GuitarMaestro Posted January 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Thanks for all your answers!!!! I'm waiting for the GuitarMaestro vs. Drak thread like the Strat-war/GuitarMaestro vs. AlexVDL thread. That was a quite cool thread because there really was something to be discussed. Here there is nothing to be discussed, as I don't have a certain opinion on the topic. That's the reason I started the thread because I want to know more about the subject. Unfortunately Drak came in and began to attack/critize me for things I never wrote. Tapping can also conclude if there are any defects in the board as Brian referred to. That sounds very interesting. How do you find defects via tapping? Do you check for unusual variations in sound if you knock on certain spots of the piece of wood? P.s.: Is there a book or tutorial detailing how to tap tone check tonewood? Thanks, MK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 OK, OK already! I reread all the posts over again, and I see where this went south. I read a few of your other posts and noticed you use the word 'nonsense' with some frequency, it is just a word you use a lot like I use 'thang' or something like that... And yes, I did center on the fact that you used that word in your title 'isn't it a lot of nonsense', and I felt that since you used it, you were referring to tap tone as a nonsensical technique. Upon reading your post further, yes you are right, you weren't really inferring that, but, the word nonsense is slightly flammatory, whether you want to admit that or not, up to you. If you hadn't used that word, my post would have been much different, let's put it that way. When I see someone say this or that technique is nonsense and I don't happen to agree, I'm not shy about vocalizing my opinion, and never will be, just me. But you weren't saying that. I NOW SEE THE ERROR OF MY WICKED AND EVIL WAYS! Agreed. I was *WRONG* ( DAMMIT! ) And I'll leave it at that with a wholehearted apology to GM. And I can always disagree with someone and not take it personally, I like my opinions and I'm sure everyone else likes theirs too. And I still like ~EVERYONE~ HERE! SMOOCHES!!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 i don't really have a whole lot of knowledge on this but i have tried it before on several peices of wood. I agree with Brian that it depends on the density (species) of the wood, in addition, but not as much, to the size. IMO anyways, i have a peice of katalox i'm using as a couple of fingerboards and it resonates like a friggin bass string... i was blown away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 No tut to my knowledge, book...prolly. I am not experienced in finding defects by tap tone, only getting a rough estimate of tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 This probably isn't worth much but I have read elsewhere that all of the pieces may tap nicely but you won't know until it's all put together if you have a Stradivarius or an expensive (and quite large) paper weight. The point being that tapping suggests that the wood may be good but doesn't guarentee a thing. That's only what I read - not to be considered hard facts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 There seems to be conflicting literature. Linda like whether or not one can play guitar...decide by trying it out yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted January 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Drak thanks for your apology....I am glad to accept it!!!! Concerning the impact of some of my words: English is not my native language, so some expressions might sound more harsh then they were intended.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 " English is not my native language, so some expressions might sound more harsh then they were intended.... " LOL ! My German wife pretty much uses that same statement everytime we have a little WWII between us. NOT SAYING THAT TO PISS *ANYONE* OFF (Been to Germany often, so I know all about "walking on thin ice" ) Ok, off-topic as usual, I'm gone...................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotrock Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Right then I just thought that I would chip in my uneducated opinion. I'm with Brian on the tap tone bit, if all dimensions are the same then there should (I say should because I don't know for sure) be a difference in the tap tone depending on the density of the wood, size of air pockets etc (ignoring defects here) with the less dense wood ringing on for longer. I really can't remember the resonance formula. This said, I wouldn't have a clue between good and bad wood. By this method of thinking then....... ........when a tree is cut down and split up into lovely body blanks, will the wood that comes from the top of the tree be more resonant? Logic says that it should be less dense than the wood at the bottom of the tree as there must be an element of creep/compression at the bottom due to the weight of the tree. Yeah/Nay? What do you guys think? And no bickering boys and girls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page_Master Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 i always tap tone wood, just to see if i can hear the difference between other/or the same wood/s that are of the same size. however, i don't make judgement like: 'wow, this piece of wood [just say it is pine, but i don't know that] sounds very resonant, perhaps i should make a guitar with it.' i think tone tapping is not by any means a surefire method of judging the tonal properties of wood. it is just a way of experimenting or exploring the wonders of tonality in woods. it is kind of like trying to draw a perfect circle free hand. it is impossible to draw a perfect circle free hand. and if you have drawn a circle, it may look perfect to the naked eye, until you put a circular object of the same diameter of that circle and discover it is not perfect at all. so the circle may look perfect, but it is not. just like making a judgement with the tone tapping method, you think the tone of that wood sounds high or low or sustains a lot, you could be wrong. the only way you are going to draw a perfect circle is with a circular object or a compass, and the only way you are going to have the best judgement of wood tones is if you put strings on the wood. but after all, trying to draw a perfect circle free hand is just an experiment, just like tone tapping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Exactly what I was saying earlier. Well put page. I dont rely on tap tone 100%, I find it to be 85% accurate at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted January 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Thanks for all the info....It seems that like many other methods in bulding guitars the tapping check is a subject linked to science, expirience and myth! Now I'll begin to try tap checking my tonewoods too. I always knock on the wood I use for instruments, but so far I only did it out of curiosity. One question though: How do you locate defects in the wood by knocking on it as Brian suggested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chemical_ali Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 everybody please calm down. i will settle this once and for all. taping on wood to judge its tone is nonsence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I always knock on the wood I use for instruments I always knock on wood for luck testing for defects is like tapping a Baseball Bat or pool cue on the ground to see if there's a crack in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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