
Considering the benefits, beauty, and versatility of wood alternatives for acoustic guitars.
There is a limited supply of tonewoods in the world and a large appetite for acoustic guitars. At Martin Guitar, we take environmental stewardship very seriously, and I challenge our team to develop new models using alternative wood materials. This month, I'd like to explore some ideas about wood alternatives, so I've turned to Skip Beltz, the Director of Product Management at Martin Guitar who has almost 30 years of experience in making guitars.
There are many characteristics that make a type of wood usable for building guitars. Some woods are too soft to hold up to the tension that a stringed instrument produces, so hardwoods are chosen because of their strength and tonal properties. Hardwoods can be shaped, carved, and sanded beautifully with the right skillsets. Their ability to accept finishing materials reasonably well helps to enhance the sheer beauty of the wood. Each sonic, structural, and aesthetic characteristic of a wood is taken into consideration when selecting the materials for a guitar.
This Martin DC-X2E pairs a Sitka spruce top with High Pressure Laminate (HPL) back and sides.
Availability then finds its place in the selection process because we want to be able to procure enough of the wood for it to be viable from a volume standpoint. The most important thing to consider here is sustainability. Exotic hardwoods are becoming more and more scarce. While they are beautiful and tonally exceptional, there are ways to acquire comparableāor even superiorāsound with sustainable wood selections.
The benefits of using composite materials are both environmentally responsible as well as structural. The durability of these materials aids in handling and transporting, and composites can accept finishes or hardening techniques that natural woods cannot. Composite materials can be more stable and stronger than natural wood and more resistant to spills and rain drops, which can be a huge benefit for touring musicians. Composites are also generally less susceptible to warping when exposed to high humidity.
Composite materials can be more stable and stronger than natural wood and more resistant to spills and rain drops, which can be a huge benefit for touring musicians.
When a builder is looking to employ new alternative materials, we must do extensive research and testing if we expect them to hold up for generations of music making. We need to test machine capability and hand-tool capability. How does it react when carving, shaping, and sanding, whether it be a person or a machine? Can we see tool marks? Does it break down or change color? Does it maintain structural integrity? Finish compatibility needs to be tested extensively: spraying, sanding, polishing, and adhesion to the surface of the material is crucial in achieving our desired finished look. At Martin, we have an environmental chamber that can be set to control temperature and humidity settings. Our quality team uses that to expose materials and completed guitars to extreme conditions.
High Pressure Laminate (HPL) is one of our most frequently used wood alternatives on Martin guitars. What exactly is HPL? Close your eyes and visualize really small pieces of sawdust and adhesive compressed together and pressed out into sheet form. This sheet can then be made into different thicknesses and manipulated to build things. HPL is specifically used for sides, backs, and necks of guitars. We're able to print on its surface to make it appear to be any type of wood or feature high-resolution artwork. It sounds amazing, is very workable, and holds up to string tension very well.
In addition to the environmental, structural, and tonal benefits, another advantage to using HPL or other composites is that builders can print directly onto the material. Martin's DX Woodstock guitar art was drawn by Robert Goetzl and printed onto HPL.
Designing patterns on HPL is an interesting process. We take high-resolution pictures of the wood patterns that we want from our collection of wood and then transfer our photographs onto HPL. On specialty projects, we work with our artist, Robert Goetzl, or another artist of choice to develop the custom artwork. Our DX Woodstock guitar art was drawn by Goetzl and printed onto HPL.
For fretboards and bridges, we use an engineered material called Richlite that works very well for resonance and sustain. It's paper-based and made with environmentally responsible adhesives. Not only is it extremely durable and easy to machine or carve, it's also water resistant with low moisture absorption as well as heat and fire resistant. This aesthetically pleasing material can be made to look exactly like ebony, and we can also change the patterns and colors, which provides us with maximum design flexibility when we want a different look. Over the years, we've also experimented with carbon fiber as an alternative materialāit's now featured on the bridge plate of our Modern Deluxe models and is a large contributor to the incredible sound of those guitars.
Our X-series guitars are the best example of how we've continued to hone our skills in crafting great-sounding Martins out of composite materials. Martin will continue to experiment with composites and other unique materials that will provide an advantage in some way to the sound of our guitars or the innovation of the instrument.
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Sleep Token announces their Even In Arcadia Tour, hitting 17 cities across the U.S. this fall. The tour, promoted by AEG Presents, will be their only headline tour of 2025.
Sleep Token returns with Even In Arcadia, their fourth offering and first under RCA Records, set to release on May 9th. This new chapter follows Take Me Back To Eden and continues the unfolding journey, where Sleep Token further intertwines the boundaries of sound and emotion, dissolving into something otherworldly.
As this next chapter commences, the band has unveiled their return to the U.S. with the Even In Arcadia Tour, with stops across 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the Even In Arcadia Tour will be Sleep Tokenās only 2025 headline tour and exclusive to the U.S. All dates are below. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 21st at 10 a.m. local time here. Sleep Token will also appear at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19th.
Sleep Token wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To make this possible, they have chosen to use Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange. If fans purchase tickets for a show and can't attend, they'll have the option to resell them to other fans on Ticketmaster at the original price paid. To ensure Face Value Exchange works as intended, Sleep Token has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer.
*New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Utah have passed state laws requiring unlimited ticket resale and limiting artists' ability to determine how their tickets are resold. To adhere to local law, tickets in this state will not be restricted from transfer but the artist encourages fans who cannot attend to sell their tickets at the original price paid on Ticketmaster.
For more information, please visit sleep-token.com.
Even In Arcadia Tour Dates:
- September 16, 2025 - Duluth, GA - Gas South Arena
- September 17, 2025 - Orlando, FL - Kia Center
- September 19, 2025 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life (Festival)
- September 20, 2025 ā Greensboro, NC - First Horizon Coliseum
- September 22, 2025 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
- September 23, 2025 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
- September 24, 2025 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
- September 26, 2025 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
- September 27, 2025 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Arena
- September 28, 2025 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
- September 30, 2025 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
- October 1, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
- October 3, 2025 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
- October 5, 2025 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center
- October 7, 2025 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
- October 8, 2025 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
- October 10, 2025 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
- October 11, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena
Bergantino revolutionizes the bass amp scene with the groundbreaking HP Ultra 2000 watts bass amplifier, unlocking unprecedented creative possibilities for artists to redefine the boundaries of sound.
Bergantino Audio Systems, renowned for its innovative and high-performance bass amplification, is proud to announce the release of the HP Ultra 2000W Bass Amplifier. Designed for the professional bassist seeking unparalleled power and tonal flexibility, the HP Ultra combines cutting-edge technology with the signature sound quality that Bergantino is known for.
Operating at 1000W with an 8-ohm load and 2000W with a 4-ohm load, the HPUltra offers exceptional headroom and output, ensuring a commanding presence on stage and in the studio. This powerhouse amplifier is engineered to deliver crystal-clear sound and deep, punchy bass with ease, making it the perfect choice for demanding performances across any genre.
The HP Ultra incorporates the same EQ and feature set as the acclaimedBergantino FortĆ© HP series, offering advanced tonal control and versatility. It includes a highly responsive 4-band EQ, Bergantinoās signature Variable RatioCompressor, Lo-Pass, and Hi-Pass Filters, and a re-imagined firmware thatās optimally tuned for the HP Ultraās power module. The intuitive user interface allows for quick adjustments and seamless integration with any rig, making it an ideal solution for both seasoned professionals and rising stars.
As compared to previous forte HP iterations (HP, HP2, HP2X), Ultra is truly its own amp. Its behavior, feel, and tonal capabilities will be well noted for bass players seeking the ultimate playing experience. If youāve been wishing for that extreme lead sled-type heft/force and punch, along with a choice of modern or vintage voicings, on-board parallel compressor, overdrive; high pass and lowpass filters, and moreāall in a 6.9 lb., 2ru (8ā depth) package...the BergantinoHP Ultra is worth checking out.
Building on the forteā HP2Xās leading edge platform (including a harmonic enriching output transformer (X) and 3.5db of additional dynamic headroom (2),the HP Ultraās power focus is not about playing louder...itās about the ability to play fuller and richer at similar or lower volumes. Many players will be able to achieve a very pleasing bass fill, with less volume, allowing the guitars and vocals to shine thru better in a dense mix. This in turn could easily contribute to a lower stage volume...win-win!
Key Features of the Bergantino HP Ultra 2000W Bass Amplifier:
- Power Output: 1000W @ 8ohms / 2000W @ 4ohms, 1200W RMS @2-Ohms (or 1700W RMS @2.67-Ohms-firmware optimizable via USB
- Dual Voicing Circuits: offer a choice between vintage warmth and modern clarity.
- Custom Cinemag Transformer: elevates harmonic enrichment to new heights
- Variable Low-Pass (VLPF) and Variable High-Pass (VHPF) filters, critical for precise tone shaping and taming of the most challenging gigging environments.
- 4-Band Tone Controls: Bass: +/-10db @40hz, Lo-Mid:+/-10db @250hz,Hi-Mid: +/-10db @ 1khz, Treble: +/-10db @ 3.5khz
- Punch Switch: +4db @110hz
- Bright Switch: +7db @7kHz or +6db @2khz ā user selectableā Built-in parallel compression - VRC
- 3.5dB of additional dynamic headroom
- New Drive Circuit featuring our proprietary B.S.D (Bergantino SmartDrive) technology
- Auxiliary Input and Headphone Jack: for personal monitor and practice
- Rack Mountable with optional rack ears
- Effects send and return loop
- Studio quality Direct Output: software selectable Pre or Post EQ
- UPS ā Universal power supply 115VAC ā 240VAC 50/60Hz
- Weight: 6.9 pounds
- Dimensions: 13.25āW x 8.375āD x 3.75āH
- Street Price: $1895.00
For more information, please visit bergantino.com
The NEW Bergantino FortƩ HP ULTRA!!! - YouTube
When you imagine the tools of a guitar shredder, chances are you see a sharp-angled electric 6-string running into a smokinā-hot, fully saturated British halfstack of sortsāthe type of thing thatāll blow your hair back. You might not be picturing an acoustic steel-string or a banjo, and thatās a mistake, because some of the most face-melting players to walk this earth work unpluggedālike Molly Tuttle.
The 31-year old Californian bluegrass and folk artist has been performing live for roughly 20 years, following in a deep family tradition of roots-music players. Tuttle studied at Berklee College of Music, and has gone on to collaborate with some of the biggest names in bluegrass and folk, including BƩla Fleck, Billy Strings, Buddy Miller, Sierra Hull, and Old Crow Medicine Show. Her 2023 record, City of Gold, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.
The furious flatpicking solo on āSan Joaquin,ā off of that Grammy-winning record, is the subject of this unplugged episode of Shred With Shifty. Shiflett can shred on electric alright, but how does he hold up running leads on acoustic? Itās a whole different ballgame. Thankfully, Tuttle is on hand, equipped with a Pre-War Guitars Co. 6-string, to demystify the techniques and gear that let her tear up the fretboard.
Tune in to hear plenty of insider knowledge on how to amplify and EQ acoustics, what instruments can stand in for percussion in bluegrass groups, and how to improvise in bluegrass music.
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
Featuring a 25.5" scale length, mahogany body, gold hardware, and 490R/498T pickups. Stand out with the unique design and comfortable playing experience of the Gibson RD Custom.
Initially released in 1977, the Gibson RD model has been a cult classic for years. It is famous for its unique appearance, which takes inspiration from both the Gibson Explorer and Firebird designs, as well as its functionality and use by several popular guitarists across multiple genres.
Now, the iconic RD Custom joins the Gibson Custom core lineup for the first time. Not only is this the first Custom Shop-built RD model, but it is also the first 25.5ā scale length solidbody core model offered by Gibson Custom. Complete with the classic and comfortable RD body shape, including a rear tummy cut for extra comfort, this model also features a mahogany body with multi-ply top binding, Gibson Custom aesthetics, including gold hardware and mother-of-pearl block inlays on the neck, and a mother-of-pearl Custom split diamond headstock inlay. The RD Custom also has a 25.5ā scale mahogany neck with a Medium C profile and long neck tenon, a bound ebony fretboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, and a bound headstock with Grover Rotomatic tuners. The updated electronics include 490R and 498T pickups, CTS potentiometers, and a hand-wired harness.
The Gibson RD Custom is designed to help players stand out from the crowd with its longer scale length, curvaceously elegant body, and classic design. Now is your opportunity to experience the unique and comfortable playing experience of the cult-favorite Gibson RD Custom for yourself. A Custom Shop hardshell case is also included.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.