Robert O'Brien just posted his interview with Trevor Gore on You Tube. While many hold that stiffer sides force more string energy into the top, Trevor advocates greater mass as even more important. He also discusses the advantages of both dead and live backs. Very informative and thought filled 14 minutes.
Trevor Gore on rim construction
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John Parchem
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Re: Trevor Gore on rim construction
Thanks John! I attended the Master Class with Trevor at Robbie's. He really seems to have an understanding about the effects of various design choices.
Re: Trevor Gore on rim construction
One of Gore's most interesting observation is the trade off between dead and live backs. Because a dead back does not vibrate, it does not consume any of the string energy, thereby forcing all of it to move the top, which is the primary source of perceived loudness. However, a live back that moves in cooperation with the top increases the overtones and harmonics, which makes for more complex tone, even if the live back saps some of the string energy from moving the top. I immediately thought of the bluegrass players who sling their dreads across their stomachs, rendering even a guitar that happens to have a live back into one that has a dead one due to the damping. But they are loud. And that's what they want.
I also found his discussion of the lightly built sides of a typical flamenco guitar interesting. Without a heavy mass that resists movement and a stiff rim/lining to kick the vibration back across the top, the sound can dissipate more quickly, thus preventing the rapid succession of notes typical of flamenco music from interfering with each other.
The Maccaferri small mouthed design I am fooling around with, if done traditionally (not what I am doing), uses ultra light sides coupled to very strong laminated linings, for an overall low mass rim compared to many designs. While Maccaferri did not design them for hot jazz and its trebly arpeggios, that is what they have come to be used for. Small mouths also have a low mass very stiff top and that is the type of top that Gore says makes for the strong, piercing treble which is exactly what Django Reinhardt exploited so wonderfully with his music.
I also found his discussion of the lightly built sides of a typical flamenco guitar interesting. Without a heavy mass that resists movement and a stiff rim/lining to kick the vibration back across the top, the sound can dissipate more quickly, thus preventing the rapid succession of notes typical of flamenco music from interfering with each other.
The Maccaferri small mouthed design I am fooling around with, if done traditionally (not what I am doing), uses ultra light sides coupled to very strong laminated linings, for an overall low mass rim compared to many designs. While Maccaferri did not design them for hot jazz and its trebly arpeggios, that is what they have come to be used for. Small mouths also have a low mass very stiff top and that is the type of top that Gore says makes for the strong, piercing treble which is exactly what Django Reinhardt exploited so wonderfully with his music.
John