Hello everyone,
Spring is pushing back winter finally up here in the Northwoods of Michigan. As the weather changes, so often does my energy levels-its much easier to get things done when you are not battling the elements!
I have started my dreadnaught project with intentions to master the classic Martin idiom. I have become interested in the dreadnaught because in many ways, it is the opposite of what I have been doing most of my career. While I have pushed the limits of what a guitar can be, I have overlooked what a guitar is, and based on popularity worldwide, it’s a dreadnaught.
Now, not all dreads are created equal. I have had a chance to experience the magic of the 1930's era dreads and there is a reason they are considered the best. It’s because they are! There are many theories as to why this is, but for me as a guitar designer, I look at why a different way. It is my contention that guitars make their sound because of their modes and materials. In my experience, if you match a particular set of materials and stiffnesses by carefully tuning the modes of vibration, you can match the sound of instruments. I will be using modal measurements from classic examples as a target, and we will see how close I can get in a new instrument.
I was going to use a nice set of Brazilian rosewood, but I thought better of going all out on the first one, so I have decided to make a prototype out of padouk. This set is nearly identical in material properties as Brazilian rosewood so my calculations and measurements should translate well to Brazilian when I make the first official version.
I had the opportunity to scan some old guitars and was able to determine a density range for the tops. Using this insight, I chose a thermally modified top that is in the correct range to give me a baseline for matching a modern top to the vintage one. How close in sound I get with this one will inform the next guitars top selections.
If anyone would like to claim this guitar, I will be offering it privately at a special price. It will be a great instrument I’m sure, but itt is a prototype.
I will also have some other special instruments coming up for sale directly, so keep an eye out for those, but I’ll save that for another day.
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