Official Luthiers Forum!

It seems like the bulk of the discussions had on here assume the builder (and client) are targeting a light, highly responsive guitar that responds well to a light touch. My experience tells me in most cases these guitars would never stand up to being driving with a big ol' honkin' flatpick. I don't recall ever seeing a discussion on headroom for a guitar. Here is a place for bluegrassers to chime in! How do you build for headroom? One that will bark every note off the soundboard with clarity when you dig in and not get mushy? Understanding that everything in a guitar is a trade off, at what point do we begin to achieve that balance for a versatile guitar that can be driven hard without breaking up but still respond well to a light touch?

_________________
Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

I would build with stiff top and put large frets and strings on it. Laminated neck as well.

I do not view those 2 qualities as mutually exclusive, as a matter of fact they're absolutely related. I understand responsive as having a lot of headroom. Building for a light(er) touch can involve different wood choices and certainly plate thickness/bracing for lighter strings. When I get requested to build for medium strings I know the player is a bit more physical and that involves mostly… building for heavier strings. No secret recipe here. Whatever the guitar, it has to be built to withstand string tension, and little more. An overbuilt guitar will not respond to a pick better, it will just have a limited dynamic range. That can appeal to beginners BTW, because output level is more constant than a guitar with more headroom.
A lot of the guitars favoured by flatpickers (pre-war dreads) are lightly built, aeons lighter than what comes out of the Martin factory now (except perhaps the Authentics and some, but not all, GE models).

_________________
Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Start with red spruce. It doesn't break up at high levels.