Classical Guitars

Everything you ever wanted to know about classical guitars, but we're afraid to ask. Well, perhaps not quite everything, but anything I've missed, feel free to make a suggestion, or ask a question via the Reader Feedback module below. If I don't know the answer myself, I might be able to find out. Try me!

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Apologies for not updating this lens recently - but I've been very busy building guitars. Anyway, I'm now working on a new article about set-up (see below), which I will add more to as time allows.

Soundboard strutting systems.

Next time - action, frets etc.

What are struts (braces)?

The struts are lengths of wood glued to the inside of the top (soundboard), which act to support the top against the tension of the strings, and to control the overall sound that the guitar produces. They are usually made of the same material as the top, although often cedar top guitars will have spruce struts.

By far the most common pattern used for the strutting is the fan brace system, so called because the struts are arranged somewhat like the ribs of a fan. The struts all radiate from a single point, usually somewhere around the 12th fret, although this point can vary significantly, making the struts more (or less) parallel to each other.

Before Torres popularised the fan bracing system (contrary to popular myth, he did not invent it) most guitars used a simple "ladder" bracing system - with just a few struts running across the soundboard, i.e. perpendicular to the grain direction.

Although the majority of guitars still use a variation of the fan bracing system, there have been a number of alternatives tried over recent years. Perhaps one of the more radical looking systems was that developed by Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider (see picture). Dr. Kasha used his scientific training to develop an entirely new system of strutting, and Kasha and Schneider collaborated for many years on this design.

More recently, lattice bracing systems have become more popular, largely as a result of John Williams' patronage of Greg Smallman guitars. The lattice system employs a number of crossed struts, usually joined at the intersections, to form a "lattice". This form of strutting is very stiff, and can be made very light, and allows the top be made significantly thinner than on traditionally braced guitars. This can help to improve the efficiency of the instrument in generating sound, which can give the guitar more volume. Lattice-braced guitars also tend to have a distinctive tone (which is not to everyone's taste), but this is more a result of the lightness and stiffness of the top than the system of strutting itself.

Radial bracing systems have also been used, where each brace radiates out from the centre of the lower bout. Makers have experimented with other bracing systems, but at the moment variations on the fan bracing or lattice bracing systems are by far the most common.

Next time I'll say a bit about action, string height and frets.

Please let me know if you find this stuff useful/interesting via the Guestbook.

James

Action and set-up

One of the most frequently asked questions on guitar forums (and eslewhere) is what is the correct action for a classical guitar.

First we need to understand what is meant by action. The action of a guitar is a measure of the height of the strings above the fingerboard. The normal way to measure the action is at the 12th fret, measuring from the top of the fret to the underside of the string.

A lower action tends to make the guitar easier to play, but there is an increased risk of the strings "buzzing" against the frets further up the fretboard. A higher action reduces this risk, but makes the strings harder to fret, particularly in the higher positions.

The perfect string height will depend to some extent on the player. A player who strikes the strings hard will need a higher action than one who plays relatively gently. Typical values for action on a standard classical guitar are 4.0mm for the bass E, and 3.0mm for the treble E. I would say that the normal range of acceptable action is between 3.5 and 4.5mm for the bass, and between 2.5 and 3.25mm for the treble. Anything outside this range requires some attention.

If a guitar is buzzing at relatively low volumes, then raising the action may help, but it is important that the levelling of the frets is checked first. If buzzes occur at only a few places on the fretboard (and particularly if they occur at the same fret on more than one string), then it is likely that the frets will need levelling before the action is adjusted. This is a job that should only really be undertaken by a qualified luthier.

If the action at the 12th fret seems OK, but you're still finding the action difficult (particularly at the first few frets), then there may be a problem with the action at the nut. Check this by pressing down each string between the 2nd and 3rd frets, and looking at the gap between the bottom of the string and the first fret. For the 1st, 2nd and 4th strings (top E, B, and D) there should be almost no gap at all (less than the thickness of a piece of paper). For the other 3 strings (G, A and bottom E) the gap should be about 1/4mm (slightly more for the bottom E). If the gaps are much greater than this, then the guitar would benefit from adjusting the action at the nut - usually a job for a qualified luthier again.

I'll add some words about neck relief soon.

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Classical Guitars