What affects a gypsy guitar's projection (volume)?

rob.cuellari

my high E string doesn't seem to project sound out as much as the other strings. i've replaced the strings (since they were worn out), but the problem persists. it's not like it doesn't make any noise, and none of the frets are buzzing. what could be the problem and what would be ways to fix it?

Josh Hegg

Rob... Make sure your string slot is not too deep. All the slots should be half the width of the string. On the high E and B string all you need is a "dent" in the bridge top. A deep slot will decrease the string volume considerably.

Cheers,
Josh

a

how can these guitars be built with a bigger sweet spot? is it possible to somehow get the bridge more towards the center of the lower bout (like the 12 fret guits) without screwing with the scale? would it make a difference if the bridge made contact with the top at the center of the bridge instead at the two feet?

rob.cuellari

thanks josh. what can i use to measure? is there a specific tool for measuring things like this? and if it's too deep does that mean i need to shell out for a new bridge?

nm the first two questions! i thought you said depth, width i guess i can eye it.

Josh Hegg

Rob... No you don't need a new bridge just to get the notches correct. Just take wood away from the top of the bridge until the slots look good. Just work slow so you don't end up without any slots!


Cheers,
Josh

rob.cuellari

so by taking some wood off the top.....are you saying to shave off the original notches and make new ones?

Josh Hegg

You don't have to make new ones if you don't take too much off the top. All you want to do id get the notches more shallow so they are half the hight of the strings. If you go far enough you will have to make new notches thus lowering your action.

Cheers,
Josh

pkdjango

It's a J. Castelluccia Sweet Chorus model.

Bob Holo wrote:

So many things could be going on...

Which brand of guitar is it - and which model?

Generically - here are some classic tone/volume killers

1.) Guitars sound different when the humidity changes - if you are experiencing very high or very low humidity - do what you need to do to get somewhere in the range of 40% to 60% This is also a 'safety' issue for the guitar.
2.) Dead strings?
3.) Properly cut bridge slots? Floss them lightly with guitar strings the same size or one size bigger than the intended string. Floss lightly - you're only looking to 'buff' the slot - not deepen it. You want the string to ride on the bearing surface only - not sunk deep in the slot or pinched by it.
4.) A nut that doesn't have enough drop in it to let the strings bear properly on the zero fret (actually the nut is only a string guide on zero fret instrument but you know what I mean)
5.) Just... dead frets (not solidly seated) or a hump over the body that is causing fret-out. (get someone who knows what they're doing to look at your neck to see if it's properly flat over the body.
6.) Setup is too high and/or strings are too heavy. I know that common wisdom is that the bigger the strings and higher the setup the more volume you'll get - but this is just horse pucky. Every GJ guitar has a setup that it 'likes' ... some guitars like high & heavy - and some don't. If your guitar is built lightly - you may be overloading the top.
7.) Technique. When you fret, do you fret on the leading edge of the next highest fret for best clarity? Is your picking hand doing a proper rest-stop? etc...
8.) Bridge material and weight: In general, the lighter the bridge, the more pop you'll get out of your instrument. Rosewood is lighter than Ebony and not as dampened - so it rings better - more overtones etc... If part of your new setup was a big huge tall heavy Ebony bridge... that alone would kill tone. A friend recently went from a 15 gram Ebony bridge to a 6 gram rosewood bridge... big increase in volume & tone - maybe the lightest bridge I've ever seen. Josh, who made it, called it a "bridgelet" but it was what the guy wanted and it worked brilliantly.