Luthier question

[Tomas-Lobos]

I've read a lot about the construction of the classical guitar. Can someone tell me why the classical can't be built with 14 frets free of the sound board instead of 12? :?:

[Jubilee Valence]

...increased tension?--I'm curious too,"wolfy" :mrgreen: Tom!...I know Pepe's swamped;I doubt we'll hear from the :oops: dy-nam'-ite dou... :roll: ;Jeremy?-ya' out there,mate?...seems like there are some newly joined Luth's also... 8)

[MWA]

Probably just aesthetics and tradition. Original dreadnaughts had bodies that join the neck at the 12th fret. The longer necks came later.

[Pepe Vergara]

I asked myself the same question earlier, but reverse: Why do they build steel string guitars (not all of them) with 14 frets to the sound box?. My friend, a blues players told me that for accessibility to the higher frets. I guess that classicals are not done that way because of tradition. In a famous book about the life and work of a famous luthier (I am afraid to mention this so casual, but I have not time to go and check the reference), I read that the famous luthier built his guitars always close tothe same ratios of waist to upper bout, to lower bout, etc. THe tangent of the soundhole was perpendicular to the vertical drawn tangent to the curve of the waist, etc. His guitars were always close to that ratio, which is the same ratio many modern luthiers use nowdays. So, tradition!!

That does not mean that it cannot be done. If I have time, I will get to it.

[TheEvan]

For maximum response, the bridge needs to centered in the lower bout. The practice in steel string of simply moving the neck out and moving the bridge nearer the soundhole would kill the sound. Also, the longer neck would be a strain on the left arm, I think. That said, there's no reason you couldn't keep proper geometry and simply remove body length from the 12th to 14th fret position.

Why bother, though? A cutaway will provide better access and still provide that visual & tactile cue of the neck-join place that I've come to depend on.

[MWA]

If you look at steel string guitars, Martin is a good example, in comparable models where they make 12 fret and 14 fret models, you see the bridge is in the same spot relative to the soundhole. The difference is cutting off the upper end to allow it to join at the 14th fret (they square off the shoulders). This changes the outline of the body of the guitar and possibly the sound produced.

[daniel711]

I think Evan hit the nail on the head. The longer the neck the more strain on the left arm. As it is now, I've been adjusting my position to hold the guitar at a more verticle position. When the arm has to stretch to reach the lower frets this causes tension in the shoulder and can hinder good technique. Just try to play a Dreadnought in the classical position for more than a few minutes!

[Libre]

My theory is that the 14 fret design is a corruption of the classical 12 fret design, first conceived of by an evil, dastardly luthier, who lived either in Lexington Mass, or here in NY on Lexington Ave.

The guy came to be know as Lex Luthier.

[Libre]

... Just try to play a Dreadnought in the classical position for more than a few minutes!

You're right on there, Dan. Most people have enough trouble holding a GUITAR that way, much less a BATTLESHIP!

[Faya]

When i play a Gibson Flying V....., i prefer to hold it like a classical sitting down.
Nice and comfeeeee..........

[Libre]

When I play a Fender PT Boat, it's so hard that I have to bend it around my knee, resulting in a Fender Bender.
The original question has been so warped by my perverse sence of "humor", that Tomas-Lobos is likely to give up and go back to the Villa.

[Tomas-Lobos]

The banjo beckons!!
LOL :lol: :lol:

[jeremy]

Thevan was right, a 14 fret neck moves the bridge too close to the soundhole and this changes the sound dramatically and negatively for the classical guitar. It also looks strange and feels strange to play.
A 12 fret steel string guitar is a much nicer sounding instrument than the 14 fret dread(ful)naughts to my ears at least.
There will always be many innovations but when push comes to shove, classical guitarists are a fairly tradional bunch and even if the new idea is an improvement, it is often overlooked and then forgotten for another 50 years or so till the next cycle comes around.
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