Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollowed_Wood
Hey, yeah, I got you at the beginning. Here's an example of what I was NOT asking:
"I just got a D-16. I want a PHATTER sound. Which brace do I cut? Thanks!
What I was asking is:
"Has anyone ever modified a D-16's bracing to good effect? Is there a known mod that people sometimes do to these, that is reported to make them sound better? Like removing the popsicle brace and then scalloping a straight braced 70's D-28. That's a somewhat common thing"
Answers I was hoping to get:
"The Hybrid X brace system is already pretty scalloped. Unless your specific guitar is a dud, there's probably not much you can really remove without weakening the guitars integrity"
"I've never heard of anyone altering the bracing of a D-16"
"Although I don't recommend altering the bracing of a finished/tuned guitar, I have read a few threads where users who wanted more from their D-16 found that adding a little extra scalloping to the ____ brace opened it up a lot more"
"I've heard a lot of people describe the D-16 as tight. For some reason Martin seems to have over-braced this area _________. Some users report altering there has made a world of difference."
Here's a quote from Maury's about the Hybrid X brace:
"It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the tonal differences between the regular X bracing and A Frame bracing patterns are. This is because there really isn't a situation where all else is equal except for the bracing style. If you look at it on paper it seems like the A Frame bracing, with its fewer tone bars on the lower bout would move more easily than an X braced guitar and therefor give more bass. It's been my experience that A frame guitars actually have a weaker bass. They tend to sound a little tighter and are just generally less responsive. Whether this is the fault of the bracing or a different variable is hard to say just showing once again that it's never about just one piece of the instrument but about how all of the pieces work together.*"
That describes exactly what I'm experiencing with this guitar. And it points out that it is a common tonality to the Hybrid A frame pattern, which would suggest that there might be a mod that will commonly change their sound. Is it so strange to wonder if anyone has altered this system after the fact to create a desired change? I'm not of the mind that every commercial good I purchase comes exactly as I need it to be.
Expecting the kind of reply I got from Neil, I added to my post:
Before all the naysayers jump in and say: 'just get a different guitar' - I plan on that. But I also plan on keeping this one as a practice/campfire guitar. And I would like it to sound better.
I've ordered a bone saddle to replace the stock tusq one. And a bone nut.
|
I apologize for my previous reply. I have a D-16GT that is approaching 10 years old. It differs from yours in that it has solid mahogany back and sides and has a mortise-tenon neck joint and black plastic body binding. It also has a Spanish cedar neck. I should also add that while the bookmatching reveals a moderate amount of runout (I wouldn't expect AAAA quality from a sub $1000 guitar) it did have a good amount of silking.
Like you, I was initially underwhelmed with the tone but when I experience that with any of my guitars my first remedy is to experiment with different strings. I settled on D'Addorio EJ17 phosphor bronze medium gauge. I found that 80/20s lacked the brightness that I like in the treble range and that light gauge strings lacked the tension to full transmit vibrations to the top.
Eventually, I found that with regular playing time on it and keeping it closer to 40% than 60% RH I came to actually enjoy its tone. Sure, it isn't a D-18GE but for the $950 I paid for it it's not something I'd expect.
Truth be told, I've never heard of anybody wanting to put money into what I consider to be a budget solid wood guitar but neither would I risk compromising its structural integrity by reducing mass of the braces. I think that you're more likely to get a better increase in kinetic energy by increasing the string gauge and a better transfer of that energy by switching out the saddle with a nice consistent-density bone saddle. I think that the increased tension of the heavier strings will deform the top as Martins are wont to do: by bellying behind the bridge because it is rotating. I've never thought of that as a desirable thing though. I've had braces crack and separate on lesser guitars from that.
Also, as you mentioned the hybrid X bracing is already scalloped on the lower lengths of the X brace. The A frame bracing pretty much immobilizes that area and is designed to try and reinforce the cantilevering of the fretboard extension, not transmit tone. Scalloping it any more sounds risky in my book. It will allow the lower bout to belly even more, and again I can't think of that as a good thing because that's going to cause the bridge to lift off the face of the guitar and further deaden the tone by decreasing the amount of downward pressure on the saddle.
Again, to summarize in order to get it to be more resonant here's what I'd recommend:
1: keep it out of its case as much as possible. For me I find that it sounds best at 35% RH which is about what the RH is in the factory. I found that anything over 50% is when the tone seems to become muffled by the RH. It's not the guitar, it's the moisture in the air attenuating the sound waves.
2: play it in an acoustically neutral room like a living room or a parlor where there is plenty of furniture to stifle rather than reflect. You'll still get some "slapback" off the walls but not a harsh echo. While playing outside is fun, from the player's perspective you're not going to experience the full tone of the guitar - but the person in front of you might. That's why I put a pickup in mine. I knew it would need help outdoors.
3: go with medium gauge phosphor bronze strings and keep them clean. If not, expect to change them at least monthly. They lose their luster long before they become visibly corroded IMO. I've found that Martin strings are particularly susceptible to this.
4: switching from synthetic to organic (bone) saddle will actually warm up the tone somewhat. If the trebles seem "brittle" a bone saddle might be a good idea but you might lose some articulation.
5: experiment with different picks. My preference is for nylon picks 1mm thick (Dunlop blacks) because they has a softer attack sound but still sufficient rigidity to transmit energy to the strings. OTOH I find that hard plastic accentuates the attack (click sound) and thinner picks sound quieter because they give up their energy by flexing.
Sorry for the wall of text. That's my well thought out answer. With that being said, I still like the MMV better than the D-16RGT and would have jumped on one if I hadn't just bought the D-16GT. There's something about that 15 series' A-frame bracing that seems to really free up the lower bout than the 16 series.