What Makes Us Special?
Raw material testing and selection
Even though we source our raw materials from reputable companies, we test the tops and the backs for both long grain and cross grain stiffness before we use them. If they don’t meet our quality standards, they won’t be part of a Round Barns Guitar instrument.
Let the Wood Talk to You
During the preparation of the top, wood is removed to reduce weight before bracing. During this process, we test the top to determine how the wood removal is affecting its main resonance. This way, we can maximize the removal process without jeopardizing the stiffness. We use a computerized sound generation program to see how the wood reacts to a wide range of frequencies. We do this rather than setting an arbitrary finished thickness for the top. We let the wood “tell us what to do”. Same process for the back.
One More Thing...
We’ve all heard luthiers and players tell us that a new guitar will continue to sound better the more that it’s played. At Round Barn Guitars, we put each new instrument through a break-in process that can last for two or more days. By continuously vibrating the guitar at its main resonance frequency, we can simulate many hours of playing. We know this makes a difference because the frequency spectrum of the guitar normally changes during this operation. When it settles in and no longer changes, the break-in period is finished.
