Fine-tuning
In the 70's I wrote an article for the GAL hand book that had a basic outline of dealing with a certain top graduation principle. There were a couple of techniques that showed thinning the lower bout around its edges, and then one other technique that showed a thinner area under the bridge to bring up a tighter and bolder response for string tension. This was incorporated into an over-all technique of thinning the top until it arrived at its basic tension, or flex, and then it was ready to have the bridge installed.
I was aware that each old master's top had a certain key that was necessary for the amalgamation of their tone....
Most of my tops are tuned to F#-G when the guitar is finished. There are other tunings that will find a quality tone, but for the sake of a particular building style, my tops are very nearly always tuned to this key.
I used the 70's technique for many years until the late 80's when I discovered a new (actually old) technique that drew me further into the tonal subtleties of the guitar. I reasoned that if some of the old masters like Marcelo Barbero, and currently, Arcangel Fernandez, would adjust the fan braces inside the guitar with a wet finger dabbed in salt, then there must be a way to emulate their work to achieve a fine voice. My idea about the salt trick is that the moisture from the finger actually goes into the strut and the salt extracts the moisture....therefore, very little moisture should be used. I've actually used this technique to quiet down the metallic edge to the sound when the fan braces are a little on the thin side.
Learning this process was unlike any other technique I ever tried; it was very difficult in the beginning to systematize. But as I worked with the idea, it revealed more information, until finally, it led me to the point of knowing where to start the process and how to work my way through it without too much trouble.
Many builders understand that most guitars respond to a certain key better than others but this is only part of what makes the top work.. The basic placement of the fan braces also play a part. This is the reason I have always studied the master's guitars; to learn how and/or why they put their fan braces in certain prescribed arrangements. The nice thing about building a copy of an original is that we don't have to understand this principle right away, we can achieve a fairly good guitar by building a replica.
So, here we have a top that is the proper thickness, with fan braces glued into their proper place, and tuned to the proper key. It pays off to carefully thickness the struts to the proper key; when the top is off the guitar. It will be much easier to work with on the inside when it is totally assembled. The basic tuning will vary a little above F#-G before installing the top. This is very close to being the same key, as the top would be, when the guitar is finished. If necessary, smooth the top's surface with some sandpaper a little further on the outside to find the tonal quality. This should be done before the bridge is installed. At this point, many guitar builders stop and put on a finish to complete their instruments
I was aware that each old master's top had a certain key that was necessary for the amalgamation of their tone....
Most of my tops are tuned to F#-G when the guitar is finished. There are other tunings that will find a quality tone, but for the sake of a particular building style, my tops are very nearly always tuned to this key.
I used the 70's technique for many years until the late 80's when I discovered a new (actually old) technique that drew me further into the tonal subtleties of the guitar. I reasoned that if some of the old masters like Marcelo Barbero, and currently, Arcangel Fernandez, would adjust the fan braces inside the guitar with a wet finger dabbed in salt, then there must be a way to emulate their work to achieve a fine voice. My idea about the salt trick is that the moisture from the finger actually goes into the strut and the salt extracts the moisture....therefore, very little moisture should be used. I've actually used this technique to quiet down the metallic edge to the sound when the fan braces are a little on the thin side.
Learning this process was unlike any other technique I ever tried; it was very difficult in the beginning to systematize. But as I worked with the idea, it revealed more information, until finally, it led me to the point of knowing where to start the process and how to work my way through it without too much trouble.
Many builders understand that most guitars respond to a certain key better than others but this is only part of what makes the top work.. The basic placement of the fan braces also play a part. This is the reason I have always studied the master's guitars; to learn how and/or why they put their fan braces in certain prescribed arrangements. The nice thing about building a copy of an original is that we don't have to understand this principle right away, we can achieve a fairly good guitar by building a replica.
So, here we have a top that is the proper thickness, with fan braces glued into their proper place, and tuned to the proper key. It pays off to carefully thickness the struts to the proper key; when the top is off the guitar. It will be much easier to work with on the inside when it is totally assembled. The basic tuning will vary a little above F#-G before installing the top. This is very close to being the same key, as the top would be, when the guitar is finished. If necessary, smooth the top's surface with some sandpaper a little further on the outside to find the tonal quality. This should be done before the bridge is installed. At this point, many guitar builders stop and put on a finish to complete their instruments
On Ron Fernandez website: http://www.fernandezmusic.com/MiguelRodriguezFlamencos.html Quote from Ron Fernandez: "I have been told by an old flamenco player who had bought several guitars from Miguel Rodriguez in Corboda in the early 1960s that Miguel Rodriguez would "tune" the sound box by putting on a 2nd (B) string, tuning it up and then work on the interior bracing of the guitar. When I was in Cordoba visiting the Rodriguez family for 3 days in 1967 (when I was 19), I would go around the city with Pepe (the grandson) and come back to the shop and watch his grandfather working on the frets and doing touch up French Polishing on the guitar he had closen for me. I am not sure if I remember him sanding or scarping the braces in the guitar. I simply do not know if or what Miguel Rodriguez did to his guitars after they were constructed. If you are interested in this matter I suggest that you contact Tom Blackshear who is an expert on Miguel Rodriguez guitars..............."
Miguel Rodriguez Guitars
I believe that Miguel Rodriguez did some extra adjustments after he finished and strung the guitar to playing condition. But how much, and where the location was, will remain a mystery, to some extent. A basic construction technique to achieve a hollow quality sound was known by many builders but there were a few old masters that used some extra tweaking techniques to gain a better voice and timber.
Most of these techniques were lost due to more modern techniques that were expedient for quantity building purposes, and never fully passed on; only in bits and pieces.
I've put a few of these bits and pieces together and have come up with what I think to be a fairly close representation of how the voice is refined in a Spanish guitar. Some of these techniques are so microscopic in nature that it would be next to impossible to determine an exact process of refinement. The way I learned to accomplish this was to suspect that the masters started with a particular idea, and then I developed a plan to work through it from an overview. I would adjust the struts through the sound hole when the guitar was strung up to concert pitch. I would make fine adjustments slowly, step by step; checking the sound and playability as I sanded. If my techniques turned out to be new, then they would be known as just another way to tune guitars.
What I could determine was that Miguel Rodriguez had a technique of slightly more aggressive sanding of the braces to bring them into compliance with top timber, and this preceded a voicing technique that was brought on by very fine adjustments to the fan braces after the top timber was adjusted. I noticed on several of his guitars that the braces were altered in the same fashion by what I perceived to be him working through the sound hole.
Although there were different height and width adjustments of the fan braces, I determined that it was obviously to experimentally facilitate some differences in volume, clarification, and voicing. I investigated one 1962 classical guitar that his son Raphael constructed, and it was very thick in its top (About 2.7 mm at the center and 2.4 mm at the edges) but it was worked very thin in its braces. It appeared that they had been worked down from the inside to meet the proper timber and voice. This is a trick that some arch top builders use but it seems that many American classical builders aren't utilizing these techniques. Could it be that the American builders are so good at construction techniques that they don't need to use these older methods.....I say this a little tongue and cheek, but I should add that we now have technology that enables us to see things better.
The idea is too bring everything in the top to a harmonious conclusion. Voice, balance, volume, and have it characteristically sensual to the ear. This is not an easy feat. It requires a dedicated and skillful hand to accomplish. If it were a matter of teaching this process so that every guitar would have the same tone, then it would be known more as a science, rather than an ART. Since intuition plays a major role in voicing instruments, it stands to reason that the great accomplishment in this area would be to gather enough skills to make each guitar speak with its own voice in a refined manner. I believe this is what Miguel Rodriguez did; not withstanding that each guitar would have its own propio sello (personal stamp).
One point of experimentation on the Miguel Rodriguez style is very telling. I start with bracing that has been cut the exact same height and size from top to bottom, including a scallop on both ends. Then by thinning the height just a little at or near the end of each strut, it will have a tendency to bring a more solid refined sound instead of a warble effect that some lattice tops produce. By the way, to eliminate this warble effect is fairly simple. Just taper the work out toward the edges a little more. The point though, is to not go too far with it. This will cause the sound to sing better. I accomplish this on a domed top with a straight flat sanding stick cut to the length of each fan brace. It takes very little sanding back and forth along the fan brace length while the guitar is strung up to concert pitch. The stick will actually hit only the top and bottom part of the three middle struts when a domed top is used. The difference in voicing can be heard and felt immediately. Sometimes I will shorten the outside treble fan at the bottom about 2 mm while keeping the basic length and placement of the other fan braces the same.
Most of these techniques were lost due to more modern techniques that were expedient for quantity building purposes, and never fully passed on; only in bits and pieces.
I've put a few of these bits and pieces together and have come up with what I think to be a fairly close representation of how the voice is refined in a Spanish guitar. Some of these techniques are so microscopic in nature that it would be next to impossible to determine an exact process of refinement. The way I learned to accomplish this was to suspect that the masters started with a particular idea, and then I developed a plan to work through it from an overview. I would adjust the struts through the sound hole when the guitar was strung up to concert pitch. I would make fine adjustments slowly, step by step; checking the sound and playability as I sanded. If my techniques turned out to be new, then they would be known as just another way to tune guitars.
What I could determine was that Miguel Rodriguez had a technique of slightly more aggressive sanding of the braces to bring them into compliance with top timber, and this preceded a voicing technique that was brought on by very fine adjustments to the fan braces after the top timber was adjusted. I noticed on several of his guitars that the braces were altered in the same fashion by what I perceived to be him working through the sound hole.
Although there were different height and width adjustments of the fan braces, I determined that it was obviously to experimentally facilitate some differences in volume, clarification, and voicing. I investigated one 1962 classical guitar that his son Raphael constructed, and it was very thick in its top (About 2.7 mm at the center and 2.4 mm at the edges) but it was worked very thin in its braces. It appeared that they had been worked down from the inside to meet the proper timber and voice. This is a trick that some arch top builders use but it seems that many American classical builders aren't utilizing these techniques. Could it be that the American builders are so good at construction techniques that they don't need to use these older methods.....I say this a little tongue and cheek, but I should add that we now have technology that enables us to see things better.
The idea is too bring everything in the top to a harmonious conclusion. Voice, balance, volume, and have it characteristically sensual to the ear. This is not an easy feat. It requires a dedicated and skillful hand to accomplish. If it were a matter of teaching this process so that every guitar would have the same tone, then it would be known more as a science, rather than an ART. Since intuition plays a major role in voicing instruments, it stands to reason that the great accomplishment in this area would be to gather enough skills to make each guitar speak with its own voice in a refined manner. I believe this is what Miguel Rodriguez did; not withstanding that each guitar would have its own propio sello (personal stamp).
One point of experimentation on the Miguel Rodriguez style is very telling. I start with bracing that has been cut the exact same height and size from top to bottom, including a scallop on both ends. Then by thinning the height just a little at or near the end of each strut, it will have a tendency to bring a more solid refined sound instead of a warble effect that some lattice tops produce. By the way, to eliminate this warble effect is fairly simple. Just taper the work out toward the edges a little more. The point though, is to not go too far with it. This will cause the sound to sing better. I accomplish this on a domed top with a straight flat sanding stick cut to the length of each fan brace. It takes very little sanding back and forth along the fan brace length while the guitar is strung up to concert pitch. The stick will actually hit only the top and bottom part of the three middle struts when a domed top is used. The difference in voicing can be heard and felt immediately. Sometimes I will shorten the outside treble fan at the bottom about 2 mm while keeping the basic length and placement of the other fan braces the same.
Guild of American Luthiers Rodriguez Plan
I'll step out on a limb here and try to share more information. I'll take the chance of having it appear that I don't know what I'm talking about..... Since these techniques are not concrete, the reader is advised to use their own discernment to calculate the worth of what I'm saying. Generally, all the techniques mentioned, will be those I've developed and have utilized with some success.
Some of the biggest success stories have happened in spite of my personal skill; almost like I reached the end of my rope and no longer controlled it. I would leave it alone for awhile, then go back with an idea, touch something, and then it just happened. Call it a miracle or just something that happens, and I would say that it happens all too frequently for just a coincidence. I am convinced there is a guidance factor from a higher authority at play in this process. As you can tell by now, I pray a lot.
The "Guild of American Luthiers" sells the Miguel Rodriguez plan that I donated to them. When building a guitar, it is best to follow a plan that has a proven record of performance. This one has everything I need; volume, clarity, punch, projection, and is capable of giving a very deep introspective voice that sings...
This plan has 5 fan braces and two bottom stiffeners. There is also a diagonal treble bar along with the upper and lower harmonic bars, placed directly across the top, above and below the sound hole. These struts are interlocked to some degree and this requires that you have guitar building skills to be able to handle these techniques.
Some of the biggest success stories have happened in spite of my personal skill; almost like I reached the end of my rope and no longer controlled it. I would leave it alone for awhile, then go back with an idea, touch something, and then it just happened. Call it a miracle or just something that happens, and I would say that it happens all too frequently for just a coincidence. I am convinced there is a guidance factor from a higher authority at play in this process. As you can tell by now, I pray a lot.
The "Guild of American Luthiers" sells the Miguel Rodriguez plan that I donated to them. When building a guitar, it is best to follow a plan that has a proven record of performance. This one has everything I need; volume, clarity, punch, projection, and is capable of giving a very deep introspective voice that sings...
This plan has 5 fan braces and two bottom stiffeners. There is also a diagonal treble bar along with the upper and lower harmonic bars, placed directly across the top, above and below the sound hole. These struts are interlocked to some degree and this requires that you have guitar building skills to be able to handle these techniques.
Fine tuning: I normally start the fine tuning process by using my tuning jig to sand a little on the bass strut. It will tell me if the bass is in line with the rest of the top. If it seems to be unbalanced, then I will sand very lightly on the far outside treble to bring the top timber and sound into proper balance. The far outside bass and treble are the balance to the top. If I go too far with this balancing technique, the other struts will have to be sanded a little to bring back an over-all balance to the sound and playability. I don't want this to happen if I can possibly keep it toward the bass and treble only. The basic idea is that the top works similar to a scale with a weight on each side. When the scale is right with each weight, then it is perfectly balanced.
For this reason, it is best to shape the struts as close as possible before assembling the guitar. This may have to be done with a few guitars under the belt, to see how much thickness the struts should have.....The guitar plan is very close to the final thickness........the rest has to be done with intuitive skill. Sanding the top to get that tonal quality and then working on the inside to bring the top into complete harmony. Many professional guitar builders will know what I'm saying but if this is too hard to figure, then I teach a 3 day class "in person" for the Miguel Rodriguez style only. You must first build a working replica of the Rodriguez guitar to the plan and then bring it to me and I can show you the fine-tuning process. Do not put a finish on the top at this point other than a wash coat of shellac to protect the top wood.....If you can build good measurements into the plan, then the rest is fairly easy to understand.
Fine tuning classes: There is a charge for my teaching schedule of $4,500 prepaid.
By appointment only......210-494-1141 in the US.
For this reason, it is best to shape the struts as close as possible before assembling the guitar. This may have to be done with a few guitars under the belt, to see how much thickness the struts should have.....The guitar plan is very close to the final thickness........the rest has to be done with intuitive skill. Sanding the top to get that tonal quality and then working on the inside to bring the top into complete harmony. Many professional guitar builders will know what I'm saying but if this is too hard to figure, then I teach a 3 day class "in person" for the Miguel Rodriguez style only. You must first build a working replica of the Rodriguez guitar to the plan and then bring it to me and I can show you the fine-tuning process. Do not put a finish on the top at this point other than a wash coat of shellac to protect the top wood.....If you can build good measurements into the plan, then the rest is fairly easy to understand.
Fine tuning classes: There is a charge for my teaching schedule of $4,500 prepaid.
By appointment only......210-494-1141 in the US.
Manuel Reyes Flamenco Blanca
In October 2004 I examined a Manuel Reyes flamenco Blanca guitar made in 2003 :The guitar has a very long sustain and is quite good with it's flamenco character and playing action....The reason I'm investigating this instrument is that, on occasion, he and Miguel Rodriguez must have exchanged some information about how to tune guitars.......I find that this may be the case with some of the fan brace work inside the Reyes flamenco.....not necessarily the strut placement (Although important) but the way in which the struts are tuned. It seems that he has worked his struts through the sound hole, to the proper thickness, to get the desired timber and sound. If he completes his tops (strut thickness, etc.) before assembly, then he is a better builder than this writer. Below is a photo/flash imprint of one of his 2003 top patterns....Manuel Reyes is one of the greatest flamenco builders in the world, who has his shop in Cordoba Spain..... He has a waiting list that exceeds what may be my age potential....His son is also building good instruments in the tradition of his father who gives him ongoing support.....In my opinion, there is not a better flamenco builder than Reyes.
In December 2004 I finished this model and it has a very good plan that moderates its over-all function. The small thin inserts toward the bottom and across the fan braces seem to inhibit the wrinkling of the top in that area. The doming of the top has no apparent rise or curve under the bridge..... it's more near the bottom, about half-way between the bridge and bottom end. The top is lifted very slightly about 1/16 " at the bottom end across the 5 middle fan braces. The top runs on a long taper of about 1/16 " from the bottom end block, down around the sides to the lower bout, this rounds the top a little behind the bridge and toward the bottom end as well as raise the top due to the taper at the bottom.......otherwise, the top is almost completely flat under the bridge. The soundboard seems to be raised by the lifting action at the bottom rather than by putting a dome under the bridge. The top basically runs flat from the sound-hole to about halfway behind the bridge and the bottom.....The two completely flat harmonic bars under and above the sound-hole, that go across the top, allow the fingerboard to be a little over 1/4 ' thick all the way to the 19th fret. The neck angle is raised a little to accommodate the flat harmonic braces but not as much as the Rodriguez style I build. If a 12 " straight-edge is placed at the bridge and at the side of the fingerboard it will show a clearance of about 1/16 " off the top at the 19th fret. ......The bridge is fairly high for a flamenco guitar....... the string height on the bass side is about 7/16 " off the top, with it being a little lower on the treble side. The fan braces are carved with a bullet shaped top and are also a little different in width and height. This construction method seems to help the top timber and feel for the playing action. The angle of the fan braces seem to regulate the voice to some degree; actually, I'm convinced that fan brace positions very much effect the tonal quality and character of the guitar's voice.
Instead of building the guitar with individual pieces of lining for the top, I chose to use a solid 2 piece laminate lining like the Miguel Rodriguez style I build. I believe this has caused the guitar to have greater volume and projection, (Making it louder). This may be a plus factor for some guitarists but other guitarists may not prefer a loud guitar. The basic character of the guitar does not seem to be lessened by this modification.......as for the rest of the instrument, I followed the Reyes dimensions but I built it essentially the same as I would my own...... my rosette and bridge tie block design; my own heel definition and so on. The guitar is very flamenco and I may donate my idea of the plan to the GAL for those who wish to try their hand at building this guitar style........I would very much like to see an article with Manuel Reyes being interviewed by the American Lutherie Magazine sometime in the near future.
Although I don't build many guitars now, I have found something in this particular style that compels me to build some more. This style excites me like the Miguel Rodriguez did many years ago.....It's ironic that both builders are from the same town...... and so far, this instrument would appeal to any serious player of flamenco; great rajo, and it plays like butter on the left hand action without buzzing, only that traditional flamenco string-pop against the frets......a very strong guitar indeed, and the voice is very flamenco. When I get in to playing this guitar, the voice comes out....not string sounds, but a voice that penetrates my heart.
In December 2004 I finished this model and it has a very good plan that moderates its over-all function. The small thin inserts toward the bottom and across the fan braces seem to inhibit the wrinkling of the top in that area. The doming of the top has no apparent rise or curve under the bridge..... it's more near the bottom, about half-way between the bridge and bottom end. The top is lifted very slightly about 1/16 " at the bottom end across the 5 middle fan braces. The top runs on a long taper of about 1/16 " from the bottom end block, down around the sides to the lower bout, this rounds the top a little behind the bridge and toward the bottom end as well as raise the top due to the taper at the bottom.......otherwise, the top is almost completely flat under the bridge. The soundboard seems to be raised by the lifting action at the bottom rather than by putting a dome under the bridge. The top basically runs flat from the sound-hole to about halfway behind the bridge and the bottom.....The two completely flat harmonic bars under and above the sound-hole, that go across the top, allow the fingerboard to be a little over 1/4 ' thick all the way to the 19th fret. The neck angle is raised a little to accommodate the flat harmonic braces but not as much as the Rodriguez style I build. If a 12 " straight-edge is placed at the bridge and at the side of the fingerboard it will show a clearance of about 1/16 " off the top at the 19th fret. ......The bridge is fairly high for a flamenco guitar....... the string height on the bass side is about 7/16 " off the top, with it being a little lower on the treble side. The fan braces are carved with a bullet shaped top and are also a little different in width and height. This construction method seems to help the top timber and feel for the playing action. The angle of the fan braces seem to regulate the voice to some degree; actually, I'm convinced that fan brace positions very much effect the tonal quality and character of the guitar's voice.
Instead of building the guitar with individual pieces of lining for the top, I chose to use a solid 2 piece laminate lining like the Miguel Rodriguez style I build. I believe this has caused the guitar to have greater volume and projection, (Making it louder). This may be a plus factor for some guitarists but other guitarists may not prefer a loud guitar. The basic character of the guitar does not seem to be lessened by this modification.......as for the rest of the instrument, I followed the Reyes dimensions but I built it essentially the same as I would my own...... my rosette and bridge tie block design; my own heel definition and so on. The guitar is very flamenco and I may donate my idea of the plan to the GAL for those who wish to try their hand at building this guitar style........I would very much like to see an article with Manuel Reyes being interviewed by the American Lutherie Magazine sometime in the near future.
Although I don't build many guitars now, I have found something in this particular style that compels me to build some more. This style excites me like the Miguel Rodriguez did many years ago.....It's ironic that both builders are from the same town...... and so far, this instrument would appeal to any serious player of flamenco; great rajo, and it plays like butter on the left hand action without buzzing, only that traditional flamenco string-pop against the frets......a very strong guitar indeed, and the voice is very flamenco. When I get in to playing this guitar, the voice comes out....not string sounds, but a voice that penetrates my heart.
Discussion about fan bracing
A couple of things about the way the fan braces are carved..........This is important for the right hand feel when playing the guitar. Since this is a 7 fan brace style, it is easier to explain the idea behind what Reyes may be trying to accomplish. The outside treble brace is approximately 7/32" wide, with the height being a little over 1/8th" high toward the sound hole and a little under 1/8th high at the bottom; on a long taper. The scallop on all of the struts is about 3/8th" from the tip of each end........The outside bass brace is 5/16th" wide and a little under 1/8th" high toward the sound hole and a little over 1/8th" high at the bottom. Numbering each fan brace from the bass side would be (1). 5/16th" wide, (2). 5/16th" wide, (3). 9/32" wide, (4). 9/32" wide, (5). 9/.32" wide, (6). 1/4" wide, (7). 7/32" wide. There you have the widths of each brace. Now the 5 fan braces inside or different heights but essentially about 1/8" give or take a little on the height...I'll save this information for the plan that will be offered from the GAL. "Guild of American Luthiers.".
Welcome to the Web page of Tom Blackshear Guitar Builder San Antonio Texas
Welcome to the Web page of Tom Blackshear Guitar Builder San Antonio Texas