Acoustic and mechanic characterization of materials used in manufacturing the soundboard of the spanish guitar: Influence in the sonority

Abstract

This paper presents a study relating the most commonly used materials in manufacturing the top plate of the Spanish guitar and some sound characteristics such as timbre, volume, and duration. Theoretically, the wood infl uences the quality of the sound and the vibrations of the membranes. Based upon these facts, an acoustic and vibrational study was carried out in order to establish the relationship between the physical properties of the wood and the resulting sound quality. To do this, digital signal processing techniques were implemented. It was found that volume and sound duration were higher in guitars with German spruce soundboard, whereas guitars with Canadian cedar soundboard presented more homogeneous sounds.