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You are here: Home / Lutherie Classes / Lutherie Classes: Voicing and Tuning

Lutherie Classes: Voicing and Tuning

Acoustic Guitar Voicing and Tuning Class (Discontinued due to my heavy repair schedule)

Jacek S. from Poland learning to measure the top resonance of a guitar while carving braces.

This is an advanced class that explores the principles behind great acoustic guitar tone. This class is intended for the experienced builder, and knowledge of acoustic guitar construction is essential in order to get the most from the class. The class focuses on the importance of material properties as they relate to tone and responsiveness- properties such as stiffness, density, modulus, and mass. You will learn how to thin individual tops to a specific deflection based on modulus, rather than using a predetermined thickness based on species.

Greg demonstrates how brace carving effects the voice and the fundamental top resonance.

This three-day class includes instructions on placing the three main fundamental resonances- top, air, and back- to specific targets. This process helps to fine-tune the tone your guitars while avoiding wolf notes and dead spots in the completed instrument. We will also discuss how to evaluate acoustic guitar tone, and you may bring your own guitars for assessment if you wish. You are also encouraged to bring some top wood with you for measuring material properties. In-depth information on bracing and brace carving is included, as are several other tips and tricks for building better-sounding guitars. 

Ray 1
Ray M. from Kentucky learning to measure top wood for material properties during the Voicing and Tuning class at Dogwood Guitars.

Many builders use some version of hand flexing and ear tapping to voice guitars. The results can be somewhat arbitrary and often fail to use property measurements as part of the process. Others apply a mathematical approach that, while effective and repeatable, can be difficult to learn. My method combines the best of both: Using repeatable measurements to thin tops to to a specific deflection, using analysis software to place main resonances, and ear tap-tuning for purity of tone. The result is a more accurate understanding of the science and art of voicing and tuning, more consistent and better tone in your guitars, and shaving years off of the learning curve usually required to learn these skills. You no longer have to build 100 guitars to understand how and why great guitars sound the way they do.

If you are not satisfied with the voice of your completed builds, if you are tired of hearing that thunky G note on the bass E string, or if you know that great tone is the result of much more than simple Rosewood Vs. Mahogany comparisons, then this is your class! Check out this recent class with Jacek Sliwa of Sliwa Guitars, Poland.

Please Note: Due to my heavy repair and restoration schedule, I am no longer able to offer the voicing and tuning class. This is an archive page.

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Ordering your Dogwood Guitar

Please Note: Due to my heavy repair and restoration schedule, I am no longer building custom acoustic guitars. This is an archive page. Thank you for choosing to order one of my handmade acoustic guitars. From the day we begin to design your dream … [Read More...]

Building a Monarch: Top and Back

The building of any guitar begins with selecting the woods to be used. A bookmatched set of Spruce or Cedar is selected for the top, and a back and side set is chosen for the body. Standard woods for the latter are Rosewood, Mahogany, or Maple. Many … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Dogwood Monarch

"I loved my handcrafted Yamaha LX5 until I played my brother's Larrivee. So I bought a Larrivee. The Dogwood acoustic makes my Larrivee sound like my old Yamaha. The Dogwood is superior to my Larrivee D-03R in every way - tone, action - even looks. I … [Read More...]

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When I went to lutherie school I discovered that, like many guitarists, I was stringing my guitars incorrectly. And judging from the inspections that I give to all the guitars that come into my shop, this is a very common problem. I can hear some … [Read More...]

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Technical Articles

The Science and Theory of Tonewoods

Search out any discussion about tone and tonewoods on the internet and you will quickly find a wide variation of opinions among players and builders alike. However, the majority will almost always list "tonewoods" and/or specific species of Spruce … [Read More...]

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