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How thick is too thick for a soundboard?

Posted by Mister Scott on January 4, 2011 at 11:29pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I have a salad bowl that I want to use for a build. I was trying to think of something to use for the top, and while i was considering modifying circular cutting board, one of our compadres reminded me that a thick cutting board would be an awful lot of work to shave down to size to a proper soundboard thickness.

 

But that got me wondering: how thick is too thick? Any opinions?

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Replies

  • Wade March 19, 2011 at 10:04pm

    I've had good results thinning the lids down on a sander- thicker under the bridge- thinner near the edges of the box. It seems to give me more bass response and sweeter sustain.

  • Glaze March 19, 2011 at 8:31am

    Stewart

     

    I would say any CBG that was built strong enough for the string pull placed upon it to be a resounding success.  The thickness of the top and material used for the top will change the sound of course.  A well made solid wood body electric guitar can sound pretty good acoustically, but they are not loud acoustically anywhere near or close to great acoustic guitar.  The electric guitar has to have those wound electric guitar pickups on it with a good guitar amp...  A CBG that sounds weak acoustically can have a wound electric guitar pickup put on it also to go electrified.  You can make an electric guitar have a very wide range of tones with the right amp and effects.     

    Stewart Hutton said:

    As a newbie I find it fascinating we are having so much debate about 2, 3, 4 16ths of an inch being the difference between success and failure :)

     

    As a penny pinching newbie with a touristy irish bodhran hanging on the wall - I have a plan forming.

  • Bluesheart March 18, 2011 at 11:00am
    Yep, some of the really pretty cigar boxes have tops about 1/4" thick. I think it is hard to get much volume from them. The thinner the better, as long as it is sturdy enough to support the string tension of course. I have not tried it yet but often see thin wooden or laminated bamboo serving tray at the thrift shops. I think they would be good prospects for soundboards. I agree with Diane, a top that is close to 1/4" will sound best electrified.
  • Stewart Hutton March 18, 2011 at 9:39am

    As a newbie I find it fascinating we are having so much debate about 2, 3, 4 16ths of an inch being the difference between success and failure :)

     

    As a penny pinching newbie with a touristy irish bodhran hanging on the wall - I have a plan forming.

  • Glaze March 17, 2011 at 7:01pm

    I would not go over 1/4" for the top.  Perfect thickness depends on the stiffness of material you are using, if you will be bracing it or not and your exact construction style for the top.  If you were building an acoustic with a wood bridge glued to the thin wood top and all the string pull was pulling on the thin top then it has to be braced.  A CBG with the strings pulling on both ends of one single piece of wood used for the neck can be built differently like you see many CBG's being built because most of the string pull is pulling on the neck wood and not on the top wood.  

     

    Book:  Guitarmaking Tradition and Technology (The acoustic guitar builders bible by authors Cumpiano and Natelson)  states that 'braced' steel string tops range between .10 and .125 inch thick depending on plate size and material stiffness.  Tops on large guitars can go as thick as .130 of an inch thick.  On very small guitars down to as thin as.095 inch thick.  Beginners should aim for 1/8" thick for the braced top steel string guitar built from this book.  You can read reviews on this book at amazon.com.  I do have a second printing copy of this book and they have revised it in different printings.    

     

    All acoustic guitar builders do things differently which creates their style.  It's an art form.  Building CBG's is an art form.    

  • Glaze March 17, 2011 at 7:35am

    Scotty

     

    Not every piece of wood is great for guitar tops.  I have a high grade billet of spruce and two cedar billets that I have been saving for 18 years which is excellent material for tops.  

     

    I have some pine which has a great tap tone that I bought two years ago and I will use this material for CBG tops, but not every piece of pine I have ever bought has a great tap tone.  I set the best pieces of pine aside and saved them.  My dad had a 12" wide by four foot long solid piece of pine in his attic which is 55+ years old that he gave me two weeks ago(The roof is decked with solid pine and this board was a cutoff from the pine decking left in the attic when they built the house).  This old pine is extremely light and very brown due to it's age, so I will use this on a special CBG for myself.  This old material has a very good tap tone.      

     

    I have some very nice pieces of spanish cedar that has a great ringing tap tone.  I plan on using this material for sides, but it could be used for tops.  

     

    Personally I think the cheapest wood you can buy if you find a piece that has a good tap tone is pine.  My local Home Depot has some decent grade two pine, but many of the boards are warped and not straight especially in the bigger sizes.      

  • Mungo Park March 16, 2011 at 11:50pm
    Go with a skin, might have a nice banjo sound to it, maybe it could come out as a reso with a metal top, or if it is small enough use a cigar box lid, or maybe tow would cover it.     Cheers Ron.
  • Bob Harrison March 16, 2011 at 10:50pm
    Well I have an update on the thickness , I was wrong. The thickness is .043 . No  I have not built a guitar with  the material. ,but it appears like it would be good.

    Richard G Caudill said:
    Bob,, did u try the formica top  ??  I got some left over from a cabinet repair    advise me pls

    Bob Harrison said:

    Scotty,

    I bet formica countertop material would make a fine top, it is .075" in thikness. It would need to be back braced. I'm thinking it would be very bright in sound. Just a thought.

     

    Bob

  • Richard G Caudill March 16, 2011 at 10:27pm
    Bob,, did u try the formica top  ??  I got some left over from a cabinet repair    advise me pls

    Bob Harrison said:

    Scotty,

    I bet formica countertop material would make a fine top, it is .075" in thikness. It would need to be back braced. I'm thinking it would be very bright in sound. Just a thought.

     

    Bob

  • Bluesheart January 12, 2011 at 5:44pm
    Hobby shops will have some nice thin ply. Thrift shop might be a good source too. I see thin wood items all the time that could be used. Thin laminated bamboo serving tray or "charger plate" come to mind. I have not tried it , but it would be in keeping with the salad bowl theme too, and cheap! I got a 14" round wood tray for .50 that I used for the base of a cat scratch pole. Something like that could be cut down and sanded thinner too.

    carverman said:

    I wouldn't go over 3/16" thickness for a top and that depends on what kind of wood you want to use.

    Spruce tops are typically 1/8" inch thick.   I think that most CB are around 1/8" thick and laminated plywood.

    Baltic birch, as some one suggested can make a good top, expensive but you can get them in 3 ply 1/32",

    1/16" and 1/8" in 6 ply.    Some of the best Gibson jazz guitar tops are made from formed plywoods,

    maple top skins and up to 5 thin plys.

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