Art of Tap Tuning How to Build Great Sound into Instruments Book/DVD

by Roger H. Siminoff

This book explains the secret ingredients needed to obtain the very best tonal qualities when building acoustic string instruments. It includes an exploration of the tools and equipment needed, the methods to excite tones in the instrument, how to make the necessary changes, and how to achieve consistency and repeatability. The text focuses on tap tuning as it relates to mandolins, guitars, banjos, violins, ukuleles, dulcimers, pianos, and more. The DVD includes demonstrations of the acoustic phenomena described in the text.

56 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

Reviews

[Thomas Van reeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeer interessant. Bevat veel theorie. Ik zal alles nog eens goed tot me moeten laten doordringen voor ik dit probeer toe te passen.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, but I'm still lost on how to isolate the fundamental of individual braces. I've got the strobosoft frequency analyzer he shows in the (very short, cursory) DVD included with the book, and it's still too messy to locate the frequency spike even with my compressor in the loop.
I like the explanation of Loar's instruments being based on the 430.6 scale, and the resulting 1/4 tone off adding warmth and color to the tone of the final instrument if strung up to 440. And that building 440 and string up to 440 will result in a brighter tone...
The jigs and fixtures he shows could really use better explanation, or at least a website where more pictures are available. Ideally, he'd have a section on his website that gave step by step instructions for building them, especially the bridge torque deflection jig. Using this physical measurement and comparing it to Hurds theoretical model would may allow you to more accurately predict the effect of string tension on the plate given some kind of averaging of the compliance data.
All this said, I think I'm beginning to understand why so many builders perceive a tendency to be overly analytical given that the system is so complex. Even Hurd says that all you're really doing with all these analytical tools is trying to raise the bar for your lowest quality instrument. The Siminoff book is worth the read and the money, but I wish he spent some more time explaining the jigs and explaining how to isolate individual braces from the other excited frequencies on the frequency analyzer once the top is braced.