How rigid and flexible woods are mated to create the magic of acoustic guitars.
When guitar makers are asked about wood, the questions are often about what certain woods sound like. While we do our best to describe the different sonic flavors like the seasonings in a spice rack, it’s easy to get lost in the subtleties without first explaining the fundamental relationship between two other important contributors to tone: how an acoustic guitar actually works and the different personalities of trees.
As an object designed to amplify vibration, the acoustic guitar has two objectives. It needs to be flexible enough to bend with each vibration to displace air and produce audible volume, and it needs to be rigid enough to allow strings to vibrate for a long time. So right from the start, there must be a compromise between rigidity and flexibility. But let’s set this conflict aside for a moment to break down the basic signal chain of acoustic sound.
The strings a player sets in motion are attached to the soundboard. (Think of the soundboard like a drumhead.) The soundboard vibrates and sets the air inside the body in motion, causing it to move against the back of the guitar. While some movement is transferred through the sides of the guitar to the back, most of the action is the body of the guitar acting like an air pump. As the soundboard squeezes and tugs on the air in and around the body, the air is displaced, creating audible sound waves. To make more volume, this “air pump” needs to be made efficient.
As mentioned, rigidity is the key to making the notes last a long time. If the structure that supports the strings is strong and rigid, it won’t bend and absorb the strings’ vibrations. The stiffer the neck and body are, the longer the strings tend to continue vibrating
In other words, flexibility equates to volume and rigidity equates to sustain. And both are, of course, important. After looking at the mechanics of the signal chain, it becomes clearer that some parts need to vibrate easily, while others need to be solid. It’s like a band, in the sense that each instrumentalist has a different role to play and, therefore, different job requirements. On a guitar, these criteria can be met with different types of tonewoods.
While some movement is transferred through the sides of the guitar to the back, most of the action is the body of the guitar acting like an air pump.
Coniferous vs. Deciduous.
Acoustic guitars are essentially made from two kinds of wood. The first is from coniferous trees that have cones and needles, and hang on to their needle-shaped leaves. (Picture a Christmas tree.) The second comes from deciduous trees. These drop their leaves and grow new ones, like a maple tree that is bare in winter and looks like an umbrella in the summer. The two tree types have very different personalities. Coniferous trees tend to grow wood that is strong, but doesn’t weigh much. Deciduous trees (the leaf droppers) tend to grow wood with more homogenous consistency and weights commensurate with their strength.
The conifers grow their strong and lightweight wood by making a sandwich of soft, light layers in between thinner bands of hard, strong layers. Together, the result is like the structural I-beams used in skyscrapers. Material put together this way can vibrate like crazy, and because it doesn’t weigh much, it doesn’t require much force (or string power) to get it moving. Its springy nature acts like a speaker cone for the strings and it also has a resilient character that resists deformation while vibrating. This is the perfect wood for making a guitar top. And, as expected, we see instrument tops made with coniferous trees like spruces, cedars, and even firs.
Deciduous tree wood, by contrast, doesn’t have the same I-beam-like composition or the same tendency as coniferous tree wood to be stronger than its weight would suggest. Because deciduous tree wood doesn’t grow this way and has weight that is equivalent to its strength as a result, it doesn’t vibrate so easily.
If you think of the guitar body as a speaker cabinet, the goal is to make the top (or speaker) vibrate and set air in motion while surrounded by an enclosure robust enough to not immediately move with this motion. If the entire enclosure was allowed to move freely, the effect would be like a finger poking into one side of an inflated balloon—where the rest of the balloon would simply change shape to absorb the indentation—negating the movement that produces both volume and sustain.
Smart luthiers figured this out centuries ago, and we’ve been playing and hearing variations on this construction ever since. The subtleties of exactly how strong the cabinet of a guitar is and exactly how flexible the top of a guitar is—or should be—are topics we’ll continue to write novels about. But the basic point to remember is that each part has a different role to play, and as a result, guitars are made of trees that grow in different ways.
Mooer's Ocean Machine II is designed to bring superior delay and reverb algorithms, nine distinct delay types, nine hi-fidelity reverb types, tap tempo functionality, a new and improved looper, customizable effect chains, MIDI connectivity, expression pedal support, and durable construction.
Similarly to the original, the Ocean Machine II offers two independent delay modules, each with nine different delay types of up to two seconds, including household names such as digital, tape, and echo delays, as well as more abstract options, such as galaxy, crystal, and rainbow. A high-fidelity reverb module complements these delays with nine reverb types, as well as a shimmer effect. Each delay and reverb effect can also be ‘frozen,’ creating static ambient drones, an effect that sounds particularly impressive considering the pedal’s DSP upgrades.
While the original Ocean Machine’s looping capabilities provided just 44 seconds of loop storage, the new addition features an impressive 120 seconds. To experiment with this feature, along with OceanMachine II’s other sonic capabilities, users can use an intuitive LCD screen along with 12 knobs (four for each delay and reverb module) to easily adjust parameters within the device’s ‘Play Mode.’ Three footswitches are also provided to facilitate independent effect toggling, tap tempo control, looper interfacing, and a preset selector.
Once the guitarist has crafted an interesting effect chain, they can save their work as a preset and enter ‘Patch Mode,’ in which they can toggle between saved settings with each of the three footswitches. In total, the Ocean Machine II provides eight preset storage banks, each of which supports up to threepresets, resulting in a total of 24 save slots.
The pedal’s versatility is further enhanced by its programmable parallel and serial effect chain hybrid, a signature element of Devin Townsend’s tone creation. This feature allows users to customize the order of effects, providing endless creative possibilities. Further programming options can be accessed through the LED screen, which impressively includes synchronizable MIDI connectivity, a feature that was absent in the original Ocean Machine.
In addition to MIDI, the pedal supports various external control systems, including expression pedal input through a TRS cable. Furthermore, the pedal is compatible with MOOER's F4 wireless footswitch, allowing for extended capabilities for mapping presets and other features. A USB-C port is also available for firmware updates, ensuring that the pedal remains up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.
Considering the experimental nature of Devin Townsend’s performances, MOOER has also gone above and beyond to facilitate the seamless integration of Ocean Machine II into any audio setup. The device features full stereo inputs and outputs, as well as adjustable global EQ settings, letting users tailor their sound to suit different environments. Guitarists can also customize their effect chains to be used with true bypass or DSP (buffered) bypass, depending on their preferences and specific use cases.
Overall, Ocean Machine II brings higher-quality delay and reverb algorithms, augmented looping support, and various updated connections to Devin Townsend’s original device. As per MOOER’s typical standard, the pedal is engineered to withstand the rigors of touring and frequent use, allowing guitars to bring their special creations and atmospheric drones to the stage.
Key Features
- Improved DSP algorithms for superior delay and reverb quality
- Nine distinct delay types that support up to 2 seconds of delay time: digital, analog, tape, echo,liquid, rainbow, crystal, low-bit, and fuzzy delays
- Nine hi-fidelity reverb types: room, hall, plate, distorted reverb, flanger reverb, filter reverb,reverse, spring, and modulated reverb
- Freeze feedback feature, supported for both delay and reverb effects
- Tap tempo footswitch functionality
- New and improved looper supporting up to 120 seconds of recording time, along withoverdubbing capabilities, half-speed, and reverse effects.
- Customizable order of effects in parallel or series chains
- Flexible bypass options supporting both true bypass and DSP bypass
- Large LCD screen, controllable through twelve easy-to-use physical knobs for real-time parameter adjustments.
- Adjustable Global EQ Settings
- Full stereo inputs and outputs
- Synchronizable and mappable MIDI In and Thru support
- USB-C port for firmware updates
- External expression pedal support via TRS cable
- Support for the MOOER F4 wireless footswitch (sold separately)
- Designed for durability and reliability in both studio and live environments.
The Ocean Machine will be available from official MOOER dealers and distributors worldwide on September 10, 2024.
For more information, please visit mooeraudio.com.
MOOER Ocean Machine II Official Demo Video - YouTube
Some of us love drum machines and synths, and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
An '80s-era cult favorite is back.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Victory Figured Top Iguana BurstThe SDE-3 fuses the vintage digital character of the legendary Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay into a pedalboard-friendly stompbox with a host of modern features.
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.