Aug. 20, 2014
Need an awesome customized e-guitar? London-based company Customuse plans to launch a platform for everyday electric guitar players to build custom 3D printed guitars to their exact specifications.
Company founder Mahdi Hosseini says that the idea for Customuse came about somewhere around the new year when he wanted to learn to play the guitar, so his girlfriend decided to buy him a new unique guitar for his birthday.
"After weeks of searching she soon realised that anything remotely unique would set us back tens of thousands which was not really a possibility." he said. "I always had a passion for 3D printing. So when we were discussing the issues with the high cost of personalisation of guitars due to inefficient manufacturing processes. And I have one of those AHA moments! It all became clear, why not use the latest technology? That is when we came up with the idea to make personal, unique and affordable 3D printed electric guitars."
Hosseini approached his friend Justas, an enthusiast in 3D printing and aspiring guitar learner, with the idea and the duo started researching guitar manufacturing and 3D printing. 3D Printed guitars is not new. Olaf Diegel has cooperated with 3D Systems to bring exclusive 3D printed guitars to professional guitarists and enthusiasts since 2012. Guitarists can work directly with Diegel to customize their instrument for a personalized look and unique sound. Everything from adding your or your band's name to picking your preferred neck and pick-ups can be customizable.
Hosseini's basic idea is to bring custom 3D printed guitars to the mass at an affordable price. Same as Diegel's guitars, Customuse's guitar bodies are printed in one piece using Selective Laser Sintering technology that uses powder as the raw material. A SLS printer fuses or sinter thin layers of powdered nylon 12 using a laser beam to create 3D objects. The 3D printed body is wrapped around an American hard tone-wood centre block. The guitars come fitted with USA made Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II humbuckers, giving a deep warm tone to the guitar.
SLS technique creates a much more robust and resonant structure in comparison with other 3D printing technologies, Hosseini told Gizmag. "The outcome is a very solid body with a smooth finish especially on the rounded edges. In the future, we aim to create a more available alternative for younger players using a more affordable FDM (Fused Deposition Molding) process. However, this method has its limitations and the final outcome would not compete with the current SLS models."
Customuse offers three models to the market, and each of them is fully customizable, so you'll be able to choose the body shape, design, colors, neck type, bridge, pickups, electronics and more. After the confirm for printing your customized guitar will be delivered in about two weeks.
"We allow customers to choose a tone wood that best matches their special tone," explains the company's founder. "For example we suggest mahogany or walnut for players who favor a warmer darker tone; and ash for a brighter result. If a player chooses to use our standard specs, we will fit the guitar with a tone-wood that we believe matches the pickups and the character of that particular model. We also use the same dimensions for all our wooden center block (with the exception of Sunrise) this means that the customers would be able to purchase a Customuse guitar today and change it into another guitar of a different shape later by ordering a new body."
Customuse is currently in the process of developing software to allow you to personalize each and every single guitar online to your wish. The software will allow you to pick any shape you want with any design. Later they will also add more options such as colors and patterns so you can quickly design the components as you want.
But can it play like a real guitar? Hosseini said that they have partnered up with 3D printing experts and professional guitar manufacturers to ensure the guitars are of top quality. "The sound engineers compared our guitars to the most high end Gibson and fender custom-shop guitars and confirmed that our guitars sound just as good, if not better." Hosseini said.
"In fact, during recording the new "The Bastions" record in the studio, lead guitarist Jamie McDonald asked the engineer to re-record the chorus in their new single with a Customuse Sunrise instead of the Les Paul. He said it brought the song to life."
Customuse's guitar is priced at just average £1500, depending on your custom options. For £5,000 you will have an option to build your own custom 3D printed guitar together with one of the Customuse designers.
Customuse's three models with their specifications are listed below:
Sunrise 3D Printed Electric Guitar
•American maple neck
•Maple or rosewood fingerboard
•Scale length: 25.5"
•Nut width: 42mm
•Grover Mini Rotomatic inline tuners
•2 Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups
•Master volume and tone knobs, blade-type pickup switch
•Wraparound bridge
Price: £1500
NecroMuse 3D Printed Electric Guitar
•Mahogany neck
•Rosewood fingerboard
•Nut width: 1.695"
•Scale length: 24.75"
•3 + 3 Chrome Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners
•Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro tuners
•Standard bridge and tailpiece
Price: £1500
RodeoMuse 3D Printed Electric Guitar
•Mahogany neck
•Rosewood fingerboard
•Nut width: 1.695"
•Scale length: 24.75"
•3 + 3 Grover Mini Rotomatic chrome/golden tuners
•Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro pickups
•Standard bridge and tailpiece
Price: £1500
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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Beautiful designs
pete wrote at 8/23/2014 10:43:25 AM:
"affordable"
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