[ new projects]

From the outside an acoustic guitar may not appear to have changed much during the past century. However, developments in acoustics and new materials have given makers the freedom to pioneer new builing styles.

It is now possible to build thinner soundboards than ever before in order to improve the frequency response and to provide a tone that is richer and more powerful. Greg Smallman, was the first maker to reinforce soundboards with lattices made of wood and carbon fibre.

Trevor Semple is one of a number of makers who now use carbon fibre reinforcement for most of his acoustic guitars. The most recent and most radical of them being the Q series which uses highly advanced engineering normally found in Formula 1 and aerospace applications.

Things can always be improved. How can carbon fibre reinforcement be refined? How can flamenco guitars be redesigned? Or a steel string guitar for that matter?

New technologies offer many possibilities and may even bring eco guitars benefits, since the traditional use of tropical hardwoods can often be avoided.