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One of the areas that I am sure I could use more experience in is top tuning. I have had good success at least in my limited three year experience in tuning to the sound that fits my ear. I have a sound that I look..listen for but I have to admit that I don't have the formal training to totally understand how to pick a tap tone to achieve a sound different than what I have experience building to. For example my ear prefers a woody bass and sub dominate mid tone. but if I wanted to build to a more brassy bass and dominate high pitch what difference should I be looking for in the tap tone of the braced free plate. Does anyone have a good reference publication that they use when attempting to build out side there norm.MichaelP38394.6215740741

I believe Roy O recommended this book the other day. It might be just what your looking for.
Left Brain Lutherie

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

being an engineer this may be written just as I want to see it...Thanks John

I'm not sure Dave adresses the question you put in his book, although it's a good one and you should get it. He's mostly looking at quality control issues: if you made a good one, how do you make another one like it. I don't recall him covering as much about where 'bassy' comes from as opposed to 'trebly', or whatever. I should read it again, to make sure, though.

That's actually something of a can of worms, and certainly not going to be fully addressed in an e-mail or two. My 'take', FWIW, is that a 'forward' bass sound has more to do with the depth of the body and the size of the hole than the way the top is tuned, although there is some room for brace profiles and angles to get into the act. You also have to think about the back and side woods. Oh yeah, and the phase of the moon. And whther Pisces is on the ascendant, and the wholesale price of carnauba wax: all the usual variables.

Michael...

If I may make a suggestion and get John Mayes DVD on top tuning, I just watched it last night and besides the fact that there's just something wrong with that boy, the DVD is very well done, it has some really good tips and advice.

I've built a fair number of guitars now and I learned a bunch of good information and had a bunch of stuff confirmed (plus the bloopers are pretty darn funny, gotta ask him who was yakking at him when he knocked out the light). My wife was snickering because when he's tuning the top I was commenting on each step as he would tap the top I would say "Nope more trimming needed"

What I like best is that you can HEAR what's he's talking about...

Just my $.02

-Paul-

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-Paul-

Patriot Guitars