Here is little story about a guitar I built, over a period of time, but delivered last month.
My best critic for listening tests of the instruments I have built over the years has been my wife Jan. Being very outspoken and having heard and seen many, many guitars over the last 45 years she is pretty spot on with her assessments, not only on sound but on the visual aspects as well. I respect her observation skills in both these areas; however she does not appear to be sensitive to my feelings and says it as she sees it, or hears it.
Slightest imperfection are brought to my attention, even in the white a guitar will often get comments like “is that supposed to be there?” or “I don’t like that” but many times I get “oh, I like that”. Anyway back to this guitar.
The guitar in question was a Mahogany / Spruce cutaway of my own shape and size [before the days of having access to plans] and had been played in by me for about a week. Normally I would rush into Jan’s craft room and give her a listen but this guitar was not coming on song in this short period as I had expected [or so I thought], somehow it was different. Tone was warm with a good treble ring, bass and treble had even volume. I could not pick what was bugging me and the guitar had to be delivered.
Anyway the time for the critic to have a listen arrived. Jan sat about 2 – 21/2 meters from me as I played chords and single note runs like I always have, she sat there listening but looking around the room. I asked what she thought and she said sounds great, but added that the sound seemed to be coming at her from the sides and even behind. We did the listening test in a different room and she said the same thing.
Now I’m thinking this guitar must have great projection.
The customer gets his guitar {“Hope”}, he’s a station owner so I had to send it by truck, and tells me he got the guitar safe and sound and has played it a bit, but said that it does not have the full sound of the one he had borrowed and been playing prior to the “Hope” guitar arriving. The guitar he had been playing was also one I had built 5 years ago or so for another station owner, the “Vagabond ‘.I explained that, that guitar was well played in and a lot more mature. I suggested he play his a bit more, try different strings and then get back to me.
Anyway [too late to cut this short] the owner of the “Vagabond” calls in to pick up his guitar and whilst there plays the “Hope” guitar to its new owner, I’m told that the listener shouted “that’s the sound I wanted, it sounds so good sitting back here”. I was told that he loves the guitar. So my projection theory could have been on the ball.
Hmmm, how did I achieve that? What did I do different? I’ll have to check my building notes and plans to see if the answer is there.
Heres a pic of the guitar with the station brand inlaid into the fingerboard.
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