“Tuning” & Building Acoustic Guitars Like a Stradivari Violin with Santa Cruz Luthier Richard Hoover
Tonewood Hunting with Santa Cruz: https://youtu.be/DNjIXIJ4nAg
Subscribe to PG’s Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube
In our second installment with Santa Cruz Guitar Company founder Richard Hoover, the master luthier takes PG’s John Bohlinger through the detailed (and scientific) process of analyzing, shifting and “tuning” the guitar’s top before repeating the process when the back and sides are joined, and once again when introducing the neck to the instrument build while focusing on keeping everything harmoniously synergized and “tuned.”
Learn More: https://santacruzguitar.com/
Subscribe to PG’s Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTube
Win Guitar Gear: https://bit.ly/GiveawaysPG
Don’t Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENL
Merch & Magazines: https://shop.premierguitar.com
PG’s Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierguitar
PG’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/premierguitar/
PG’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/premierguitar
PG’s Threads: https://threads.net/@premierguitar
PG’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@premierguitar
0:00 – John Bohlinger’s Intro
1:30 – Assembling the Guitar’s Top with Agreeable Frequencies
4:04 – Assessing & EQ’ing the Guitar’s Top
11:16 – “Tuning” the Guitar’s Top
20:06 – Joining & “Tuning” Guitar Top with Back & Sides
24:56 – Joining & “Tuning” Guitar Body with Neck
© Copyright Gearhead Communications LLC, 2025
#guitar #acousticguitar #howitsmade #luthier #guitarbuilding #acoustic #guitarist #guitarplayer
#Tuning #Building #Acoustic #Guitars #Stradivari #Violin #Santa #Cruz #Luthier #Richard #Hoover
Originally posted by UC5J-hZ4wNf7OlkzIn49LHoQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCJbnEreqlk
Great set of videos …
Fascinating. And sublime!
This is a really fantastic video. Thank you.
What an amazing and brilliant man , and with the heart want to share it with the world !! Guitar industry I hope is thankful , really enjoyed this .
Once upon a time, luthier Antonio de Torres answer thats he know the sound of the guitar measuring whit his hand…
When you find the resonant frequency of the box doesn't go well with the top, then why do you not remove wood from the back? Or does the back not contribute to the box's frequency?
Also: is the back+bracing also tuned for harmonicity before being glued to the sides?
One day at Sylvan Music in in Santa Cruz, I played 22 SCGC guitars. I found 2 that really spoke to me tonally. All were good; two were great.
Of course, that's just MY opinion.
I interviewed Richard thirty years ago for a documentary…he was super knowledgeable, and very gracious. He describes something here that I recently experienced…in getting a custom guitar (Gallagher)…I didn’t tell them too many specs beyond basic model and adornments…instead, they listened to me play over the course of a day, and determined how to brace my guitar for the way I play. Excellent video here with a master.
I started using an app to run spectral analysis on my guitars. It revealed a lot.
The sound of a guitar mostly depends on how its braced.
Just a tap, tap, taperoooo
THIS…. IS… BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!… NO!!!!!!!!!! ABSOLUTE GENIUS!!!!!!!!!! A long time ago I saw a Nova special (of course, on PBS!) about the Stradivarius… Most of what they found was because he used wet seasoned wood, being in Venice, Italy… He may have accidentally fell into the REST!… "Tune it to the note that NO ONE WILL EVER PLAY! "!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t let Jim Lill see this ????
Hmm. I expected less myth and metaphor, more engineering. Trevor Gore, we need you!
This is great!
I don’t have a Santa Cruz but one of my friends does and it is fabulous!
Granted I have a Furch Yellow Master’s Chiice and that is an amazing guitar as well, so I’m hardly deprived!!
Richard Hoover rules.