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    The Kasha Guitar

    Uploaded by

    hazibo
    The Kasha guitar was designed by physicist Michael Kasha in collaboration with luthier Richard Schneider to improve the efficiency of sound production in acoustic guitars. Traditional guitar designs only convert around 45% of string vibrations to sound, with the majority lost as heat. Kasha aimed to create an improved design that converts 60-65% of vibrational energy into sound by focusing on innovations to the neck, bridge, soundboard, and bracing. Key features of the Kasha guitar include a heavy rigid neck to prevent energy loss, an asymmetrical wedged bridge to emphasize bass and treble, thinner bass and thicker treble sides of the soundboard, and tailored bracing patterns that reinforce different frequency ranges differently.

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    The Kasha Guitar

    Uploaded by

    hazibo
    170 views15 pages
    The Kasha guitar was designed by physicist Michael Kasha in collaboration with luthier Richard Schneider to improve the efficiency of sound production in acoustic guitars. Traditional guitar designs only convert around 45% of string vibrations to sound, with the majority lost as heat. Kasha aimed to create an improved design that converts 60-65% of vibrational energy into sound by focusing on innovations to the neck, bridge, soundboard, and bracing. Key features of the Kasha guitar include a heavy rigid neck to prevent energy loss, an asymmetrical wedged bridge to emphasize bass and treble, thinner bass and thicker treble sides of the soundboard, and tailored bracing patterns that reinforce different frequency ranges differently.

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    The Kasha guitar was designed by physicist Michael Kasha in collaboration with luthier Richard Schneider to improve the efficiency of sound production in acoustic guitars. Traditional guitar designs only convert around 45% of string vibrations to sound, with the majority lost as heat. Kasha aimed to create an improved design that converts 60-65% of vibrational energy into sound by focusing on innovations to the neck, bridge, soundboard, and bracing. Key features of the Kasha guitar include a heavy rigid neck to prevent energy loss, an asymmetrical wedged bridge to emphasize bass and treble, thinner bass and thicker treble sides of the soundboard, and tailored bracing patterns that reinforce different frequency ranges differently.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    170 views15 pages

    The Kasha Guitar

    Uploaded by

    hazibo
    The Kasha guitar was designed by physicist Michael Kasha in collaboration with luthier Richard Schneider to improve the efficiency of sound production in acoustic guitars. Traditional guitar designs only convert around 45% of string vibrations to sound, with the majority lost as heat. Kasha aimed to create an improved design that converts 60-65% of vibrational energy into sound by focusing on innovations to the neck, bridge, soundboard, and bracing. Key features of the Kasha guitar include a heavy rigid neck to prevent energy loss, an asymmetrical wedged bridge to emphasize bass and treble, thinner bass and thicker treble sides of the soundboard, and tailored bracing patterns that reinforce different frequency ranges differently.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    The Kasha Guitar

    John Lewis Kilgore 11/19/2012 PHY3091

    Michael Kasha

    Physical he!ist

    "ne o# the #oun$ers o# the %nstitute o# Molecular &io'hysics o# ()*

    +or,e$ with Luthier -ichar$ )chnei$er in $esigning the #irst Kasha guitars

    . /ee$ #or %!'ro0e!ent1


    Kasha notice$ ine##iciencies o# the guitar #ro! an instru!ent he 2ought #or his son in the 1930s

    lassical guitars only con0ert aroun$ 45 o# string 0i2rations to soun$6 7Ma8ority is lost as heat9

    Tra$itional $esign has tra$e o## 2etween sustain an$ 0olu!e6

    Kasha:s Goal
    The goal was to create an i!'ro0e$ $esign that con0erts ; to <5 o# 0i2rational energy into soun$6

    (ocus was on #i0e ,ey area:s o# the guitar= /ec, &ri$ge )oun$2oar$ &racing on soun$2oar$ &racing on 2ac,

    General Physics o# the Guitar


    )tring stretche$ 2etween two #i>e$ su''orts7the nut an$ the 2ri$ge9

    (un$a!ental #re?uency o# the string is $eter!ine$ 2y string weight@ tension@ an$ length6

    The string itsel# is res'onsi2le #or 0ery little soun$ 'ro$uction

    Ma8ority o# soun$ co!es #ro! 0i2rations gi0en to soun$2oar$ through the 2ri$ge

    Kasha Guitar= /ec,

    The Kasha guitar #eatures a hea0y@ rigi$ nec,

    This 're0ents loss o# string energy $ue to 0i2rations in the nec,

    This energy can now 2e use$ to e>cite the soun$2oar$

    The weight o# the nec, increases tre2le res'onse6 6

    Kasha Guitar= &ri$ge


    *ses an i!'e$ance $e'en$ent 2ri$ge %t has a we$ge sha'e instea$ o# rectangular sha'e +e$ge e!'hasiAes 2ass at one en$ an$ tre2le at the other Besigne$ to ha0e as little !ass as 'ossi2le to increase res'onsi0eness o# string:s 0i2rations6

    Kasha Guitar= )oun$2oar$


    Thinner 2ass hal# an$ thic,er tre2le hal# to increase res'onse )oun$hole is !o0e$ #ro! center to u''er right area The u''er right area is CsilentD 'art o# soun$2oar$ This creates a !uch larger 0i2rational area %t also allows s'ace #or !i$range #re?uency 2racing

    Kasha Guitar= )oun$2oar$ &racing


    Kasha 2racing rein#orces 2ass an$ tre2le area $i##erently .llows 2ri$ge to !o0e in rotary as well as u' an$ $own6 Hea0y 2racing gi0es goo$ tone 2ut low 0olu!e Light 2racing gi0es 'oor tone 2ut high 0olu!e Kasha guitar has hea0y 2racing #or low notes an$ light 2racing #or high notes6

    Kasha Guitar= )oun$2oar$ &racing ont6

    "ther Ty'es o# Guitar &racing

    Le#t= (an &racing Pattern -ight= Lattice &racing Pattern

    Kasha Guitar= &ac,


    &ac, o# guitar is also $esigne$ with a 2racing 'attern to increase soun$6 %t uses tonewoo$ in a si!ilar !etho$ to the way a $ia'hrag! o# a s'ea,er wor,s6 .lso si!ilar to s'ea,er@ $i##erent sections #or $i##erent #re?uency ranges6

    -eactions to Kasha Guitar


    (irst $rastic changes to the instru!ent since aroun$ the 1<40s

    Han$ 2uilt an$ only !a$e 2y certain luthiers E>'ensi0e an$ har$ to #in$

    These are all reasons why it is not as 'o'ular o# a $esign as others

    -e#erences
    htt'=//www6guitar!asterwor,s6co!/a2outFguitarFacousticsF1016ht!l htt'=//www68th2ass6co!/,asha6ht!l htt'=//en6wi,i'e$ia6org/wi,i/MichaelGKasha

    htt'=//www6$rea!guitars6co!/sol$Fguitars/1;39F2oaAG!a8,ows,iG,ash htt'=//www6!a>,ri!!el6co!/Guitars/Kasha/Kasha6ht!l -e2er@ Ja!es6 C*n'lugge$= The Physics o# a .coustic Guitar6D American University.

    Huestions/ o!!ents

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