A.i.r. Body Construction Technique

[araz]

I was flipping through my November Guitar World magazine and came across a Yamaha advertizment for the RGX A2 (page 35) and something called the A.I.R. body (alternative internal resonance). It's described in the magazine as "AIR body construction is a new technique utilizing a lightweight resonant wood core tightly enclosed between two harder tone-woods."

Does anyone know what this consructon technique is all about, which resonant and tone-woods are used?

Araz

[fookgub]

Check this out.

It looks like a thin hardwood top and back are laminated to the core under pressure. The core is curved over the width of the guitar, which defines the curves of the guitar. After the top and back are laminated, the guitar shape is cut out.

That's just going from the flash video on Yamaha's website. It could be BS, though... most marketing is. Still, it seems like a plausible way to build these guitars. The core wood is something very light and resonably stiff. Balsa, maybe? The hardest part for a DIYer would be working with the body once the curves on the top and back are established early in the building process. Many steps rely on having flat tops and backs (such as routing for pickups, cutting the shape from the blank, etc.). I think a skilled builder could find a way around these problems, though. Laminating the top and back wouldn't be too hard using a vacuum bag, but it would taking a little thinking to figure out how to establish the curves in the core wood.

Edited September 1, 2007 by fookgub

[fryovanni]

Now there is a brand new concept

Lets see, you can use tuned plates and a hollow body and you have an archtop or jazz box. You can add core blocks with hollow wings(or there abouts) and get a semi-hollow(some would say chambered). You can add a few hollowed areas, but isolate the chambers form each other, and get again something that could be called a chambered(or semi-hollow, again depends on who you are talking to). Or you can use lighter core material and fill it up with lower density wood(composite solid body). Or you can just us one wood and make it a solid bod.

Nothing new about any of these configurations. They will all have their own resonance(and depending on the wood you choose, the reonance will vary in each group). That being good or bad would totally depend on what you want from the body. It is not "better" it is "different" than a solid body made with wood "X".

Peace,Rich

[Xanthus]

Now there is a brand new concept

Lets see, you can use tuned plates and a hollow body and you have an archtop or jazz box. You can add core blocks with hollow wings(or there abouts) and get a semi-hollow(some would say chambered). You can add a few hollowed areas, but isolate the chambers form each other, and get again something that could be called a chambered(or semi-hollow, again depends on who you are talking to). Or you can use lighter core material and fill it up with lower density wood(composite solid body). Or you can just us one wood and make it a solid bod.

Nothing new about any of these configurations. They will all have their own resonance(and depending on the wood you choose, the reonance will vary in each group). That being good or bad would totally depend on what you want from the body. It is not "better" it is "different" than a solid body made with wood "X".

Peace,Rich

Butbutbutbut.... This here design's gots SOUND TUBES, and LED knobs!

*cocks eyebrow* I'd have to play it to believe anything. Ain't a fan of the body shape, either. Looks far too "fat" all-around.

[marksound]

It looks like a thin hardwood top and back are laminated to the core under pressure.

Back home we call that plywood.

[black_labb]

what are those sound tubes supposed to do? they really should realise that the reason electric guitars are effected by the woods used are how the woods dampen/dont dampen some frequencies more than other, not how the vibration is transferred into the body for it to vibrate.

[WezV]

i think when i read a review they talked about the sound tubes connecting the two hardwood plates together acoustically, thats probably a bit of mojo talking but to me they represent a better anchoring system for the bridge which may be a good thing with the very soft core

[Hector]

...to me they represent a better anchoring system for the bridge which may be a good thing with the very soft core

I was thinking the exact same thing.

[black_labb]

i think when i read a review they talked about the sound tubes connecting the two hardwood plates together acoustically, thats probably a bit of mojo talking but to me they represent a better anchoring system for the bridge which may be a good thing with the very soft core

thats a fair statement. the marketing then decided to say it helped the sound, which is does, because a bridge falling out usually doesnt do much for the tone, it just doesnt improve over normal solidbodies.

[WezV]

i think for some people weight is a real issue and we really have to commend yamaha for trying to do something about it and actually trying to move guitar design forward in that respect. I dont think these will appeal to most but i reckon they will have their own collectors in a few years time.

[GregP]

I think that despite the "marketing speak" which I recognize as a crock of s***, it's still a great idea and it's a well-executed guitar. The reviews seem to concur. PURELY in terms of aesthetics, I also prefer that style of humbucker (soapbar-ish) to a standard bucker+rings or bucker+direct mount. Much cleaner-looking. The tuners are nifty, too.

[WezV]

not to mention the price of these things. ok the design isnt world changing but it different and it is always a risk for a factory to invest in something like this and the fact they have done at a really competative price is great - i would not be praising these things if they were trying to sell us a balsa wood guitar for pro money!!!

[Xanthus]

not to mention the price of these things. ok the design isnt world changing but it different and it is always a risk for a factory to invest in something like this and the fact they have done at a really competative price is great - i would not be praising these things if they were trying to sell us a balsa wood guitar for pro money!!!

But then again, I hate it when I'm playing guitar on my yacht and a strong wave knocks my guitar from my hand and into the water Balsa might not be a bad idea!

[WezV]

i think balsa might quite seriously be what yamaha is using for the core of these things!

[fookgub]

The Guitar Center near me has one of these guitars, and I've played it a couple times. It's actually a very nice instrument for the money... one of the few off-the-shelf guitars I would consider buying these days.

Edited September 3, 2007 by fookgub

[Xanthus]

Really? I'll definitely have to walk down the street and check them out. I'm genuinely intrigued now, hahaha.

Anyone know the hardness/density of balsa? I wonder if it would give pine a run for its money, as far as tone goes.

I've picked up quite a few Ibanez S series, the ones with "fat mahogany tone without the weight" or something like that. And they're anything but light. I was really confused, after hearing all the hype about them. I'm honestly thinking that my maple neckthrough Explorer-shaped guitar is about in the same weight class. And don't forget the chunk of wood they routed out to put a trem in that one.

[Robert Irizarry]

i think for some people weight is a real issue and we really have to commend yamaha for trying to do something about it and actually trying to move guitar design forward in that respect. I dont think these will appeal to most but i reckon they will have their own collectors in a few years time.

+1 - Weight should be a serious concern for anyone with back problems or other forms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). And with the exception of the air tube silliness, this should be a simple approach for building a light weight guitar.

Regards,

Robert

[fookgub]

+1 - Weight should be a serious concern for anyone with back problems or other forms of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). And with the exception of the air tube silliness, this should be a simple approach for building a light weight guitar.

The one at my local GC is very light weight. I agree with Xanthus that the Ibanez S-series guitars aren't as light as they look, but the Yamahas are suprisingly light. Interestingly, the one I've played didn't have the LSR-style tuners. I wonder if they dropped those to cut costs.

Edited September 7, 2007 by fookgub