This is the first prototype photonic guitar. A photonic guitar works like an acoustic instrument but instead of the resonance of wood and acoustic vibrations it uses the resonance of electricity and electromagnetic waves (light). I first created this guitar as a design tool for electric guitars before I fully recognized the significance of the underlying physics. It wasn't just like a guitar, it is a guitar. I suspect some people reading this don't believe me but that's ok, neither did my old physics grad school at first. Same with the patent office. I've linked an article about me from the Dallas Morning News.
While the photonic guitar produces music it doesn't produce sounds. The waves it creates are electromagnetic (light). While electric guitars match the same frequency as an acoustic guitar, the photonic guitar matches the same physical wave size. So the 20 Hz - 20 kHz audible range is equivalent to 20 MHz - 20 GHz. We can't see those waves either. So I created a guitar plugin, a physics based model for the photonic guitar driven by measurements, to recreate and apply the photonic musical effect to electric guitars.
For years I could only wonder what the photonic guitar was going to sound like. From physics I would argue it would have properties of an acoustic guitar. Both systems satisfy the wave equation and have the same boundary conditions. In practice I'm most surprised by the impact it has on distortion, noise, and feed forward. Feed forward is analogous to feedback but doesn't require holding the guitar up to the amp speaker. That and the fact that the guitar itself can produce a delay effect. I've linked to one of my favorite demos so far.
Forgot to mention that the size and shape of an acoustic guitar dictates its resonances. The same thing with a photonic guitar. By making a photonic guitar the same size and shape as an acoustic the photonic guitar will resonate at the same wavelengths.
Note I can also make a photonic piano. Ideally we’d use coaxial cables for the strings. Photonic instruments use the resonance of electricity in the same way an acoustic piano uses the mechanical resonance of a string.
I started with a guitar since I’m more guitarist than pianist. Also guitars are cheaper and smaller to construct. Incidentally a photonic piano would be easier to play directly than a photonic guitar since the musician string interaction for the piano is mediated by the keys. Conversion between em waves to audio would still be required though so there will always be tech required.
Cool!
Are these resonances in the guitar body itself, or in electric wires inside the body, or some third thing? Would changing the shape of the body necessarily change the resonant frequencies, or is it only certain parts of the body that are involved in that?
The resonances are in the guitar body itself. Either in the metal plates, directly as electric current, or via electromagnetic waves in the guitar cavity.
Changing the shape will change the resonant frequencies.