Tingly
April 10th, 2006, 11:56 AM
I tried asking something like this, but not exactly this quesiton, in "Tools," back in March. 'Got two responses, mostly about wood. Reverend's thread about his finger making noise got me re-interested in the idea. If this thread's gotta be moved, I apologize.
I wanna know HOW guitars actually "make" the sounds they do. We should be the people who know, right?
WHAT I READ
I read that, when an acoustic guitar's string is plucked, the string actually vibrates the bridge mainly, and that is what pushes and pulls the soundboard, or "top," of the guitar and that's what makes the vibration you hear in the air, as "a note.".
Is that correct?
If that is not correct, or not the whole story, what is the right information?
OVERTONES
I also know that the string vibrates with "overtones," not just up and down, which is why the guitar is such a "rich sounding" stringed instrument. What's that all about? Does the string go up and down once, and then vibrate by thirds, or what?
ELECTRIC GUITARS
In the same vein, how do electric guitars make their sounds? Is it the same way acoustics do, except for the "metal string moving in an electric-field-coil" thingy? I wouldn't think so, since the top doesn't seem to vibrate the way an acoustic does. What is the difference betweeen a a solid body electric and a semi-hollow body, like an ES-335? Does that effect the sound of an electric, and, if, so, why and how?
Who knows this stuff and where is the data?
I wanna know HOW guitars actually "make" the sounds they do. We should be the people who know, right?
WHAT I READ
I read that, when an acoustic guitar's string is plucked, the string actually vibrates the bridge mainly, and that is what pushes and pulls the soundboard, or "top," of the guitar and that's what makes the vibration you hear in the air, as "a note.".
Is that correct?
If that is not correct, or not the whole story, what is the right information?
OVERTONES
I also know that the string vibrates with "overtones," not just up and down, which is why the guitar is such a "rich sounding" stringed instrument. What's that all about? Does the string go up and down once, and then vibrate by thirds, or what?
ELECTRIC GUITARS
In the same vein, how do electric guitars make their sounds? Is it the same way acoustics do, except for the "metal string moving in an electric-field-coil" thingy? I wouldn't think so, since the top doesn't seem to vibrate the way an acoustic does. What is the difference betweeen a a solid body electric and a semi-hollow body, like an ES-335? Does that effect the sound of an electric, and, if, so, why and how?
Who knows this stuff and where is the data?