Quote:
Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars
Once again a wonderful detailed explanation. Thank you so much. The Way you explain things and your acceptance of all the possibilities that could contribute to sound, put you on top of my list for guitars to try out. I really look forward to that day. Back in the Early 80's I bought a Brass headplate for my Strat. The Brass covered all of the headstock. The manufacturer premise is that you would get lots of sustain. The Brass plate attached on the underside, with the tuners going through. And indeed, you did get a lot more sustain...but LOST-Killed all the dynamics. Lasted all but five minutes on my guitar. I guess the trick is to get both sustain and dynamics..... Or more realistic, the best balance between both.
I do not even like playing with a strobe tuner attached to the peghead. I hear a subtle difference. Yet, on the other end of the scale, I also hear differences between the various wood buttons. Small, but there. What ever the differences, I really like your explanations of your strengthening the peghead through your shorter carbon bars, and how you laminate the sides so as it does not effect the tone and also strengthens. Makes lots of sense. |
Good morning K&G,
I do try my best to approach building guitars with an open mind. It didn't take me long to realize there are many paths to a finished product. Its the pot holes and stumbling blocks along those paths that teach us the error of our ways. That is where I learn those difficult but lasting life lessons that are not easily forgotten and hopefully not repeated.
Personally I get a lot of enjoyment from this forum not only by sharing my limited knowledge with others but also learning from other builders here. Its a great community in that we can all share ideas openly with one another as we continue this learning journey. While players are seeing the beauty of our craft I and perhaps other builders get as much enjoyment by looking in the background of their posted pictures. I get to see the tools they use, jigs and fixtures they employ and an understanding of their approach to accomplishing similar building sequences.
It sure sounds like you have a very sensitive pair of ears which is rarer than you may give them credit. Please take care of them and protect them from hearing damage and hearing loss. Having spent 38 years in a fortune 100 manufacturing factory I know first hand how damaging excess noise can be to ones hearing. Employees were tested annually and our hearing loss was charted for us to (sadly) see the change from year to year. In the latter years we were required to wear hearing protection anytime we were on the production floor. I only wish we would have had that rule 38 years earlier
Now I am stuck with some hearing loss that likely could have been prevented, or at the very least, significantly reduced.
The brass headplate accessory you've described seems similar to the Plate Mate accessory, which mounts on the opposite end of the strings. That device certainly has a discernible affect on the sound of a guitar. It also has the added benefit of salvaging a bridge plate that is worn out and in dire need of costly replacement of which the value of the guitar might not justify that replacement cost?