Floating Soundboard vs Cabinet Drop

[Karlis Abolins]

I built my last pedal steel with a "floating body/soundboard" to try to get a more neutral style of sound much like traditional solid body electric guitars. I wanted a guitar with pedals not a pedal steel guitar. That is an important distinction for me. As important as was the "sound" of the guitar was the issue of cabinet drop, which is a detuning of the guitar when pedals or knee levers are pressed. I wanted to avoid the detuning which is associated with a wood or plywood body. Noel Anstead's Ananpeg was legendary for lack of cabinet drop. Examining his design, I saw that his rigid aluminum frame was a key to the whole thing. The body/soundboard with changer and tuners attached was solidly attached to the rigid frame.

In my design, I wanted to eliminate cabinet drop while isolating the body/soundboard from the frame and mechanical parts. So, in my design, I had a rigid aluminum frame on which I mounted the changer and tuners. the rigid frame prevents cabinet drop. I then attached the body/soundboard to the changer and tuners. The body "floats" without touching the frame in any other way.

The guitar was largely a success. It has virtually no cabinet drop so I was able to tune it with Just Intonation and maintain the interval relationships inherent to the tuning. However, I was unhappy with the sound since it still sounded like a pedal steel and not a guitar with pedals.

Karlis

[John Hyland]

Karlis. My guess is the PSG sound emanates from the pickup and the shorter strings.
That said I too am constructing with alum frame with a floating sound board for tone warmth.

Anyway. What is a guitar sound? Tele, Les Paul?

[Karlis Abolins]

The guitar sounds that stick in my mind are the tele with single coils and the Les Paul with humbuckers.

Karlis

[Johnie King]

The BMI might be a good steel too use for a floating sound board.

[J D Sauser]

It makes total sense to me and I've been saying this for almost 30 years now after I first discovered "body drop detuning".

The frame ought to hold all mechanics except the changer and keyhead only.
The changer should have ALL it's resting positions enclosed to the sound-board.
The soundboard ought only be positioned (held in place at the changer side to guarantee stop-tuning.
The soundboard ought to be able to vibrate freely but positioned just so it will relay only the strictest of minimum of vibrations to the frame, legs and floor for energy preservation (if you feel or hear your floor, it takes ENERGY to move it, and that energy comes (is SUBTRACTED) from the string's vibration (aka "sustain")).

... J-D.