Quote:
Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars
After your great reply, I can not help but ask one more. From other experiments I have done, I am under the assumption that the peghead overlays do make some tonal influence. I noticed that you are using Braz for headstock overlay instead of using cocobolo to match the back and sides. Are you doing this for tonal influence? Or is it strictly a cosmetic addition. |
Truthfully I am using a book matched BRW overlay because that is what our client requested.
As for the tonal influence my gut says it has very minimal impact on the tone ... but the engineer in me says it [could] be a very small factor. If you attach a heavy weight to the peg head of your guitar you can hear a subtle change in timbre but that is only after adding several ounces of weight, like a large heavy C-clamp. But the change is subtle, at least to my ears. Now a peg head over lay weighs a few mere grams so I would wager that only a very precise electronic transducer and computer software might see the effect on a spectral plot but that is only an opinion and not a proven experiment that I am aware of.
Decades ago, Dan Ashcraft sure thought excess weight, at the peg head, made a discernible impact on the tone of an instrument. Dan would modify Waverly tuners by removing as much metal from the frame plates as possible. He would bore (or hollow) out the string posts, shorten the overall length of the posts and minimize the buttons to an absolute minimum all to shave a few grams from each set of the tuners. Dan was also the first one, that I am aware of, to scallop the nut, by removing material between each string. He also scalloped the saddle as well but he had another theory for that which I won't get into for this discussion.
I will be the first to admit that I understand the least about the neck and its total influence on the sound of a guitar. I'll use the analogy;
is it the tail wagging the dog or is it the dog wagging its tail? The neck's function certainly is important since it anchors one end of each string. I do understand that stiffer and heavier necks will increase sustain while lighter necks tend to lessen sustain but they [can] also increase the dynamic "pop" and power of the guitar.
Some say the fingerboard plays a sonic role and we could open that can of worms but bandwidth doesn't permit. The backwards angle of the peg head can also impact the break angle of the strings over the nut which creates a lever or moment onto the neck itself. There are lots of theories but I have read little proof of concept in actual testing though evidence may exist?
I will say that if one places a guitar in a hanging stand, then attaches a ToneRite (Oh My) onto their guitar strings and then run their fingertips ALL over the guitar, neck and peg head, one can learn a
LOT about where vibration nodes exist and finally what vibrating surface areas are the most active and least active. One thing is certain, there is a LOT of vibration going on in the neck and peg head but don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself.