Making Guitar: a balance between

Making Guitar:
a balance between
Science and Intuition
Jean Marie Fouilleul
guitarmaker
Guitars from its Origins……(Heavens?..)
1711
1823
…to the Present Day
More strings…, an
instrument imagined
by its player
…M.Maccaferri
New soundholedesign to enlarge
the top.
(M.Montassier)
2002
Usual guitarmaker’s behaviour approach of their work
in feed-back
only
subjective
informations
guitarmaker
intuition
model
good…?
musicians
not so good..?
not so bad…?
bad…?
Joël Laplane
• Science in service
with Intuition
• « my idea is to realize a
structure which vibrates as
longer as possible with a large
spectrum of harmonics »
Less traction on the top….
Strings are fixed
behind the
bridge, on an
inside-neck
Joël Laplane’s approach with scientists and musicians
in feed-back
two types of
informations
guitarmaker
intuition
model
Scientist analysis
measures
good…?
musicians
not so good..?
not so bad…?
bad…?
comparison
Jean-Luc Joie
• Science but no
intuition
• «I’ve seen the opportunity to
increase dynamic »
• « Wood is not enough to go
further »
a bridge inspired by the piano
Jean-Luc Joie ‘s guitar
A new material
A new concept
A new design
Jean-Luc Joie’s approach with scientists and musicians
guitarmaker
in feed-back
two types
of informations
Scientists :
analysis - measures
discussion
new concept-design
model
comparison
good…?
not so good..?
Musicians appreciations
not so bad…?
bad…?
Daniel Friederich
• A rigorous bench scientist
•
« Intuition can precede the
reasoned knowledge, but gives
few chance of reproduction in
case of success . »
Measures on top and on neck imagined by D.Friederich
Measures of the braces : flexion
Measures on the finished guitar: neck and top flexions
Daniel Friederich’s approach with scientists and musicians
guitarmaker
reproduction
in feed-back
three types
of informations
comparison
Systematic measures
Scientists:
analysis
model
good…?
not so good..?
Musicians appreciations
not so bad…?
bad…?
comparison
Daniel Friederich’s instruments
• Tradition in
aesthetic
• Sober
• Great quality of
realization
To a collective research approach
The groupwork-The main partners:
•
UNFI : a french professional association of
instrumentmakers
•
Vincent Doutaut : Ingeneer researches, ITEMM
(Europeen Institut of Formation for Musictrade)
•
François Gautier: lecturer,LAUM (Acoustic
Laboratory of Le Mans)
•
Jean-Loïc Le Carrou: p.h.d. student, LAUM
•
Bertrand David: lecturer, ENST ( National
Telecom High School)
•
Nicolas Dauchez: lecturer, LAUM
•
Iris Brémaud: doctor,(Mechanic and Civil
Ingeneering Laboratory)
TEST FOR BRACING – CLASSICAL GUITAR TOP-J.M FOUILLEUL
A case with thick sides
Top
Constant volume of the case
Easy comparison of different tops
Possibility to play the instrument
Jaws
Sides and
neck
Thick Back
Testing
the top
Example of collaboration, works on: « characterization of the guitar in low
frequencies »
« Helmoltz System »: a tool for assistance in
making guitar
F.Gautier , J.L Le Carrou ,
C.Thepenier
J.M Fouilleul
Demonstration with “Helmholtz” Interface
Identity card of
the guitar
Datas’s acquiring
Datas ‘s filing
To……. a « Home Acoustic Research Laboratory »
Informatic tools
Adapted to
instrumentmaker
Reasonable
price
References and Publications
-« Different Configurations of the same Concert Guitar Characterized by Means
of Modal Analysis and Noise Transfer » Laplane J., Minsen E., Charron S.
Acoustica n°82
-« La Guitare à Travers les Spectres » M. Rosen, publication de l’Atelier de
Recherches Appliquées de l’ITEMM
-« La Guitare, Aperçus concernant le Fonctionnement et la Conception
Organologique de la Guitare, l’Examen et le Choix des Bois, des Réflexions »
Daniel Friederich , G.A.M n°92, Université Paris VI, 1977
-« Etude de Comportement Acoustique de la Table d’Harmonie d’une Guitare »
D.Douau (D.E.A d’acoustique) Université du Maine, juin 1983
-« Evaluation des Propriétés Acoustiques, Mécaniques et Structurelles des Bois
de Tables d’Harmonie de Guitares; Leur Influence sur le Timbre de l’Instrument »
D.Douau (Thèse dedoctorat), Université du Maine, 1986
-« Approche du Fonctionnement Mécanique et Acoustique de la Guitare »
J.C.Radier ( Thèse ) Université du Maine, Février 1985
-« Helmoltz: un outil de caractérisation des deux premiers modes de la guitare »
F.Gautier, J.L Le Carrou, E.Collin, J.Duffaud, C.Frisson ,juillet 2005; Journées
Professionnelles Facture Instrumentale « Mettre en Commun »
Special thanks to:
V.Doutaut , F.Gautier , J.L Le Carrou