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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Boxy. What is "boxy"?

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TanninTannin Frets: 4394
in Acoustics
We probably all know what we mean when we say an instrument sounds "boxy". 

(1) Do we all mean more-or-less the same thing by that?

(2) What do we actually mean by it? When we say "trebly" we mean something that shows up clearly on a frequency analyser. When we say "zingy" we probably mean "has a lot of upper mids  or highs and a sharp attack with (perhaps) a touch of natural reverb". But what, in technical terms, does "boxy" mean?

I'm thinking that a starting point might be that we are hitting the limits of the instrument's dynamic range. Start doing big strums on  a small, responsive guitar and it sounds boxy straight away. You are putting more energy into the strings but the instrument can't reproduce that properly. (Hell, J-45s can and do sound boxy sometimes, it's one of the things I don't like about them.)

But there is more to "boxy" than clipping at the upper limit of the instrument's dynamic range. There is something going on with the frequency response (I think) but I can't put my finger on it.

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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    Mostly midrange and no deep bass.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • MellishMellish Frets: 945
    Never described an acous as being "boxy". Wouldn't pretend to understand what people mean when they say it, I'm afraid :) 
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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4501
    My Martin 0-16NY is definitely boxy. It's strung with silk'n'steel strings these days. At low volume finger picking, it's quite well balanced with a bass that is present  (but nothing like as rounded as a bigger-bodied guitar). Start to pick harder or strum and the bass notes vanish. The trebles remain. 

    Unlike my Brook Taw, which is similar but different. Balanced, and rings out like a piano when played delicately, but if you overdrive the top it isn't boxy, but flubs on all strings and sounds like a plywood guitar. The trebles sound as poor as the bass. 
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8108



    https://www.prosoundweb.com/the-seven-bad-system-dwarfs/
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • richman6100richman6100 Frets: 290
    ICBM said:
    Mostly midrange and no deep bass.
    This is pretty much how I'd describe it and what initially put me off parlour guitars. I looked at several models before getting my Auden Marlow because its body is deeper than other parlours I tried and it has more bass as a result.
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  • BigPaulieBigPaulie Frets: 733
    A very focused tone with neither resonance nor sparkle.
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  • LewyLewy Frets: 3795
    ICBM said:
    Mostly midrange and no deep bass.
    Another vote for this description. 
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    What's brown and boxy?

    Sorry  =)
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  • BillDLBillDL Frets: 5615
    What's brown and sticky?
    A twig.
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    imagine if a blues junior was an acoustic guitar.

    thats it 
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2022
    BillDL said:
    What's brown and sticky?
    A twig.
     =) 
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  • bluecatbluecat Frets: 429
    Maybe,boxy,sounds a bit dead .A different make string or a lighter guage may solve this.I am only guessing but really old strings may make a guitar sound boxy.
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  • TanninTannin Frets: 4394
    So many interesting responses.

    And so many different ones!

    I now know less than I did before I asked the question - which is probably progress, of a sort. :(

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  • guitarjack66guitarjack66 Frets: 1397
    Boxy=like the sound comes from,or is trapped in, a box?
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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    guitarjack66 said:
    Boxy=like the sound comes from,or is trapped in, a box?

    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • TanninTannin Frets: 4394
    ^ Is that you Bertie? 
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  • GomersGomers Frets: 16
    BillDL said:
    What's brown and sticky?
    A twig.
    I always thought that was a stick  ;)

    Boxy to me is that dead sound you get on certain notes at certain points over the neck, those notes that don't sustain and just sound a bit, well, 'thuddy'.
    2008 Martin 000-15
     2004 Yamaha LL-500
    1995 Yamaha LA-8
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  • HootsmonHootsmon Frets: 15657
    Tae me it's honky and focused

    what's honky?  :)

    nasal mids
    tae be or not tae be
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  • MellishMellish Frets: 945
    edited June 2022
    Tannin said "Is that you Bertie?" 

    I see he's still being dressed by Hardy Amies  

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  • bertiebertie Frets: 12145
    Mellish said:
    Tannin said "Is that you Bertie?" 

    I see he's still being dressed by Hardy Amies  

    more like Harley Benton........................... aaah not f*ck I said it.......................... 
    just because you don't, doesn't mean you can't
     just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
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  • jellyrolljellyroll Frets: 3073
    I think of boxy guitars as lacking projection….and sustain….and harmonics
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33263
    When mixing it is 100-250hz.
    Cutting that by 1-3db fixes most problems related to boxy tone.
    Hard to do acoustically in the room.
    James Richmond

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