1. For top materials, why do we choose Sitka Spruce?
This guitar is designed for fingerstyle guitar lovers. When we play the guitar in fingerstyle, there will be a feeling of breaking through the bondage, wanting to play it loud. If strength hardness of top is not enough, it will overload beyond top when we play hard, affecting the player's performance as his wishes. Luthier will test the strength, thicknesses and quality of four kinds of spruces used as materials of a top, only to find that strength and hardness of the Sitka Spruce is one of the best in the four kinds of spruces. The guitar made of Sitka Spruce has the strong power of sound, even under the extreme performance, it is also difficult to distort, so we choose Sitka Spruce as top materials. About the guitar sound, nearly all mysteries exist between the top and the sound beam. When the guitar produces sound and three kinds of vibration at the same time happens. Each luthier is trying to control the low frequency of unipolar vibration, control intermediate frequency crossover of bipolar vibration and control high frequency of long bipolar vibration in order to achieve a good balance on the vibration strength, so we have to do adjustment and test repeatedly of position and shape of sound beam.
Compared with the old A1C version, the upgraded version A1C has the following improvement for a beautiful sound.
1: The top (soundboard) materials are upgraded to Sitka Spruce with good performance from Engleman Spruce.2: The upgraded version adopts laser cutting plate with more accurately positioning to effectively prevent disorder vibration phenomenon caused by the wrong top structure (see figure 2).3: Small groove in CNC (CNC machining center) top edge, increasing the elasticity of top as a whole and improving low frequency resonance and sound effects (see figure 3).4: The design of the arc of the old X cross beam at the top determines bigger clearance in intersection, which leads to the characteristics of not strong enough.
5: The flat-topped design with an extra wood on beam intersection of upgraded "X" which makes beams more solid.6: "X" sound beam is closer to the sound hole, making the ponticello have greater vibration freedom, as a result, we can gain greater volume.7: Widen and raise girders, making vibration area totally partition under girder to stop the unnecessary energy losses (see figure 4).8: Increase a fan-shaped beam on each side to reinforce the top and adjust the top vibration balance.9: Narrow the ponticello reinforcement plate to make the top light enough in the case of ensuring tensile strength.
10: The upgraded sound beam, on the basis of the old sound beam, all experience "slimming" processing, makes the top light and sensitive enough. As a result, the music dynamic range of the ups and downs of intensity can be performed completely even with weak force.
2. Why do we open small grooves on the edge of the top?
During research and development, Luthier finds that open small grooves on the edge of the top is beneficial to increase the elasticity of top as a whole, so as to improve resonance and the sound effect of the low frequency, making the top sensitive enough, that is to say, even with the less press, the music dynamic range of the ups and downs of intensity can be expressed completely.
3. Why do we need to strengthen "X" cross beam and the sound hole?
Strengthen "X" cross beam and the sound hole can effectively resist strong tension and torsion produced by clapping tops or stirring and dialing string with aggressive force (as shown in Figure 1). Adopt Sitka Spruce to strengthen the sound hole just because the top is empty. If we don’t strengthen, under the powerful torque it is easy to make the sound holes peripheral subsidence, causing the dreary of guitar high-pitched.
4. Why do we choose Sitka Spruce as materials of sound beam?
We mainly take advantage of the characteristics of its strong strength in order to make the top support stronger and voice come out stronger with power. Because of its bigger density than the commonly used Engleman spruce as the sound beam material, so more wood are removed during the shape of the sound beam, making the top light enough and strength enough in the case of keeping the original strength .
6. Strong string tension
The role of X “sound beam serves as a pillar in the bridge between the sound hole and shore up the top.
5. Why there are many wood fiber pores on guitar bottom, sides and handles?
Because this guitar adopts open matte paint technology without using filler for the wood fiber pore which makes the entire processes of the paint remain thin in the surface of the guitar (approximately 30% of the thickness of the light of the process). Very thin paint makes the guitar rich "wood flavor” and resonant vibration response box is also very sensitive to sound with more delicate and large volume. Because the paint is thin, to prevent scratches, especially the use of scratch paint; simultaneously in order to obtain clear and beautiful wood grain, using a special clear primer coating. To make light of the guitar has a gloss matte texture there, so the use of a fifth matte paint.
6. Why do we choose Ovangkol as back and side materials?
Ovangkol has a close texture and big frequency span, which can obtain extraordinary resonance effect in low, middle and high frequency. This can put more fermata and overtone for timbre of guitar. The texture is beautiful with ancient feelings, so we choose Ovangkol as the side materials.
7. Why do we choose mahogany as materials of necks? On one hand, it has better hardness and excellent conductivity and stability. On the other hand, it has warm timbre which can make a balance with the timbre of side top made by Ovangkol.
8. Why the guitar with the same top materials and different top bottom materials has a different timbre?
When there is vibration of guitar top, the energy will radiate to the back and side top, during the radiation of sound wave from back and side tops, final timbre produced. This is the reason of different timbre coming from guitars with different side and bottom top.
