Prototypes of inventions that use novel combinations of resonance, magnetism, states of matter, or certain geometries to unlock the secrets of universal energy have already been built. In many variations of these inventions, a small input triggers a disproportionately large output of useable power

Every instrument begins as a geometric problem under load.

Strings apply constant tension. Players introduce variable force. Wood responds over time. Design is the act of anticipating how these forces interact and resolving them before material is ever cut.

Rather than treating components as isolated features, each instrument is conceived as a single system. Neck geometry, fretboard radius, break angles, scale length, pickup placement, and structural interfaces are defined in relation to one another. A change in one parameter propagates through the entire instrument, whether acknowledged or not.

Playability is not added afterward. It emerges from correct relationships: angles that manage force, curves that guide motion, proportions that remain consistent across registers. When these relationships are resolved properly, the instrument disappears under the hands and responds predictably across its full range.

A guitar is never static. It exists under tension, in motion, and across time. Design decisions are evaluated not only for how they feel on day one, but how they behave after years of load, climate cycles, and use. Stability, longevity, and repeatability are not separate concerns — they are intrinsic to the geometry itself.

This philosophy does not pursue novelty for its own sake. Forms evolve only when a constraint demands it. What remains is what continues to solve the problem.

TANGENCY
A point where a curve or surface meets a line or another curve without crossing it. Used to define smooth transitions on neck profiles, fretboard radii, and contours.

PERPENDICULAR
Two elements intersecting at 90°. Critical for bridge placement, neck-to-body join surfaces, and pickup alignment.

PARALLEL
Two elements maintaining consistent spacing along their length. Used for string spacing, fretboard edges, and neck laminations.

COMPOUND ANGLE
A surface or element angled in more than one plane simultaneously. Applied in headstock tilt on Multi-Scale Instruments.

SCALE LENGTH
The vibrating length of a string from nut to bridge. Affects string tension, note clarity, and acoustic tone. Multi-scale lengths are used to optimize tension across registers.

CONCICAL RADIUS
A radius that changes along the length of a fretboard or curve, forming a cone rather than a cylinder. Determines string height, fret tang seating, and ergonomic playability across registers.

NECK ANGLE
The tilt of the neck relative to the body top. Adjusted for action, bridge height, and overall instrument geometry.

HEADSTOCK ANGLE
The tilt of the headstock relative to the neck centerline. Influences string break angle over the nut, nut pressure, and vibration transfer.

GRADUATED BREAK ANGLE
A break angle that varies across the string set rather than remaining constant. Used to balance downward force, tension feel, and responsiveness from treble to bass strings. Typically achieved through headstock geometry, string path, or hardware layout rather than additional retainers.

BREAK ANGLE AT SADDLE
The angle formed where strings pass over the bridge saddle. Affects tension, sustain, and responsiveness of individual strings.

NUT WIDTH
The total width of the fretboard measured edge to edge at the leading edge of the nut. Defines available string spacing.

HEEL WIDTH
The total width of the fretboard measured edge to edge at the designated reference fret (typically the 13th fret or body junction). Governs upper-register spacing, hand clearance, and proportional taper.

FRETBOARD TAPER
The controlled change in fretboard width from nut to heel. Establishes string spacing geometry, hand clearance, and proportional feel across registers.

NUT STRING OFFSET
The distance from the outer edge of the outer strings to the corresponding edge of the fretboard at the nut. Controls first-position security and prevents string slip during play.

12th FRET OFFSET
The distance from the outer edge of the outer strings to the corresponding edge of the fretboard at the 12th fret. Used as a proportional reference point for fretboard taper and string excursion in the middle register.

STRING-TO-STRING SPACING AT NUT
The measured distance between adjacent strings at the nut, typically calculated from string diameters and target tension. Determines first-position feel and chord comfort.

EQUAL SPACING AT BRIDGE
A bridge layout where the distance from string center to string center is uniform across all strings. Provides consistent picking feel and is commonly used with fixed or individual saddle systems.

PROPORTIONAL SPACING AT BRIDGE
A bridge layout where string spacing varies to account for string diameter. Used to maintain consistent edge clearance and balance tactile response across the string set.

COMPOUND RADIUS SLOTTING
Fret slotting performed to match a changing fretboard radius along its length. Ensures consistent fret tang seating and uniform fret height across the board.

FRET SLOT WIDTH
The measured width of the fret slot relative to the fret tang. Affects installation force, fret stability, and long-term seating integrity.

FRET SLOT DEPTH
The vertical depth of the fret slot below the fretboard surface. Must accommodate tang height without bottoming out, which can induce back-bow or incomplete seating.

FRET TANG CONTACT
The interface between the fret tang and the slot walls. Governs mechanical retention, energy transfer, and resistance to fret movement over time.

NUT COMPENSATION
Intentional adjustment of nut string contact points to correct intonation errors caused by string stiffness and fretting pressure in the first positions.

STRING GAUGE
The diameter of each string in a set. Directly affects tension, stiffness, excursion, and required spacing parameters throughout the instrument.

PROGRESSIVE TENSION
String set design where tension increases from high to low strings. Optimizes response, articulation, and balance across the fretboard.

HINGE EFFECT
An undesirable mechanical condition where a sharp change in angle or stiffness creates a localized pivot point. Commonly occurs at the transition between fretboard gluing surface and headstock plane, or at abrupt neck-to-body geometry changes. Over time, this concentrates stress, promotes creep, and degrades stability.

HEEL TRANSITION
The continuation of neck geometry into the body. Maintains structural continuity, vibrational transfer, and ergonomic flow.

EXTENDED TENON
The portion of the neck that extends past the fretboard into the body cavity. Improves coupling, reduces creep, and increases vibrational transfer.

MULTI-LAMINATE NECK
A neck constructed from multiple longitudinal wood sections bonded together. Used to increase dimensional stability, control stiffness distribution, and reduce creep under string tension.

CARBON FIBRE REINFORCEMENT
Non-metallic structural elements embedded in the neck to increase stiffness without significant mass. Used to control bending and torsional modes and improve long-term stability.

TRUSS ROD
An adjustable internal reinforcement used to counteract string tension and control neck relief. Functions as a corrective system rather than a primary structural element.

PICKUP PLACEMENT
The longitudinal and lateral positioning of pickups relative to scale length and string path. Determines harmonic emphasis, output balance, and tonal response.

VIBRATIONAL COUPLING
The effectiveness with which vibrational energy is transferred between components such as strings, neck, body, and hardware. Strong coupling improves clarity and sustain.

ERGONOMIC FLOW
The continuous relationship between geometry, player contact points, and movement. Ensures transitions feel natural under the hand and body without abrupt interruptions.

No geometric decision exists in isolation.

Every dimension on the instrument participates in a network of dependent relationships. Scale length affects tension. Tension influences neck relief. Neck angle dictates bridge height. Bridge height alters break angle. These relationships are continuous and must be resolved collectively, not optimized in isolation.

The primary function of geometry is force management. String tension, player input, and gravity act simultaneously across the instrument. Geometry determines how these forces are distributed over time. When angles, radii, and transitions are coherent, load is shared smoothly. When they are not, stress concentrates, movement accelerates, and instability emerges.

Curves are not aesthetic decisions. They define motion. Tangent transitions guide the hand without interruption, allowing predictable movement between positions. Conical fretboard geometry maintains consistent string height and contact across registers. Asymmetry is introduced only where human biomechanics require it, and only to the extent necessary.

Angles are evaluated for continuity. Abrupt changes in plane create hinge points; localized regions where stiffness drops and movement concentrates. These hinge effects compound over time and are avoided through graduated transitions in headstock geometry, neck angle, and heel integration. The objective is uninterrupted load paths from string anchor to body mass.

Spacing is proportional, not arbitrary. Nut width, string offsets, fretboard taper, and bridge spacing are calculated from string diameter and tension targets. This maintains consistent edge clearance, balanced tactile response, and predictable string excursion across the fretboard.

The system is closed. Adjustments made for playability must not undermine stability, and structural decisions must not compromise feel. Geometry is refined until these constraints converge.

What remains is an instrument that behaves as a single object under load.
The next consideration is how that load evolves over time.

A guitar exists under constant load.

String tension applies approximately 140 pounds of force across the instrument at all times. Player input introduces dynamic forces in multiple directions. Gravity acts continuously. These forces are not momentary; they persist, compound, and evolve over the lifetime of the instrument.

Design decisions are evaluated against how they behave under sustained load, not how they appear at rest. Wood moves. Glue joints relax. Fibers compress and recover. Geometry that appears stable on the bench may drift under tension if load paths are discontinuous or poorly distributed.

Time is the final constraint. Hinge effects, creep, and localized compression do not occur immediately—they accumulate. Abrupt changes in stiffness or direction concentrate stress, accelerating long-term movement. Gradual transitions, extended interfaces, and consistent section thicknesses slow this process by distributing load over larger areas.

Neck geometry is treated as a loaded beam, not a static shape. Relief, backbow induced by fret installation, and string tension are anticipated as interacting forces rather than adjustments applied after the fact. The goal is equilibrium: a neck that is pulled into alignment by string tension rather than forced into it by hardware.

Structural interfaces are designed to resist peel and shear over time. Extended tenons, integrated heel transitions, and continuous grain paths shift the fulcrum closer to the body mass, reducing leverage at the neck joint and improving long-term stability.

Environmental change is unavoidable. Temperature and humidity cycles apply repeated expansion and contraction stresses to the system. Materials and geometry are selected to minimize differential movement and reduce the corrective workload placed on adjustable components.

Adjustability exists to fine-tune response, not to compensate for unresolved geometry. When the system is resolved correctly, adjustments are minimal and remain stable across seasons and years.

Only after forces are understood in motion and over time can player interaction be addressed directly.

Geometry defines how forces move.

Materials determine how those forces are absorbed.

Wood is anisotropic and time-dependent. Its stiffness, damping, and dimensional stability vary with grain orientation, species, and environmental exposure. No two pieces respond identically, even when machined to the same geometry. Design accounts for this variability by controlling section thickness, grain continuity, and load distribution rather than relying on material properties alone.

Laminations, reinforcement, and adhesive selection are not used to overpower wood, but to constrain its movement within predictable bounds. Properly oriented laminations increase stiffness along the load path while reducing sensitivity to seasonal change. Reinforcements shift the elastic response toward recovery rather than permanent deformation. Waterless adhesives prevent moisture-induced distortion during assembly, allowing geometry to remain intact through cure and into service.

Materials are evaluated in context. Stiffer is not inherently better. Excess rigidity can reflect energy back into the string, compress response, or relocate stress into weaker regions. The objective is controlled compliance; enough stiffness to resist long-term movement, enough elasticity to maintain acoustic liveliness.

These decisions belong to construction, but they are governed by design. Build Philosophy describes how materials are prepared and assembled. Design Philosophy defines where and why material behavior must be constrained.

Once material response is bounded, the remaining variable is the player.

Pickups do not create sound. They translate motion.

The electrical response of a pickup is entirely dependent on how the string moves within its magnetic field. That motion is governed by the acoustic behavior of the instrument—its geometry, mass distribution, stiffness, and damping. Pickup selection and placement are therefore secondary to how the string is allowed to vibrate.

String motion is not uniform along its length. Nodes and antinodes shift depending on scale length, tension, and excitation. Pickup placement is chosen relative to these patterns to capture the most information-rich region of the string’s movement. Placement errors cannot be corrected electronically; they are geometric in nature.

Break angles, neck coupling, and body mass influence how energy is transferred away from the string. Excessive damping shortens sustain and reduces harmonic complexity. Insufficient coupling can exaggerate attack while thinning the fundamental. Geometry is balanced to preserve usable energy in the string while allowing controlled transfer into the structure.

Magnetic fields are not linear. Output increases rapidly as the string approaches the pole piece, then collapses as motion becomes constrained. Pickup height, string path, and alignment are treated as part of the design, not final setup adjustments. Strings are guided to pass directly through the most stable region of the magnetic field to maximize clarity and dynamic range.

Multiple pickups interact acoustically as well as electrically. Their combined response is affected by relative placement, phase relationships, and the underlying acoustic behavior of the instrument. These interactions are evaluated during design to ensure that switching positions reveal distinct, usable voices rather than redundant variations.

The goal is not maximum output or coloration. It is translation accuracy. When the acoustic system is coherent, pickups function as intended: revealing differences in touch, position, and dynamics rather than obscuring them.

At this point, all design constraints have been resolved. What remains is execution.

The player interacts with a constrained system, not an abstract shape.

Hands apply force in predictable regions and directions: along the thumb path, across string planes, and through repetitive motion under tension. Geometry is shaped to accommodate these inputs without requiring conscious compensation from the player.

Neck profiles guide the thumb through tangent transitions rather than discrete shapes. Asymmetry is introduced to support natural wrist rotation and reduce strain in extended positions. These changes are gradual, preventing the hand from encountering abrupt resistance or loss of reference.

Fretboard geometry manages string excursion relative to finger pressure. Compound radii and proportional spacing allow consistent engagement across registers, preventing localized stiffness in the upper frets or collapse in the lower positions. Edge clearance is maintained to accommodate lateral string motion during vibrato and bends without sacrificing security.

Break angles, scale length, and tension targets influence perceived stiffness more than absolute measurements. These parameters are balanced to deliver predictable resistance across the string set, allowing the player to modulate dynamics without encountering sudden changes in response.

The instrument should not instruct the player how to adapt. It should remain neutral, stable, and predictable, allowing technique to emerge naturally. When geometry, materials, and load are resolved correctly, the instrument disappears, leaving only input and sound.

Customization exists within constraints.

Every instrument is designed as a resolved system, where geometry, material behavior, force distribution, and acoustic response are balanced against one another. Changes are evaluated not by preference alone, but by how they affect the system as a whole.

Certain parameters are flexible. Scale length ranges, string counts, hardware selection, control layouts, and cosmetic details can be adjusted without compromising structural or acoustic coherence. These choices alter the voice or feel of the instrument while remaining within established load paths and proportional relationships.

Other parameters are fixed. Neck geometry, fretboard taper logic, break angle strategy, load-bearing interfaces, and core structural relationships are not modified arbitrarily. Altering these elements without re-resolving the system introduces instability, hinge effects, or unpredictable response over time.

Customization is not additive. Features are not layered onto a finished design. Any requested change is traced through its downstream effects on geometry, tension, spacing, and coupling. If those effects cannot be reconciled without undermining the system, the change is rejected.

This boundary exists to protect both the instrument and the player. A guitar that feels correct on delivery but drifts under load or loses coherence over time has failed its design, regardless of how well it matches a specification sheet.

The objective is not to limit choice, but to ensure that every choice results in a stable, predictable, and responsive instrument.

When customization ends, design begins—and design always governs.