Classical Guitar Luthiers

Why does a Classical Guitar not last as long as a Stradivarius?

Those violins are highly prized, as they still sound great. I understand that Classical, acoustic guitars do not have the same long life. Any answers, particularly from Luthiers (Guitar Makers) would be appreciated.

Part of the problem is that the fundamental construction of the guitar and violin is so different. The violin has domed top and back, which give it enormous strength under compression (think about an eggshell – strong enough to take a real hard squeeze top to bottom).

And the bridge on the violin is free – the strain of the strings is taken on the end, like an archtop guitar.

A classical guitar has the front in constant torsion because of the pull of the bridge. You can see it by laying a straightedge along the body of the guitar parallel to the strings, but to one side – the whole front will be warped slightly.

With age, the constant deformation can degrade the sound.

I’m sure there’s more to it than that, with the lignin in the wood changing over time, but that’s for someone else to chip in about!
DerekH

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