Acoustic analysis?

[dreadnut]

So are there any devices to analyze an acoustic guitar, based upon certain criteria? His, Los, Mids, which guitar rings the most bells?

 

[Br1ck]

Yes, we all have two. Seriously. Mine are 72 and have serious data issues.

 

[jedzep]

They both feed into our aging microprocessors. And getting more micro every day.

I'm two yrs behind you, Brick, still chasing the tone.

 

[gjmalcyon]

Well, here's a physics student's paper from Illinois. My only beef is he used a Zager.

https://courses.physics.illinois.edu/phys406/sp2017/Student_Projects/Spring13/Dan_Gualandri_P406_Final_Project_Report_Sp13.pdf

And more stuff from PSU via Kettering:

Dr. Russell's Research - Acoustics of Guitars

www.acs.psu.edu

 

[Rayk]

My ears is the only thing I trust . Hog wash to rest . Lol

Oh were we supposed to list a guitar also ? Lol

 

[Westerly Wood]

that machine they used in the Red Violin movie was pretty cool. You could buy one of those?

 

[Rich Cohen]

Well, here's a physics student's paper from Illinois. My only beef is he used a Zager.

https://courses.physics.illinois.edu/phys406/sp2017/Student_Projects/Spring13/Dan_Gualandri_P406_Final_Project_Report_Sp13.pdf

And more stuff from PSU via Kettering:

Dr. Russell's Research - Acoustics of Guitars

www.acs.psu.edu

I had a Zager about six years ago. You get what you pay for....at least most of the time.

 

[Nuuska]

I would say the easiest part is the equipment and measuring - including judging the results.

The hardest part would be to define "the good sound".

Therefore I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Br1ck]

I have a friend older than I, yes there are one or two, who favored Colllngs over Martin's signature tone. Lately he has tilted toward Martins. Now being that our high frequency hearing has been degrading for 15 to twenty years, that would seem counter intuitive. Being that we are talking about sound verbally, and each of us is different, there is no point in quantifying tone. The term upper mids can vary quite a bit from me to you. Interesting studies have been done with violins, and among people who know, some pick the 20 year old violins over the Strads in a blind test.

 

[steve488]

Just imagine the response though if you rolled into the guitar store with a portable frequency analyzer and a handful or sensors and started taping them to a $3k dollar acoustic to review its "tonal" characteristics.
I have to agree with Nuuska that collecting and viewing the data is doable. Converting that information into what makes "good" or "bad" or whatever would be a serious undertaking.
It also seems to me that in order to collect "valid" data between makes & models there would first have to be some study done on what sensors to use and how and where to place them. You might also need access to a fully or at least semi-anechoic chamber to eliminate most ambient noise (although that could be electronically processed out with the correct tools). A great science project (anyone looking to do a Masters or PhD for music or analytical math?) but I think not much value beyond the learning itself. Your ears will tell you with 10 minutes of playing and you could not set up the instrumentation that fast.

 

[fronobulax]

Martin's Retro Series (which seems to be no longer in production which is interesting by itself) used an extensive set of measurements and digital signal processing to make a modern instrument sound like any one of several vintage instruments. Simplistically to do this you need a good idea of what the physical instrument is going to do (which can be based on statistical measurements) a similar idea of what the vintage instrument is going to do and a mathematical transformation from one to the other.

In the context of this thread it suggests that Martin had a pretty good idea of what to measure and a decent lab and associated procedures to make those measurements. So Martin's studio or lab was capable of analyzing an acoustic guitar. The key, however, is that the point was to obtain accurate measurements and there was no effort to define a subjective standard ("good", "better") that correlated with the measurements.

 

[Rayk]

Breedlove tunes their tops using frequency analyzer thingies .

 

[Nuuska]

Breedlove tunes their tops using frequency analyzer thingies .

I can see that as useful tool - the thing is that they have their own reference.

 

[redta]

Use a different pick.

 

[plaidseason]

That's even cheaper than installing hardwood floors!

Use a different pick.

 

[Westerly Wood]

2.0 mm. Can’t go wrong.

 

[Guildedagain]

The best way to listen to anything is give your ears a break. Don't play for a few days, then a try a couple guitars and you'll be surprised how objective you can be.

 

[Guildedagain]

Yes, we all have two. Seriously. Mine are 72 and have serious data issues.

62 here, and I trust them, but the microprocessor doesn't always respond to the same data in the same way.

 

[Rayk]

I can see that as useful tool - the thing is that they have their own reference.

Yes I guess your right so it’s right back to the like it or not scenario. Lol

 

[merlin6666]

Ovation used a vibrometer in the 70s which was a device they borrowed from helicopter manufacturing where it was used to analyze vibrations of rotor blades. They used the vibrometer plots to fine tune the carbon tops of their Adamas guitars, and I think the guitars actually included the plots as well.

Ovation Adamas Slotheads Guitars Vibrometer Plots

www.ovationtribute.com

Actually #53 of these is available for sale

http://www.lostartvintage.com/Categoryinfo.aspx?categoryid=10&categoryitem=145&itemid=1083&country=us