6 Sexy Carbon Fiber Guitars
XOX Audio Tools: The Handle Carbon Fiber Electric Guitar
The first one up is the coolest carbon fiber guitar I could find. It’s made by XOX Audio Tools, and they call the “The Handle”:
The design was done by Peter Solomon, and the guitar is being called the most revolutionary electric guitar of our time.
The entire guitar is a single body where extra material is removed. With the use of carbon fiber, the guitar cannot be broken, so don’t expect to smash it after your concert. The carbon fiber also adds a wider harmonic range and is very slim and lightweight. The first 100 guitars are a limited edition and only available through XOX Audio Tools. Expect to pay around $2,800.
Here’s a video I found of the guitar being used:
Gus: G1 Ten Silver Carbon Fiber Guitar
The next guitar on the list is a very limited edition one (only 10 were made) made by Gus Guitars. This specific edition guitar is called the G1 Ten, and it was especially made to celebrate the company’s 10 year anniversary:
The guitar features a silver carbon fiber finish with a silver carbon laminated fingerboard. It also has turquoise carbon inlays and laser engraved 10th anniversary detailing with a serial number plate.
The G1 Ten also comes with a specially developed case that is a piece of art within itself. It is a form-fitting case that essentially cocoons the guitar into it:
The G1 Ten is by the most expensive on the list, coming in at about $10,000.
Rainsong WS3000 12 String & WS1000 Carbon Fiber Guitar
Acoustic guitars can also be made with carbon fiber, and the Rainsong WS3000 12-string and Rainsong WS1000 are perfect examples:
The WS3000 features an all-graphite body with no body braces. An all-graphite neck and epoxy fingerboard fabricated using RainSong’s Performance Shape Casting as a single piece and no truss rod. There is a urethane UV protectant high gloss finish as well. Since graphite is used, there is almost no dampening. You can expect to spend about $2,300 for one of these.
I found this video of somebody playing on a WS1000:
New Millenium Acoustic Design Carbon Fiber Mandolin
A company by the name of New Millenium Acoustic Design makes a gorgeous carbon fiber mandolin:
NewMAD went with carbon fiber because of its strength, lightweight, and durability features. Carbon fiber is not affected by temperature extremes or moisture, issues that stringed instruments are used to. NewMAD offers your natural black/gray weave, but also yellow/bloack, blue/black, red/bloack, and green/black for a really unique look.
Expect to pay between $3,500 and $6,000 for one of these.
Blackbird Rider Carbon Fiber Guitar
We’ve already featured this on our block, so head over to that post to read more about it. The guitar features a unique design, lightweight (3lbs), an all-hollow design, and a rich sound. Expect to pay about $1,600.
Miller Instruments: Superstring G6 Carbon Fiber Electric Guitar
Miller Instruments offers their Superstring G6 carbon fiber electric guitar which is more of a standard style:
It’s a two-piece guitar that gives off a very fat blue sound without using any pedals. You pick this one up for about $1,900.
Make sure and check out our carbon fiber guitars section of our store.
Russ
12/18/2007 2:52 amDamn, never knew they made cf guitars.. and the acoustic sounds so good.. almost wooden like.
Dave
12/20/2007 1:09 amI know I never realized they did either! Surprisingly enough, from what I’ve found, people still seem to think wood is better than carbon fiber in terms of a richer sound….at least for the acoustic guitars.
Peter Solomon
12/25/2007 2:48 pmhello all, thanks for the nice compliments on the Handle guitar, one big correction though, the Handle is produced and sold by one company only XOX Audio Tools, the other company ‘JR’ you have cited is not a producer of this guitar (and I kindly ask the editor of this site to remove their name. I will send you more updated photos upon you r request)
A bit of extra technical information, not only does carbon fiber sound as good as wood, but rather they have better acoustic qualities than wood and a much higher gamma. The Handle was designed from the ground up based on these specific qualities of this incredible material and combining it with very advanced construction techinques to produce a truly powerful and unique sound!
check it out and let me know what you think!
thanks,
Peter
Dave
12/25/2007 3:19 pmPeter - Thanks for posting on here. A big congrats on such a gorgeous guitar that you have designed!
I’m not sure about an electric guitar, but it seemed like a lot guitar gurus online thought that acoustic guitars sounded better with wood. This is just based on what I read online, as I don’t have the expertise to know myself.
I do have a really good friend who I would consider a guitar guru, if you wanted to possibly send one out to us for a review on here (loaner of course) shoot me an e-mail on the contact us page and we can arrange something.
I’ve edited the article accordingly to credit the correct makers and sellers
Thanks,
Dave
Electric guitars
01/14/2008 9:58 amHey, Dave! Thanks for stopping on my blog and thanks for commenting, I hope to see you back for more!
Dave
01/14/2008 10:17 amSure thing, thanks for the link love!
Paul Nancarrow
01/17/2008 1:07 pmI have a Rainsong WS-1000, a Tacoma Chief C1C, and a Takamine G-series 12-string, so I have plenty of opportunity to compare the sounds of wooden and carbon fiber guitars. I think the Rainsong is brighter, perhaps lacking some of the deeper undertones of the wooden guitars. But it is much louder and clearer; when I strike a chord on the Rainsong I can hear all the notes, whereas the blending of notes on the wooden guitars can sometimes seem a little muddy. And the Rainsong is impervious to changes in temperature and humidity, which drive the Chief crazy. The carbon guitar is definitely my favorite.
Paul
Carbon Fiber Guitars
01/22/2008 7:31 pmI recently played the New Mad mandolins at the NAMM Show and they are amazing — all models. I had been wondering about carbon fiber mandos and was thrilled to see them at NAMM. The tone is exactly what you’d expect — the funky, unique carbon fiber tone. Peter Mix has done an incredible job.
B. Eric Bradley
02/16/2008 12:39 pmJust thought I’d call your attention to the other large (i.e., more than one or two people) maker of carbon fiber acoustic guitars. Composite Acoustics (www.compositeacoustics.com) has been in the business for close to a decade, and within the last couple of years has completely revamped its production shop to greatly improve the consistency and aesthetics of their guitars. And, of course, in a pinch you can use them to paddle a boat…try that with a wood guitar. (The pickup and the strings probably won’t like it, though.)
Dave
02/19/2008 5:52 pm@Eric - Thanks for the info and link. I’ll definitely take a look, and possibly feature them in a future post.
Steve
03/04/2008 11:19 amHere are some more guitar mfgs. who use Graphite.
Status Graphite, U.K. Bass and 6 string electrics.
http://www.status-graphite.com/status/carts3/frames/frame4.htm
Composite Acoustics:
http://www.compositeacoustics.com/
Luis and Clark, carbon fiber violins and upright bass
http://www.luisandclark.com/violin.php
It’s popping up everywhere!
Dave
03/04/2008 11:28 amThanks for the links Steve!
Robert Neville
06/15/2008 6:19 pmHave played a Composite Acoustics “Bluegrass Performer” side-by-side with the Rainsong. No comparison: CA is much stronger in the bass, a lighter guitar, and simply has a better sound all around. The Rainsong is nice, but the CA even costs less.
Steve Coan
07/20/2008 3:24 pmYou guys should check out the carbon fiber Emerald guitar made in Ireland. I bought one with a quilted Honduras mahogany top veneer and the thing looks amazing and sounds as crisp and clear as a piano. I used to have a Larrivé but because I live in Costa Rica, next to the beach (Nosara), I needed something that would handle the elements. I love my Emerald and wouldn´t trade it for the world.
Steve
sean ross
07/20/2008 9:46 pmI own one of the last RainSong WS9000’s made before the company discontinued it. It is a nylon string carbon fiber guitar. Infinitely superior in sound quality to other classical guitars I have played in the same price range ($2k-$3k). The problem is in convincing people that an industrial composite material is worth trying. There is just no way that any wood on the planet can be as dense, uniform and stiff as carbon fiber.
One of the great things about carbon fiber for a classical guitar is that the sound and sustain of a nylong guitar is largely a function of the bracing. A carbon fiber guitar needs no bracing.