Mike's Oud Forums

Some Useful Tips

farukturunz - 9-23-2014 at 04:12 AM

SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR CONTINUOUS QUALITY DEVELOPEMENT IN THE SOUND OF A WOODEN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT


In the recent era we have had many insights put forward by the Wooden Instrument Constructors; some bracing patterns, showing how creative ideas came out to reach perfect sound of those instruments. Thanks to the Internet we are able to see some secretive patterns used by the masters. Of course to get the idea we need to have developed a compact insight for understanding the wooden acoustic bodies.

I will try to lay out a simple method to control our products' quality of sound and one tip to reach a continuous quality developement.

Lets assume that we have reached a level of mastership to build some very high grade instruments with outstanding sounds. If we haven't dealt with the notion of "frequency " most probably all our instruments will have quite different sounds. We will hardly create a "signature sound" which will enable people to recognize it.
The only reliable physical property of wood that will affect the sound is its specific stiffness. By knowing how stiff the wood used is we may be able to make our way.

We may use some apparatus to measure the stiffness of the finished soundboards. Every maker knows that all the devided parts on a soundboard have different stiffness. To measure them one by one is a very complex and time consuming method. Instead we may organize the dividing elements (Braces and the other resistent parts) to support our soundboards statically in a way that we could repeat the same stiffness in a peculiar part by which (we assume) the good quality of the sound is produced.

For this we need to know the specific stiffness of that element (a brace in general). The specific frequency of a girder (brace beam) is equal to the derivative of the maximum sagging formula of it. The formula of the maximum sagging comprises of the length, cross section, mass, Modulus of Elasticity (a parameter of the stiffness together with the modulus of inertia). As seen here, the stiffness is strictly bound to the (E) modulus and (I) modulus. If we record the specific frequencies of the braces each time we use we will have a statistical data. We will be able to develope our bracing patterns and the chance to pursue the effect of brace properties.

"Creativity is the residue of time wasted" Einstein

suz_i_dil - 9-24-2014 at 09:35 AM

Hello Mr Faruk

nice to read about your consideration around frequencies in instrument making. I have a friend luthier here, in guitar making, and working on stifness is a main basis of his work on soundboards.
Standardizing by the issue of frequencies seems an interesting path to follow. Do you consider publishing on this subject ?

All the best

farukturunz - 9-25-2014 at 12:49 AM

Quote: Originally posted by suz_i_dil  
Hello Mr Faruk

nice to read about your consideration around frequencies in instrument making. I have a friend luthier here, in guitar making, and working on stifness is a main basis of his work on soundboards.
Standardizing by the issue of frequencies seems an interesting path to follow. Do you consider publishing on this subject ?

All the best


Dear suz_i_dil,

Thank you for your contribution to my thread. Yes, I am going to publish on my experimental journey through the specific frequencies of the brace beams and the soundboard's well scattered different stiffness areas. It seems to me that would be proper in a book about oud making.

Best regards.

SamirCanada - 9-25-2014 at 02:25 AM

Looking forward to this book.

suz_i_dil - 9-25-2014 at 11:10 AM

Great to read this project, I think there is a big lack of communication in oud building, opposite to the large amount of info regarding guitar, lute as a few exemples.
Moreover if the source come from experienced luthier as you, looking forward to this book
Best regards