Wooden Tail Pieces

[Ray Ussery]

Lets see if I can make some sort of sense out of this...but it seems to me the average tension on the top with the conventional bridge/tailpieces somewhere around 160 lbs.
With a crafted wooden tail piece for the flat top and an adjustable bridge like used on many arch tops I would assume, (You know how you spell that RIGHT?) hehehe, anyway...that the pressure would be considerable less on the top ...just guessing, here again.. but something like what 50 lbs or less?
If you were to leave out the sound hole and vented equal size in sq in. on the sides... that and the less pressure would seem to leave more of the soundboard to vibrate and allow it to vibrate MORE...
especially if the fingerboard extension were, clear the top in some manner, maybe carbon strips...they have crossed my mind, what there is of it left...Of course it's probably already been done by someone...not much is really NEW anymore.
But less pressure...would allow smaller and lighter bracing and thus more vibration...can't get it out of my mind...SOOoooo am I dreamin'....foolish...would it work? ...ideas? opinions? It's OK...I'm not thin skinned...unless TONY gets on my case of course...he's getting' so "Highbrow" with all his knowledge and pretty pieces he's been putting out these days...hehehe...just teasing Tony! Lay it on me! :)

[ken cierp]

I don’t have the smarts to analyze your proposed construction method/idea, but I do know this --- a direct drive bridge pinned or strings through, delivers much more energy to the sound-board then a system where the strings are laying across the (suspended) on the saddle. Thus the different color of the sound produced by jazz guitars – generally more “plinky” with abrupt decay --- which is great if that is the type of music one plans on performing. Part of the evolution of the modern flat-top is due to the realization that if the strings could be attached directly to the sound-board much more volume and sustain would result. "Batson" has guitars with a tail piece and the strings run through the bridge then over the saddle ---- I’ve play them and they too sound more like an “F” hole jazz guitar.

[Ray Ussery]

Yes Sir! Thanks Ken for the bit of brain storming! (Learning). I checked out their site and it pretty much says it all...I get the idea. I KNEW someone was/had done something like that...I see his fret board isn't touching the top either...but you can tell it all in the sound. Not my cup of tea! Thanks!

Ray

[Go4aRyd]

Ken has it right - a tailpiece leaves the top less constrained, but has very inefficient inputs and thus takes a lot more to get it moving. I like arch tops for many reasons, but I don't own one. I play primarily fingerstyle, and my touch isn't strong enough to get the tops moving enough. I supposed that a top in higher tension would likely also be more responsive.

Having said that, Batson Guitars makes a modern style that uses a tailpiece and a non-conventional sound hole configurations. http://batsonguitars.com/index.php/our- ... ar-models/ I've never played one.