membrane for horn guitar project

[Christian Schwengeler]

Hi again,

I am planning to adapt the concept of the Stroh violin to a classical guitar. I wanted to know if there are members around who are experienced with the membranes and diaphragms. Is it better to build a specific membrane or should I use any kind of membrane available. Do you know about some plans of membranes and set up for mechanical sound capture? Thank you for any help.


Christian

[Steve Senseney]

Interesting Idea! I look forward to seeing your progress.

I have no idea what to suggest however.

[Christian Schwengeler]

Hi again,

I will most probably make a first attempt by playing around with a good phonograph sound box. I might want trying to attach it to the bridge somehow and check out what it does. Perhaps a medium size speaker membrane could do the job also. The basic idea is to maintain the original set-up of the classical resonant body with the sound board un-touched and use an additional membrane, for example the phonograph sound box, and a horn to see if it does add something interesting to the overall sound. I have a laboratory guitar where I can play around with different set-ups and sound boards http://segredodaguitarra.blogspot.pt/20 ... torio.html

[Michael Lewis]

Those were metal foil 'membranes' I think, not too different in basic concept from the resonator cones of a Dobro or National guitar, mandolin, uke, etc.

You will have a significant puzzle on your hands to get a 'new' sound from a classical guitar and not change the original tone or volume. You can wish for anything. I too will be looking forward to your experiment.

[Steve Senseney]

I don't remember the name of the guitar, but didn't someone build a guitar with a "toravos" or something similarly named. It was a metal cone in the sound hole which evidently did not remain popular. This was an "invention" from about a century or more ago. ( It was before my time!)

It was discussed here on the MIMF in the past, but I don't remember anything else about the instrument.

[Christian Schwengeler]

Yes of course, António Torres did this. The point is that the tornavoz is not so efficient and I came to the idea of this project exactly while thinking about the tornavoz. If I listen to the sound of a Stroh violin and Violon Cello on You tube I find it is surprising. It confirms what I find always that a big part of the sound character that we hear is produced by the strings an player and the resonant body contributes only with a smaller part. In Portugal we have a builder ( Oscar Cardoso) who has built guitars with removable back. These guitars, with no back, have a kind of thin sound like a lattice braced guitar which is not so interesting for the player and at a closed distance but at 10 meters we could find some vantages and it is pretty loud. As we all know the guitar as a resonant body has its limitations and perhaps volume and sound projection can be increased with other methods.