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Archtop break angle
Is loudness a function of break angle?
On a flat top guitar as the saddle is lowered the string break angle decreases and loudness tends to diminish, or so the conventional wisdom goes. On archtops with tailpieces the break angle is very very low. So, do archtops with tailpieces have less loudness than flattops? Why or why not? Discuss
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2009 CA Cargo Raw, 2006 Collings OM-1 SS light build, 2004 Taylor 714ce, 2000 Taylor 310K, 1991 Martin HD-28, 1971 Martin 0-18, 1967 Guild F-30 2006 Ovation Legend 6756LX 12 string, 2004 Taylor 354ce 12 string, 1976 Guild G312-NT 12 string (dreadnaught shape) 1966 Martin T-15 tiple, Mele koa ukulele |
#2
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Interesting discussion. I am eager to read other opinions. |
#3
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Carved archtops are built on the same principle as violins, with the top being compressed by the strings/bridge pushing down on it. What they lack in sustain, like violins, they make up for by being loud and being able to cut through other instruments. Of course then there are archtops, like my 1927 Gibson L-5, which I use for bottleneck, because it also has quite a bit of sustain, but that's a different story. HE http://www.howardemerson.com/ |
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Loudness (as opposed to volume) is a subjective impression, influenced heavily by frequency and transients. Break angle (once sufficient to get good vibration transfer and hold the strings in place) affects overtone series far more than it does volume. That may be heard as a change in loudness, since, other things being equal, trebles make a louder impression for a given volume than does bass. Put another way, your guitar may be moving more air than that banjo in the next room
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"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest." --Paul Simon Last edited by Howard Klepper; 01-29-2009 at 11:18 AM. |
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Ah, yes, Howard, but that banjo will make a louder bang when tossed into an empty trash can............ HE |
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An archtop guitar with a tailpiece, relies solely on downforce acting on the bridge, to excite the top. No lever arm exists in this state. The only fulcrum (lever arm) applications exist on fixed type bridges (flat tops or dome tops), where the string break angle imparts a torque (levered) moment on the bridge. |
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HE |
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After I posted the question about break angle it occurred to me that guitars with pinless bridges have a rather low break angle with no effect on loudness or volume.
So far I've learned from this thread that: - for archtops with tailpieces the bridge / saddle is high so there is sufficient break angle and down force to get the top moving. - there is a correlation between break angle and loudness / volume but it's not linear. Rather low break angles can be sufficient to get a guitar top moving. Thanks for the replies so far.
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2009 CA Cargo Raw, 2006 Collings OM-1 SS light build, 2004 Taylor 714ce, 2000 Taylor 310K, 1991 Martin HD-28, 1971 Martin 0-18, 1967 Guild F-30 2006 Ovation Legend 6756LX 12 string, 2004 Taylor 354ce 12 string, 1976 Guild G312-NT 12 string (dreadnaught shape) 1966 Martin T-15 tiple, Mele koa ukulele |