Preserving the culture of sound design in Spanish guitars - archiving, modeling, and replication with model-based modifications

Abstract

In 2019 the acoustical properties of some 60 valuable acoustical guitars were archived for purposes of preservation and research. Among these guitars is an outstanding exemplar from Conde. This guitar served as a reference for generating an analytical model. The model identifies relevant factors to achieve a multiplicity of main resonances in the low frequency range. This supports the fundamental tone over a wide range. While the construction of the reference guitar is unusual to some extend the derived model is rather universal and has proved to be applicable for diverse concepts of top plate bracing. The guitar construction and the explanatory model raised interest among guitar makers in Granada, Madrid, and Markneukirchen. Luthiers now explore the construction’s potential. A replica of the reference guitar was built and predictions for minor construction modifications came true. This approach of preserving the culture of sound design is encouraging. The project report comes along with supporting material and tools.