What if ?????

[blue-wily-fox]

What if some scientist came up with a super resonant material, say a special plastic, and could mold a guitar that sounded BETTER than any wood guitar, or any Vintage guitar, or any Luthier built guitar, or any brand loyalty built guitar, and could be bought for 200 dollars. Let's say, even tested scientifically, it tested better. Let's say that even artists like James Taylor and Jackson Browne started using them......where would all these AGF arguments go????

http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/PluckedStrin...G40Guitar.html

[Dek431]

Subjetive and each to their own I'm guessing. Or the brazillian plastic is so much better. But then a custom made plastic is way better. The first plastics are opening up so they are way better. Then the PAC rim plastics came on at £100 and they are just as good. But then martin made one with pre plastic bracing and it blew my mind. But then nothing is like the feel of wood....15th page. Something like that anyway .

[surfoxy]

Originally Posted by blue-wily-fox

...where would all these AGF arguments go????

To the topic of wood versus plastic?

[rick-slo]

There is some interest and research on formulating composites (plastics) with tonal similarities to wood. Most plastics come straight from oil. With the eventual scarcity of oil coming out the the ground there may be a resurgence of growing crops that can be converted into oil. Hemp is great for this. Your next guitar may be made out of marijuana.
It could be worse

[mmmaak]

Then we'd have arguments about rosewood vs. mahogany nuts and saddles

[Stockard]

We would still have strings,bone vs plastic,etc

[rmyAddison]

Considering all of today's science cannot reproduce a Stradivarius I am not too worried about a wondoplastic replacing wood. None of the composites sound like wood to me, although they are great travel and durable guitars.

And even if that happend some folks (like me) would still want wood, it's natural and it's beautiful. Beautiful high end guitars aside, from being wonderful instruments, are works of art to me, and I appreciate those amazing and unique pieces of wood.


Wood is Good.............

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

Considering all of today's science cannot reproduce a Stradivarius

Don't be so sure.

Double-blind tests have supposedly shown that a MODERN violin is preferred (by most) over a Stradivarius.

If a carbon fiber violin was available, and double-blind testing was done, who knows what the outcome would be?

[GEFan]

What if someone came up with a virtual guitar experience with a plastic guitar and people spent more time practicing the virtual than real guitars...you could become a vitual Beatle and.....oh wait...never mind

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by GEFan

What if someone came up with a virtual guitar experience with a plastic guitar and people spent more time practicing the virtual than real guitars...you could become a vitual Beatle and.....oh wait...never mind

Depends on the degree of "virtualness", I suppose.

I play my digital (virtual) piano far more frequently than I do my baby grand. The baby grand is clearly nicer in many ways, but it's not the one I get the most use out of.

Same for my guitars. The one I use the most? The CompositeAcoustics Cargo.

I do think it's a cut above the "guitar" in Guitar Hero and Rock Band, though.

[cpabolting]

My wife says.....

It's the WOOD that makes it GOOD!

[cpabolting]

Besides...Kevin Ryan and James Olson will be retired before they have the kinks worked out thereby making our instruments more collectible.

[ewalling]

I imagine that many people would also simply disbelieve it and "hear" imperfections in the new material. With the raging discussions we have on whether guitars open up or not, it appears that subjectivity and personal preference play a huge role in how we judge sound.

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by blue-wily-fox

What if some scientist came up with a super resonant material, say a special plastic, and could mold a guitar that sounded BETTER than any wood guitar, or any Vintage guitar, or any Luthier built guitar, or any brand loyalty built guitar, and could be bought for 200 dollars. Let's say, even tested scientifically, it tested better. Let's say that even artists like James Taylor and Jackson Browne started using them......where would all these AGF arguments go????

Please define "BETTER."

[Darrel]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

Besides...Kevin Ryan and James Olson will be retired before they have the kinks worked out thereby making our instruments more collectible.

If the new material was better sounding and playing than wood.... our old wood instruments would be about as collectible as an ESTEBAN!

Darrel