It's a Youtube vid of a bloke comparing an all timber acoustic with an all carbon fibre acoustic.
I'm all for experiment with new materials and sure it sounds fine, but something about an all carbon fiber guit-box just doesn't sit right with me.
What do you gentlemen make of this?
Gday Austen, welcome to the ANZLF.
I am not having a go at you mate, but I have any number of rhetorical questions about this vid.
Who is he? What is he selling? Same mics for each guitar, same mix? Which Takamine, the $200 or the $20,000? Why is the carbon fibre guitar so brittle sounding, so brash? Maybe it need to be thinned on the perimeter more? Maybe it needs a heavier bridge to settle it down? Maybe the top on the Takamine could have been Carpathian or Lutz spruce and had it been left a little thicker to sharpen the bass and clarify the trebles, maybe then it would have really shown the complete lack of scope available to a graphite guitar?
Maybe this German guy needs to understand that what he is doing is completely pointless and he would do much better to practice more so he does not get so much string buzz when playing Pink Floyd on the Takamine.
Cheers
Kim
I am not having a go at you mate, but I have any number of rhetorical questions about this vid.
Who is he? What is he selling? Same mics for each guitar, same mix? Which Takamine, the $200 or the $20,000? Why is the carbon fibre guitar so brittle sounding, so brash? Maybe it need to be thinned on the perimeter more? Maybe it needs a heavier bridge to settle it down? Maybe the top on the Takamine could have been Carpathian or Lutz spruce and had it been left a little thicker to sharpen the bass and clarify the trebles, maybe then it would have really shown the complete lack of scope available to a graphite guitar?
Maybe this German guy needs to understand that what he is doing is completely pointless and he would do much better to practice more so he does not get so much string buzz when playing Pink Floyd on the Takamine.
Cheers
Kim
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sebastiaan56
- Blackwood
- Posts: 1279
- Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:23 am
- Location: Blue Mountains
Hi Austen,
Firstly, welcome to the ANZLF.
This may well be the next guitar disruptive technology, it will be interesting to see if the supposed "indestructability" of these instruments will be their undoing. There are aesthetic possibilities well beyond what we are used to and undoubtedly sound potentials as well. The technology just needs to be developed. IMO the louder the outcry from the ultra traditionalists the more likely that this is the next breakthrough. Think computors and the internet.
For the weekend hack builder like me this is one technology I wont be investing in but it makes sense for large factories with extended distribution chains. These instruments will be lower unit cost and more controllable in terms of quality. They will also create a niche for "real wood" guitars.
I agree with Kim that this is probably not the best demo, the buzzing alone is distracting. One associated link was for "Blackbird Rider" guitars which seem to be the real deal. I'll add the link for interest
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izqhgl33 ... re=related [/youtube]
Sebastiaan
Firstly, welcome to the ANZLF.
This may well be the next guitar disruptive technology, it will be interesting to see if the supposed "indestructability" of these instruments will be their undoing. There are aesthetic possibilities well beyond what we are used to and undoubtedly sound potentials as well. The technology just needs to be developed. IMO the louder the outcry from the ultra traditionalists the more likely that this is the next breakthrough. Think computors and the internet.
For the weekend hack builder like me this is one technology I wont be investing in but it makes sense for large factories with extended distribution chains. These instruments will be lower unit cost and more controllable in terms of quality. They will also create a niche for "real wood" guitars.
I agree with Kim that this is probably not the best demo, the buzzing alone is distracting. One associated link was for "Blackbird Rider" guitars which seem to be the real deal. I'll add the link for interest
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izqhgl33 ... re=related [/youtube]
Sebastiaan
make mine fifths........
Kim, no offence taken.
I am uneasy about these carbon fiber guitars. They are a relatively young technology and I can only presume that with time they will be able to greatly improve the quality of sound that these guitars can produce.
At the moment I believe they are being built to mimic the sounds of pre-established guitars such as Gibson’s, Taylor's, etc.
So whos to say they won't in time be able to get the mix just right, then make tweaks to further enhance the sound these things can create.
I don't like it. I love the concept of acoustic guitars being created from scratch with carefully selected timbers used in combination with each other to create something that means so much to someone. I especially love the concept of the independent luthier doing the lion’s share of the work load with their own two hands.
Something about a carbon fiber guitar and the possibility that it could one day produce what is considered a more desirable tone than a timber guitar just does not sit right with me at all.
Like mentioned above though, it will hopefully create a niche for timber guitars and I really doubt, regardless of what tone they can output, that they will ever monopolize the guitar market.
Just wanted to know what you all felt as well
I am uneasy about these carbon fiber guitars. They are a relatively young technology and I can only presume that with time they will be able to greatly improve the quality of sound that these guitars can produce.
At the moment I believe they are being built to mimic the sounds of pre-established guitars such as Gibson’s, Taylor's, etc.
So whos to say they won't in time be able to get the mix just right, then make tweaks to further enhance the sound these things can create.
I don't like it. I love the concept of acoustic guitars being created from scratch with carefully selected timbers used in combination with each other to create something that means so much to someone. I especially love the concept of the independent luthier doing the lion’s share of the work load with their own two hands.
Something about a carbon fiber guitar and the possibility that it could one day produce what is considered a more desirable tone than a timber guitar just does not sit right with me at all.
Like mentioned above though, it will hopefully create a niche for timber guitars and I really doubt, regardless of what tone they can output, that they will ever monopolize the guitar market.
Just wanted to know what you all felt as well
Building a composite guitar would be as boring as batshit.....each piece of composite lovingly created by a machine in a sterile environment to exactly the same specs as the last one....no character...all clones. The guitar is assembled by another machine and eventually out the arse of the factory pops another carbon fibre clone guitar.
I'm sure it has it's place in the recording studio for a specific sound,
but I can't help feeling a little cold listening to it being played.
It isn't the worst sounding acoustic I've heard, in fact I've heard far worse studio recordings of overly compressed and eq modified trad. acoustics
elsewhere.
With so much tradition involved in building guitars, ukes, violins, lutes etc. using the well worn acoustic ideals, it's without doubt very interesting to see and hear it played, but more so harder to erase from the brain the old traditions and knowledge gathered, for the new composites. ( If you know what I'm getting at.)
I like making stuff from dead trees so that'd be my sticking point.
Cheers, Stu
but I can't help feeling a little cold listening to it being played.
It isn't the worst sounding acoustic I've heard, in fact I've heard far worse studio recordings of overly compressed and eq modified trad. acoustics
elsewhere.
With so much tradition involved in building guitars, ukes, violins, lutes etc. using the well worn acoustic ideals, it's without doubt very interesting to see and hear it played, but more so harder to erase from the brain the old traditions and knowledge gathered, for the new composites. ( If you know what I'm getting at.)
I like making stuff from dead trees so that'd be my sticking point.
Cheers, Stu
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Dennis Leahy
- Blackwood
- Posts: 872
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:32 am
- Location: Duluth, MN, US
- Contact:
I saw/heard a guy playing one (Rainsong?) at an outdoor street fair, on a day that was windy with occasional drops of rain flying sideways. I had to laugh, because this was the one perfect venue for that all-graphite, ugly as a battleship, guitar.
Sounded as quacky and artificial as the piezo in it (amplified) and when I got close enough to hear the actual acoustic sound, it was unimpressive.
They will get better sounding, and if you like paint better than wood, they will eventually paint some that are more visually interesting (to some) than a truck bed liner. They might eventually dominate or at least gain a large market share in the $500 guitar market, but will never really compete with the visceral emotional impact, feel, and beauty of well-made wooden guitars.
Dennis
Sounded as quacky and artificial as the piezo in it (amplified) and when I got close enough to hear the actual acoustic sound, it was unimpressive.
They will get better sounding, and if you like paint better than wood, they will eventually paint some that are more visually interesting (to some) than a truck bed liner. They might eventually dominate or at least gain a large market share in the $500 guitar market, but will never really compete with the visceral emotional impact, feel, and beauty of well-made wooden guitars.
Dennis
Another damn Yank!
Yeah I have to agree with the others not being a fan of CF guitars, at least what I have heard in person, so far.
Not surprisingly though you have to know that most if not all of us are going to be wood bigots since that is what we have a passion for.
CF has a place, this is undeniable, but I think that what some of us are trying to do is build really, really, really good wood guitars.
In the guitar repair shop that I work at there is an Ovation hanging behind my bench which means that I may be the one to work with it at some point. Every time I see the thing I think of a bed pan......
Anyway welcome to the forum M8!
Not surprisingly though you have to know that most if not all of us are going to be wood bigots since that is what we have a passion for.
CF has a place, this is undeniable, but I think that what some of us are trying to do is build really, really, really good wood guitars.
In the guitar repair shop that I work at there is an Ovation hanging behind my bench which means that I may be the one to work with it at some point. Every time I see the thing I think of a bed pan......
Anyway welcome to the forum M8!
I've been interested enough to try out one these since I saw them advertised in the Acoustic Guitar Mag.
Finally got the chance while I was in Tokyo.
I saw a "CA" (Carbon Acoustic) in one of the many guitar shops.
In the one street there would have been thousands of guitars from all brands imaginable. This was the only carbon fibre one - telling me something already.
I was actually surprised at the sweet tones it produced but it lacked any volume & practically no bass.
Guess it was meant to be played plugged in.
Finally got the chance while I was in Tokyo.
I saw a "CA" (Carbon Acoustic) in one of the many guitar shops.
In the one street there would have been thousands of guitars from all brands imaginable. This was the only carbon fibre one - telling me something already.
I was actually surprised at the sweet tones it produced but it lacked any volume & practically no bass.
Guess it was meant to be played plugged in.
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