Emerald Guitars are hand made at the factory located in Donegal Ireland, not far from the banks of the River Foyle. They are made from a carbon fiber composite material that makes them very hardy instruments that remain in tune and have great playability in a variety of environments that are hard on traditional wood guitars.
What is carbon fiber material and why is it good for making guitars?
WHAT IS CARBON FIBER?
- Very strong
- Ultra lightweight
- Modern, high-tech look
- The next generation luxury material
- Used in really cool applications like exotic cars (Ferrari, Lamborghini), NASA/Aerospace, high-end sporting equipment, yachts and more.
People often wonder what carbon fiber is, and its increased use in automobile and airplane construction have made them sit-up and take notice. It is not difficult to understand what carbon fiber is and why it is highly valued as a favorite of luxury designers. Simply put, carbon fiber is a super-strong fabric that’s used to make diverse products, where light-weight, strength and modern looks are valued. Some examples would be Formula One, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, yachts, MotoGP, and even items from luxury brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Montblanc and more.
Carbon fiber’s weight-to-strength ratio is astonishing, especially when you consider its formidable strength. It is stronger than steel and lighter than aluminum. The strongest carbon fiber is five times stronger than steel. The fact that it is lightweight and strong makes carbon fiber an excellent choice for producing vehicles such as cars, planes, and boats. Low weight reduces friction, increases speed, and decreases fuel consumption, this is good for both consumers and the environment. Carbon fiber also has other valuable qualities; It resists corrosion, is both moisture and heat stable and has super energy absorption. Its sleek appearance and unique woven texture gives it a feeling of timeless luxury, as Carbon Fiber is the New Black™.
The key to carbon fiber’s properties is its unique microscopic crystalline structure. It is composed mostly of carbon atoms that are bound together in microscopic crystals which are linearly aligned and parallel to the long axis of the fibers. When carbon fiber is produced, thousands of thin strands of carbon are twisted together to form a yarn. This yarn is then woven into a flexible fabric that can be molded into many different shapes. To give you an idea of just how lean carbon fiber is, a single strand has a diameter of 0.005-0.010 mm, less than a human hair.
Carbon fiber’s unique properties, durability, and luxe looks make carbon fiber lifestyle products and accessories an excellent choice for any occasion. It’s a luxury you can’t afford to miss.
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Emerald Guitars are produced predominantly using various types of high grade carbon fibre bonded together in a matrix of epoxy resin but they also use other structural core materials sandwiched between the carbon layers to create a very lightweight and rigid structure.
Other materials such as glass fibres and Kevlar can also be used from time to time to create various tonal properties depending on what we are trying to achieve in a specific guitar.
The great thing about composite guitar construction is that we have a broad pallet of materials which we can use in various different quantities and layers in the guitar to create many very different tonal properties yet once we create a desired layup for a guitar we can then easily repeat it to give great consistency from guitar to guitar
To get the more classic or traditional look of a guitar, a thin veneer of some select woods are applied to the carbon fiber body allowing these beautiful renditions in Koa, Cocobolo, Quilted Maple, American Redwood and many others.
https://emeraldguitars.com/custom-guitars/emerald-custom-homepage-2/custom-veneers-2/?v=7516fd43adaa
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