What no one will tell you about acoustic guitar soundboards!

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Chris dives into what makes every piece of wood unique, and how its individual characteristics can affect its sonic footprint and structural integrity.

[robertshorthill]

Back in '67, I bought a Gibson J-50 brand new, made a year earlier. I paid $250 for it, which was a good bit of cash in those days. There were several of the same brand and model in the store at the time. I spent over an hour playing, picking, and strumming each guitar, intently listening to whatever subtle differences these beautiful instruments were "talking" to me. There was one that had a punchiness, brightness, crispness that sounded better, if only slightly, over it's mates. I knew that each and every one of these guitars had not become fully "awakened" at this stage in their young lives and that over time, and being played regularly, this one particular guitar would blossom into a very good sounding and playing instrument. I didn't know what the action was supposed to be, but I took it to a guitar technician to have him look at the set up features that might need adjustments, if any. I ended up walking out of this store, 250 bucks lighter, but the proud owner of a phenomenal guitar which I keep and played for many decades into the future. Yes, it did wake up several months later to become a very highly prized possession, a good friend, and an instrument that I could develop the type of music I was interested in playing, which at the time was folk/ bluegrass. In the mid '80s I had more than one offer from folks wishing I would consider selling it to them. Of course I refused their offers of 4 figures, near the 2 grand range. Later on during the Dubya Bush era and due to extreme financial hardships, I was forced to sell my J-50, which had been with me since a "baby". I got a decent price, but it cut my heart out ! It's never been replaced to this day, by any other guitar, sadly for me. That's my story about buying a good guitar out of a music store. Bob

[christopherwilliams]

Interesting about factory builds running pre selected thicknesses for mass top quantities. This is what I believe the result of that is. Out of 10 Martins, Taylor’s, or Gibsons, you play at the store 2 will sound open and 8 will not. It’s the law of averages!!!

[melwynalmeida]

Hey ! You are a guitar scientist man ! Thank GOD for guys like you. Thanks for sharing. You gave me such a profound understanding of guitars and wood. Next time I am going to spend lots of time listening to different guitars. Love from Mumbai, India.

[metriczeppelin]

I have just learned more in 33 minutes about the art of woods being chosen for guitar construction than I've learned in the past 40 years! Super thanks, sir!

[kingrobertst]

Fascinating! Subbed! I have a hand built 12 string. The luthier kept the two book matched sound boards in a humidity controlled environment for 3 months before matching them. He said he would match them according to the natural curve they developed. The guitar is needless to say, still absolutely perfect after 36 years.

[walshamite]

It stuns me to discover a 3000 year old buried spruce trunk could be fashioned into parts of a contemporary musical instrument. Sir, your videos, which I discovered serendipitously, are a fascinating revelation in so many ways.

[nilsensantin]

I got me an orangewood guitar just for kicks (Oliver Mahagomy Jr.) today 5/22/22 saw your Orangewood review. I was blown away! this video cleared all i kind I knew about these guitars. i love nylon

[Ram.Saketh]

Wow! Very insightful and an eye-opener, so to speak. I learnt so much from this video.

[slipstreammonkey]

Your talking about overbuilding guitars prioritizing stability over efficiency. Every added mass counteracts the ability of the machine to flex and thus resonate. I get lost when woodworkers use magical language to describe their intuition based on years of experience. I believe most look at the top desired flexibility as being a physical touch and listening response rather than, "i just know when its ready or it speaks to me" which isnt what you said exactly but i, ve heard it said many times. Ive seen some builders use a more accurate/scientific approach. I forget the name but using a weight to show elastisity or movement under pressure. Overall very clear. One question though, how does one tell over time when the desired top is where it's most efficient. And how could we judge it to be so after the guitar is all together. How can we pinpoint it being the top that needs a change.

[magicdaveable]

Truly excellent video. Back jn the late 1980's I acquired a dozen or more 1x12x1"(3/4" thick) Kiln Dried Quarter Sawn clear Douglas Fir shelving boards. Not a "soundboard wood" but very fine straight grain that when I resawed it into top wood and joined it the tops are truly excellent. The stiffness allowed me to make very thin tops with radically scalloped bracing. So far I have built two Drednaught Body guitars (1988 &.1990) with Black Walnut back, sides and neck with French Lilac fingerboards and bridges cut from 50 year old extremely dense tight grained boards. I air dried those logs for 5+ years. The neck and tail blocks are also Black Walnut. They were my first two acoustic builds. Both have cosmetic issues but play well and sound great. I learned by disassemblibg an old Guild D-40 that had been seriously abused. Found it in a pawn shop in NYC for $5. Those first two builds taught me a lit about building acoustic instruments. Now that I am retired from my "daycjov" I want to tackle building my most favorite stringed instrument... The Baroque Cello.

[russellscott]

I’ve been building guitars for about 1.5 years now and it’s a fascinating and absorbing hobby and this video really covers the tonewood topic better than any other I’ve come across so far. More please, awsome.

[MYEVILTWIIN]

I don’t even play the guitar I actually make electronic music, but I love watching these videos of people making guitars ... out of the hundreds I’ve watch none have ever explained the tone wood like you have here 🤘

[xdognatex]

I love hearing people talk about things they are super passionate about. Thank you!

[richysguitarworkshop]

So informative. As a Luthier in London I hope to one day actually start to build an acoustic. I enjoyed watching this very much :)

[cutebabyseal]

Holy crap, this video blew my mind. I'm just starting to do research for my first build, and your videos are the most informative I've seen. I've just finished reading chapter 4 of Somogyi's "The Responsive Guitar", which is all about the material properties of wood. I found this video to be an excellent followup to that.

Also, that ancient sitka is absolutely badass.

[tuco]

Wow, very interesting . I’ve been playing guitar for 45 years and your video taught me more about soundboards than I have ever heard before, thank you .

[richardcooksey]

Very well explained. I found this out in 96 when I bought a Takamine Sante played several of the same guitar and they all sounded so different. I had played one at a music store in Nachogdoches Texas and fell in love with it. Asked the salesman to hold it for me and I'd be back with the money...in the meantime I had to go to San Antonio for a VA appt....then Dallas a few days later to p/u a friend at the airport. I played the exact same guitar in 5 different stores....didn't care for any of them really. I finally got back to Nachogdoches and was starting to think I must have just imagined how it sounded. It was truly a special guitar....still have it....I've worn a hole through the top nearly from playing so much. Never heard this explained so well. Great job!

[stevehallford]

There are lots of videos that cover the building process of a guitar, but you provide in-depth knowledge and insight that goes deeper than the "how to" that I don't get from other channels. I've learned quite a bit from your videos - thanks and keep it up!

[karljshaw]

Well done, Chris... I can share this with some of the folks who fail to understand why the guitars that I have had you make for me are so exceptional when compared with some of the big name instruments in my collection. Keep on, keeping on... and Merry Christmas to you.

[JDCottonMusic]

Superb presentation, especially breaking down the tonal characteristics of the more common top tonewoods in class terms.