Modified wood used to make one of the world’s finest sounding guitars
World-leading modified wood, Accoya Alder manufactured by Accsys Technologies, has been successfully used to make one of the world’s finest sounding electric guitars.
Dutch musician and guitar master-craftsman Ton Harteman experimented with Accoya Alder as a sustainable alternative to tropical hardwoods traditionally used in guitar manufacturing, such as mahogany, ash and maple.
The end result, according to Ton, is an electric guitar which not only has immaculate environmental credentials but also has a strong and resounding sound quality, produced by Accoya’s unique composition.
He explains: “The finest electric guitars are usually made out of Honduran or African mahogany which is strong enough to be used for both the body and neck of the guitar, but also has a distinctive tone caused by the reverberation of the wood against the guitar strings.
“Using Accoya Alder has been a revelation in that, as the world’s most dimensionally stable wood, it is both highly durable and has an even better sound quality and resonance than traditional hardwoods. The end product looks fantastic and has impeccable musical credentials, as well as providing a viable and sustainable alternative to using tropical hardwoods. ”
Manufactured by Accsys Technologies, Accoya Alder is produced using an advanced modification technology process called acetylation which delivers outstanding levels of performance, sustainability and durability. Accoya is generally used for a wide range of commercial and home applications, from window and door frames to external cladding, large structural projects and decking.
Accoya’s successful musical adaptation looks set to create a potentially lucrative new market opportunity for the product’s manufacturer, Accsys Technologies. Sales and Marketing Director Bryan Crennell says: “We were always aware of Accoya Alder’s excellent performance in a wide range of commercial applications – but its ability to produce a ‘perfect pitch’ means that we will be exploring other applications as a component for a wide range of precision-based musical instruments.
“Typically, musicians want excellent performance quality from their instruments but are also aware of wider environmental concerns from the products that they use. Accoya seems like the perfect solution.”
