Graphite-Epoxy Acoustic Guitar Technology
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ULLETIN/MARCH 1995
Figure 1. RainSong® graphite guitar—the "Thin-Line WindSong' model.
which stringed instruments have traditionally been made. Development and Basic Technology Why would anyone want to develop a graphite guitar? And why are we applying this technology primarily to acoustic guitars? The primary reason is that wooden acoustic guitars—particularly good ones—are fragile. They are especially prone to cracking, warping, and joint separation on account of heat, humidity, and water. Graphite-epoxy technology can produce sound quality equal to that of a wooden guitar, while, at the same time, eliminating susceptibility to heat and moisture, and greatly reducing fragility. Second, the tropical hardwoods and first-growth conifers that are traditionally used to make stringed musical instruments are being depleted at a rapid rate. All of them are increasingly expensive, most are difficult to find at a quality suitable for instrument construction, and some are seriously endangered. For instance, Brazilian rosewood, which is the wood of choice for acoustic guitar bodies, has recently been added to Appendix One of the Conference of Parties to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). This appendix lists endangered species for which all international trade is banned. Making guitars and other musical instruments without wood can decrease the strain on the environment caused by the use of endangered wood and can reduce resulting production difficulties and marketing constraints. Construction of instruments from composite materials, while still requiring the same level of craftsmanship as is needed for wood construction, allows for more standard manufacturing techniques. The musical quality of the instruments is not degraded by using standard manufacturing techniques, as is the case for wood. Instead, stable and predictable instruments are consistently produced. Finally, the reason we apply this technology primarily to acoustic guitars is that the sound produced by solid-body electric instruments is almost entirely produced by electronics. The acoustic properties of the materials used in these instruments' construction have very little to no effect on the sound quality. While there is no reason not to use graphite in solid-body electric instruments, and using composites still has environmental advantages, there is no acoustic reason to do so.
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Graph ite/Epoxy Acoustic Guitar Technology
During the past nine years, Kuau Technology, Ltd. has been working with Pimentel & Sons, Guitar Makers of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the development of acoustic-guitar technology, employing composite materials, and, in particular, the application of graphiteepoxy technology to making fine classical, steel-string acoustic and hollow-body electric guitars. Our approach can be summarized in the following three points: Traditional Guitar Design Working with Senor Lorenzo Pimentel and his sons Rick and Robert Pimentel, we have utilized the basic design and construction approaches of tr
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