I really don't see what you're driving at here. It's a few pieces of wood and some wire. There's no magic involved thats going to make a hand cut body and neck sing and a machine built thud. How exactly would that happen?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Only the world's best CNC machines!
- Thread starter warrplayer
- Start date
Lol. I go away to spend some time with my family and I get ganged up on. You guys are excitable. This is my opinion you can accept that it is different or find an argument that has solid reasoning. Just today I was having a discussion about the Fender dead spot. A well backed up argument was presented to me and I accepted it. If you want to convince me then have a solid argument not an emotional knee jerk reaction.
I deal with computers everyday and I see their mistakes all the time. All it takes is for one bit to drift I or O and you have a mistake. A bit can change for numerous reasons. often from dirty power. What I am getting at is the computer religion faithfully following and believing in the infallibility of computers. Why do we so readily denigrate the amazing work of our human species?
Not denigrating. Simply stating facts. Machines are better for some jobs. Period. This is a fact. This cannot be disputed. That's all I'm saying.
Just because you say so doesn't qualify as fact. I am disputing your argument now. People shouldn't accept something as gospel just because you say so.
Maybe take a look at the Roscoe You Tube page see that their dude making Roscoe bodies, is faster than the CNC machine, doing the same job.
Food for thought perhaps?
Fishheadjoe
Food for thought perhaps?
Fishheadjoe
I guess I have a bit of a different take on this-having spent most of my life working with metal(auto work, engine assembly and machine work), and the last 20 years working with wood(wine cellars, finish carpentry,etc). One of the really great characteristics of wood as a material is the individual character and personality of each piece- as contrasted with a material such as metal, where the beauty is the absolute consistency of it from piece to piece. Seems to me that the most important thing here is that the operator of a CNC machine has to respect this, and work with the "personality" of each individual body blank in setting up the cut. I have a couple of handmade instruments, and some CNC-cut ones, too. All of them offer stellar quality, and play really well. The difference for me with my handmade instruments is that, when I look at or play them, I'm aware that a highly creative,skilled and experienced luthier made hundreds of decisions about how to build the instrument, and then spent a lot of hours creating the instrument by hand.
So to me, two types of instruments are different, even though they all play equally well. The handmade basses are more meaningful to me, because they more reflect the personality and vision of the builder-but my main player is a CNC-cut bass. Go figure.
So to me, two types of instruments are different, even though they all play equally well. The handmade basses are more meaningful to me, because they more reflect the personality and vision of the builder-but my main player is a CNC-cut bass. Go figure.
Agree with builders like Ritter and some of his jobs, but in many cases the ''hand builder'' just follow the same template over and over, no difference from a CNC imho.
Before a CNC router makes a single move, there must be creativity and vision. The instrument designer has to tell the machine what to do.
Is there any luthier that starts carving on a block of wood, letting the grain and density of the wood determine the final shape of the instrument? No, not really. The wood block is selected by assessing it's suitability for the design, then the design is applied to it. The excess wood is removed, leaving a piece that is the intended size and shape.
Why does it matter if a wood block is reduced to a guitar with a bandsaw and various files, or with a CNC router? Are hand tools inherently better than power tools? Is a guitar built with a hammer and chisel better than one built with power tools?
Suppose one luthier uses a CNC router to carve away 95% of the unwanted wood, then finishes the final 5% by hand, and another luthier uses a CNC router to carve away 90%, finishing the final 10% by hand - is one "better" than the other? How so?
Is there any luthier that starts carving on a block of wood, letting the grain and density of the wood determine the final shape of the instrument? No, not really. The wood block is selected by assessing it's suitability for the design, then the design is applied to it. The excess wood is removed, leaving a piece that is the intended size and shape.
Why does it matter if a wood block is reduced to a guitar with a bandsaw and various files, or with a CNC router? Are hand tools inherently better than power tools? Is a guitar built with a hammer and chisel better than one built with power tools?
Suppose one luthier uses a CNC router to carve away 95% of the unwanted wood, then finishes the final 5% by hand, and another luthier uses a CNC router to carve away 90%, finishing the final 10% by hand - is one "better" than the other? How so?
Dispute all you want. You're wrong. Machines do some jobs better. This is irrefutable. Betcha everyone but you agrees.
Whoever is programing your computers doesn't know jack about error correction.
Computers are perhaps the crowning acheivment of the human species.
Recognizing this in no way denigrates the amazing work of homo sapien.
Well stated. I believe a luthier must control or supervise each aspect of the CNC build. A tech is not there for the bass he is there for the machine.
Computers are no more than a tool and far from our crowning achievement in my opinion. They are no more a jump in technology than the printing press. Personally, I wrote my first program in 1980 in basic. I would put many works of art and even our civilization at the top.
Just another small comment here. I was certainly not trying to say that a handmade instrument is better or worse than a CNC cut one-we've all seen crappy handmade instruments. A good CNC operator can do the same magic with a piece of wood that a handmade person can. That being said, I know a number of woodworkers who build museum-quality items-to them, the process matters as much as the result. In other words, they derive satisfaction from working the wood .That tradition defines them as craftsmen(or women-I know a few of those, too!). For them, the quality of the experience would be diminished by doing it any other way.
The great thing to me about CNC is that it has enabled players like us to get our hands on world-class instruments which(at least for me) would have been out of our reach price-wise.
In my view, two different things entirely.
The great thing to me about CNC is that it has enabled players like us to get our hands on world-class instruments which(at least for me) would have been out of our reach price-wise.
In my view, two different things entirely.
Computers are no more than a tool and far from our crowning achievement in my opinion. They are no more a jump in technology than the printing press. Personally, I wrote my first program in 1980 in basic. I would put many works of art and even our civilization at the top.
Not sure what you mean by our civilization. That would seem to be cheating.
Our civilization produces our achievements. Some argue convincingly that self awareness took a giant leap forward due to the printing press.
Good point. Is the greater achievement thinking it, designing it and having it built or the PC on your desk?Not sure what you mean by our civilization. That would seem to be cheating.
When one holds up a copy of Moby Dick and states it was Melville's crowning achievement it is understood they aren't referring to that particular paperback. 
I feel the same way about photography; I derive a LOT more satisfaction using a view camera to create a photograph that using a camera where you just point it and press a (shutter) button. There is a whole process involved when working with a fully adjustable camera (swing/tilt/rise/fall/lateral shifts), not to mention proper tripod use and placement which is the foundation of it all.
Latest posts
-
-
-
Defective La Bella D String - Replace Single String or Whole Set?- Latest: MIJ Fender Guy
-
-
