Bass responce?

[Ray Ussery]

I bought a kit that was supposed to be a 000 18 NOT! He screwed up the sides...sent me two bass sides and when I returned them he just recut them which made the guitar much too thin for me...

So...I bought some new sides...in the mean time I've been looking at the those that are undercut and measuring...and as it turned out...I can use them for a nice little parlor...

My question is...how can I plan to increase the bass response in a small body? Is it all wood? Part? Bracing? Both? the body will be 19 inches long...11.5 lower bout...8.5 upper bout...3.375" thick at tail bock...2.75 neck block...Adi top from the one that broke on me and Bubinga sides...I was giving some thought to using a different wood for the back just for the heck of it...mistake? If not ...any suggestions?

So what DOES really lead or lend to bass response? Thanks for your help!
Ray

[ken cierp]

Have you actually heard a parlor size guitar with the bass response you are expecting? If so duplicate that one. You are dealing with kind of a guitar oxymoron here. Bass projecting guitars are large “D”s J200, Ditson’s big diaphragms – snare drum, bass drum, kettle drum – woofer - tweeter etc. get the idea? To make it as responsive as possible and therefore able to deliver the spectrum of frequencies the shape and size allows, build it light (which I recommend for all shapes and sizes) thinish tops, thin braces and use strings that will pull the sound-board into a very slight dome – too much tension is counter productive.

[Ray Ussery]

Thanks Ken....

[Ken Hundley]

Hi Ray:

Another thought is a sound port. I built an OM that had Crystal (almost too much) trebles, clear mid ranges, and an acceptable bass response....fairly standard OM, not one of my more drastic fantastics.....anyway, the end user decided he wanted to go ahead with a port (after completion!~) and it really made a whole new guitar. Plenty of bass response, good mids, and sort of attenuated the trebles.....well balanced overall, ended up recording considerably higher quality than my favorite jumbo. jUst a thought.

[Ray Ussery]

Hi Ray:

Another thought is a sound port. I built an OM that had Crystal (almost too much) trebles, clear mid ranges, and an acceptable bass response....fairly standard OM, not one of my more drastic fantastics.....anyway, the end user decided he wanted to go ahead with a port (after completion!~) and it really made a whole new guitar. Plenty of bass response, good mids, and sort of attenuated the trebles.....well balanced overall, ended up recording considerably higher quality than my favorite jumbo. jUst a thought.

Thanks a bunch for the tip Ken H. Funny you mentioned that, one of those I REALLY liked the sound of had a port...I need to find out how big that thing was...hummm, now if I can find my other information about it.
Hey that's great, I really appreciate it! Never even gave it a thought...duh?

Ray :>)

[Herman]

2 ct from here:
First: Little guitars fancy more because of their balance and response,
Second: a smaller soundhole helps the lower frequences.

Just some thoughts
Have fun
Herman

[ken cierp]

So ----?? increasing the air resonance (larger sound hole) increases the treble frequency response and a sound port increases the air resonance -- seems that does not add up to more bass response?