Bending sides with time instead of heat

[Quickstep192]

I was just reading about a luthier who bends his sides by gradually using a combination of weights and ropes to bend the sides over a period of time instead of using heat or steam.

Clearly, this isn't a method that lend itself to production, but it sounds romantic as hell.

Can anyone think of any sonic advantages to doing this?

[runamuck]

I can't imagine guitar sides holding shape with just weight and no heat, no matter how long the process takes. I'm skeptical and would have to see it to believe it.

[BradHall]

The only sonic advantage I can imagine is hearing the inevitable crack at the waist more clearly.

[Victory Pete]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

I was just reading about a luthier who bends his sides by gradually using a combination of weights and ropes to bend the sides over a period of time instead of using heat or steam.

Clearly, this isn't a method that lend itself to production, but it sounds romantic as hell.

Can anyone think of any sonic advantages to doing this?

He must live in the Louisiana Bayou

[RHayes]

Originally Posted by BradHall

The only sonic advantage I can imagine is hearing the inevitable crack at the waist more clearly.

After a couple weeks of bending

[Zigeuner]

Nonstarter.

[phavriluk]

Do we have an engineer in our midst?

[Talldad]

Originally Posted by Quickstep192

I was just reading about a luthier who bends his sides by gradually using a combination of weights and ropes to bend the sides over a period of time instead of using heat or steam.

Clearly, this isn't a method that lend itself to production, but it sounds romantic as hell.

Can anyone think of any sonic advantages to doing this?

That’s nothing! I once heard of a luthier that grew his rosewood tree in a guitar former for twenty years!!!!!!

That’s a lie, but it’s just about as useful a technique. Just why would you not use some heat to soften the fibres?

Growing bent trees is a thing by the way, they use to grow timber for ships this way in Europe.

[Winkyplayer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C-L8Q5UB9c

[SColumbusSt]

If memory serves me correctly Stefan Sobell bends his sides in this manner. He believes it induces less stress in the wood. He also admits to doing almost everything as inefficiently as possible. It clearly works for him as he makes a fine guitar.

[Quickstep192]

Originally Posted by SColumbusSt

If memory serves me correctly Stefan Sobell bends his sides in this manner. He believes it induces less stress in the wood. He also admits to doing almost everything as inefficiently as possible. It clearly works for him as he makes a fine guitar.

I just checked out Stefan's guitars. Oh my...
I'm getting that funny feeling...

[hubcapsc]

The English were pretty excited when they realized the scope
of the Southern Live Oak...



A million trees made out of good wood shaped like keels and knees...

-Mike

Originally Posted by Talldad

That’s nothing! I once heard of a luthier that grew his rosewood tree in a guitar former for twenty years!!!!!!

That’s a lie, but it’s just about as useful a technique. Just why would you not use some heat to soften the fibres?

Growing bent trees is a thing by the way, they use to grow timber for ships this way in Europe.

[fazool]

Originally Posted by runamuck

I can't imagine guitar sides holding shape with just weight and no heat, no matter how long the process takes. I'm skeptical and would have to see it to believe it.

Originally Posted by phavriluk

Do we have an engineer in our midst?

Typically you need to get the wood wet and then it will dry in the bent shape. This is exactly how boat builders bent the boards to make wooden hulls.

In fact it's such a common practice that the idea of a "spline curve" and the control points (a form a smooth line fitting data) comes from the weights they would hang on the boards to get a certain bent shape from a single straight board.