Why taper guitar sides?

[stuw]

After recently touring the museum at Martin guitars, and seeing all the different guitars some without tapered sides and some with fairly extreme tapers, it got me thinking why do we taper the sides?

Is it for a better tone or sound?
Does it make the guitar stronger (construction wise)?
Makes it easier to hold or play?
Or is it just for looks?

[charles Tauber]

This exact question was discussed about two weeks ago:

1. could have to do with the standing waves (i.e. tone), not having parallel plates
2. could be one way of increasing enclosed air volume without increasing the entire depth of the body (i.e. ergonomics)
3. many fine guitars have been made with little or no taper
4. does not increase strength

From the previous discussion, it seems no one really knows why other than tradition.

[ZekeM]

This seems to be on everyone's mind lately. But like Charles said. Who knows why it started. Now it's just a tradition. And to me makes them a little more comfortable especially on deep instruments.

[arie]

i'm guessing comfort and tradition. i don't think the ancient ones considered parallel plate resonance modes. who knows?

[murrmac123]

I don't know whether my memory is playing tricks or not, but I seem to have a recollection of seeing an article somewhere about a classical maker who constructed a guitar with reverse tapered sides, ie wider at the upper bout and narrower at the lower bout.

[yankeece]

Not sure if this is why, but there is some additional strength to be had from the curvature compared to a flat back.

[jeff crisp]

Originally Posted by yankeece

Not sure if this is why, but there is some additional strength to be had from the curvature compared to a flat back.

Your comment in it's self is basically correct. The Romans knew that an arch was stronger than something flat spanning the same distance (sorry I'm not an engineer but I hope I have covered myself sufficiently with that last sentence for people to understand where I'm coming from). However it is possible to have non tapered sides and still have a radiused back or top for that matter. Also tilting that radius would also make no difference to the strength of the radiused area (not that I think you were pointing to that).

Jeff.

[redir]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

I don't know whether my memory is playing tricks or not, but I seem to have a recollection of seeing an article somewhere about a classical maker who constructed a guitar with reverse tapered sides, ie wider at the upper bout and narrower at the lower bout.

Yes this has been done. I don't remember who did it but I have read about the same thing. I don't agree with it however. Tapering the sides does reduce the size of the sound box so that would do something but I'm not sure it really goes beyond that.