Genuine Acoustic Carbon Fiber Archtops

SmoothOperator · #1 08-28-2011, 08:21 PM

It seems to me like Carbon Fiber could easily be molded into an archtop that could take some serious hammering and yet be light as a feather and quite loud with much more sustain, yet all the carbon fiber arch tops are obviously electric, I am wondering why this is.

Accidentally posted this in everything else

So re-posting.

SmoothOperator · #2 08-29-2011, 12:02 AM

Kind of interesting. Carbon Fiber conducts electricity so it effects the tone of the pickup. Hmm..

Beyond Rosewood and Spruce

fep · #3 08-29-2011, 12:55 AM

I'm thinking that the popularity of 'tone-woods' and low-fi old technology pu and amps is due to that's the way guitars and amps are suppose to sound. Why? Because that is the sound we grew up with and the sound we are conditioned to like.

If that's the case, then the best these other materials can do is try to imitate the sound of these old materials.

BTW, imo, more sustain is not necessarily more desirable. Especially in a jazz guitar.

mambosun · #4 08-29-2011, 03:42 AM

The big plus of archtop is to mix acoustic & electric sound, otherwise I can't see why we all bother about playing bulky guitars.
Carbon fiber has fantastic mechanical properties, but what about acoustics?
Think Ovation.....
Definitively not my cup of tea.

Elias Graves · #5 08-29-2011, 05:59 AM

I've tried carbon fiber flat tops and I like the sound. The stuff is very resonant.
Violins and cellos and such are made from CF now, so I don't see why it couldn't be done. It's likely a function of supply and demand.
As wood becomes harder to get and people become more paranoid of using it thanks to the Gibson raids, we'll likely see more use of other materials.

EG

jzucker · #6 08-29-2011, 06:30 AM

the composite acoustic gxi that I had would have made a great archtop pickup. Carbon fiber conducting electricity wouldn't matter because the body of the guitar would just see the ground. My CA had a piezo pickup by the way. I considered putting a mini humbucker in it.

oldane · #7 08-29-2011, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

Carbon fiber conducting electricity wouldn't matter because the body of the guitar would just see the ground.

... and if connected to ground, the guitar body would actually act as a shield, which would be an advantage.

SamBooka · #8 08-29-2011, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldane

... and if connected to ground, the guitar body would actually act as a shield, which would be an advantage.

true.. but you would want to see what it does the the magnetic field before betting the farm on it.

Steinbergers are CF/Graphite composites.. but then again they had EMGs

musicalbodger · #9 08-29-2011, 04:45 PM

Just to throw in a skew ball here.
There is no way to recycle carbon fibre and it creates pollution in its manufacture. Wood is a sustainable and wonderful resource, plant a seed and let the sun and rain do the rest. When finished with it rots back into the soil to feed more growing trees. Where's your soul?

SmoothOperator · #10 08-29-2011, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicalbodger

Just to throw in a skew ball here.
There is no way to recycle carbon fibre and it creates pollution in its manufacture. Wood is a sustainable and wonderful resource, plant a seed and let the sun and rain do the rest. When finished with it rots back into the soil to feed more growing trees. Where's your soul?

Carbon fiber is made from rayon is made from wood. Wood may be sustainable then again, I wonder why there are no stand up basses that aren't laminate? Later than 1800 that is. The forest is fine without us trudging around cutting the biggest trees down.

BigDaddyLoveHandles · #11 08-29-2011, 05:30 PM

Price?

musicalbodger · #12 08-29-2011, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmoothOperator

Carbon fiber is made from rayon is made from wood. Wood may be sustainable then again, I wonder why there are no stand up basses that aren't laminate? Later than 1800 that is. The forest is fine without us trudging around cutting the biggest trees down.

Carbon fibre is made from rayon AND resin. It does not break down and is not recyclable. Trees can always be regenerated.

Vihar · #13 08-29-2011, 07:26 PM

Go and regenerate them. NOW!

musicalbodger · #14 08-30-2011, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vihar

Go and regenerate them. NOW!

I do, regularly. It's part of my working life.

Vihar · #15 08-30-2011, 05:28 AM

lol. Then you know how "quick" that process is.

SmoothOperator · #16 09-13-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vihar

lol. Then you know how "quick" that process is.

On subsequent research, while the wiki for carbon fiber says it was made from rayon(a wood product) other sources say currently most of it is made from PAN, a petroleum product, and only was rayon used during the development of the product.

It reminds me of the market for brass instruments though. I can go out and buy a professional grade instrument from the 1930's-1950's, because they don't really degrade all that much, but the good players need to buy new quality instruments, so all brass players benefit. Seems like something similar would be good for guitars. Certainly we don't want a bunch of bad CF guitars running around, that would be a waste.