be how much influence the back and sides have on tone. If by tone we mean harmonic colouring, i.e. the different flavour and character of sound, then how much do the back and sides shape this tone? 
I would argue the main function of the back and sides is to enclose a specific volume of air that is tuned, in conjunction with the port (read soundhole), so as to support the lower frequencies. This is much the same way a speaker cabinet functions. And the active speaker in a guitar is actually the soundboard. That is to say, the air cavity is supporting the soundboard which produces the bass frequencies, as it does all the other frequencies, and the back and sides are the structure that encloses this volume of air.
Given this, we can see that whatever tone colouring the back and sides add, it is already pushed somewhat into the background and is less influential than both the soundboard and the air chamber. This is why Antonio Torres was quite happy to build a guitar with papier mâché back and sides, so long as he was able to use a master grade soundboard. If you don't believe me check it out.
 

 

 
 

April Auction

Two kiwi models have already gone and this month I have a new tui model up for auction. Ancient kauri back and sides with Waingarara kauri soundboard. Visit the page here for more photos.
Retail $13270
Auction Reserve $9000
Reta

May Auction

Coming up next month  I will have a new tui model with African blackwood back and sides and Waingarara kauri soundboard. 
Retail $13570
Auction Reserve $9000​
 
Copyright © 2018 Williams Guitars, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp