Archtop guitar dynamics—Continuing research of archtop guitar acoustics
Thomas Nania · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2023
The contemporary archtop guitar, designed by Lloyd Loar of the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd., will be 100 years old in 2023. Since the first L5 shipped in 1923, the archtop guitar has taken on a life of its own, having been reinvented by luthiers worldwide. Research of the archtop guitar is a new field in instrument acoustics. Measurement techniques developed by the bowed instrument research community have been adapted for guitar to offer a glimpse into the acoustic behavior of a century old, yet timeless guitar design. This talk will focus on the ongoing research that has been conducted since the 2021 publication of Archtop Guitar Dynamics by the Violin Society of America Papers. The archtop guitar shares features of violin family instruments, including a carved top, ff-hole perforations, and raised bridge. Beyond aesthetics, the archtop shares acoustic similarities to both violin and guitar family instruments resulting in a unique acoustic signature. Continuing research includes analysis of historically significant instruments from Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd and the works of New York luthier, John D'Angelico as part of the Archtop Project: New York sponsored by D'Addario & Co. and the Archtop Foundation.