Chazmo said:
Can I ask a wicked stupid question? Why would a solid archtop/back need to be carved? Couldn't it be heated/steamed/pressed, just like they do with the laminate process, just done with a sheet of solid wood. Will it not take the shape of a mould?
Like I said, ignorant question, but I'm curious. Clearly, if it has to be carved, then it has to start from a pretty thick piece of wood.
That's correct, you would start with a an inch or two hunk of wood. When you carve it by hand, you can tap tune it.
Excerpt from Bob Benedetto interview
http://members.shaw.ca/strings/benedetto.htm
Can you balance the guitar's voice through tap tuning?
BENEDETTO If there's any magic and romance Involved in
making archtop guitars, this is it. Nothing excites me like
carving and tuning guitar tops and backs. Tap tuning is the
centuries-old violin-making technique of tapping the wood
before and while it's being carved, which is a very intuitive
process.
Briefly, it begins with tapping rough boards, resting
on the fingertips, that will be planed to tops and backs,
memorizing the tone produced. As the top and back are progressively
carved, they are continuously tapped to monitor this tone, which
drops dramatically in pitch. Carving the f-holes drops the pitch even
more. Gluing the bracing in causes the pitch to rise, and as the
braces are shaved, it again lowers. It's difficult to explain this
quickly, but in the hands of a good player, we want the top and
back graduated so that tha back will vibrate freely in sympathy
with the top, creating a well-balanced voice that improves as the
guitar ages. It is magical, isn't it?
