Normandy Guitars founder and CEO, Jim Normandy, left of the white-collared world of banking for the land of luthiers and has never looked back. When Normandy was ensconced in the stringent corporate world, he adopted different rules and alternative methods to get the job done. So it’s no surprise that when he wanted to construct an acoustic bass for himself 15 years ago, he thought of everything but wood. He considered plastic, fiberglass, and other composite materials before landing on aluminum. "After I dialed in the perfect thickness and grade of aluminum, the instrument took on tonal characteristics all its own," Normandy says. "Aluminum is brighter and sustains longer than a wood guitar. It also doesn’t feedback like wood." Pictured: Alumicaster, Black Crow Engraved Alumicaster