FAQs

The construction of Emerald Guitars has evolved over the years, but essentially the basic concept of construction has remained the same since Alistair developed his one-piece construction concept back in 1999. The guitars are moulded using our unique monocoque moulding system which allows us to create the entire guitar in one complex moulding process.

The neck, body and top are all created at the same time in the mould with overlapping fibres running between all surfaces meaning there are no joins that can ever fail and the lack of joints means the entire guitar is free’er to vibrate making it more resonant and responsive. This is a phenomena that you will feel just as much as hear.

We have many secrets built into the MMS technology so we don’t talk too much about the specifics of the process, but rest assured its the most accurate, efficient and repeatable system to produce a guitar in existence, yet we are constantly tweaking the process to make it even better and increase the quality of our guitars.

Emerald Guitars are produced predominantly using various types of high grade carbon fibre bonded together in a matrix of epoxy resin but we also use other structural core materials sandwiched between the carbon layers to create a very lightweight and rigid structure.

The great thing about composite guitar construction is that we have a broad pallet of materials which we can use in various different quantities and layers in the guitar to create many very different tonal properties yet once we create a desired layup for a guitar we can then easily repeat it to give great consistency from guitar to guitar.

Our Carbon Guitars are cured to a high temperature in our curing ovens giving great stability in all ambient temperatures you may experience around the world however it is advised to avoid having your guitar in direct sunlight for extended periods. In direct sunshine the black carbon can become much hotter than the ambient air temperature and in extreme cases this can cause the Epoxy resin to soften and with the tension of the strings this has potential to deform the top. This is an extremely unusual situation but if it does happen please contact us as we have the ability to re cure the carbon structure and bring the top back to its original shape.

Yes carbon guitars are extremely stable no matter the air temperature and humidity level. This is one of the greatest advantages to a traveling musician or someone who lives in a more extreme climate. (please note it is advised to avoid leaving the guitar in direct sunshine for prolonged periods)

All Emerald Guitars, with the exception of the Amicus and the Synergy Uke, have double action truss rods to facilitate accurate neck adjustments

The carbon fibre neck design makes a very strong and stable neck and many feel this means a truss rod is not required. It is true that structurally there is no need for a truss rod but it is our opinion that its addition gives an extra degree of adjustability allowing for fine adjustments to neck relief which helps get to your perfect setup and helps set the neck relief to match the optimal for various string gauges.

We don’t add a truss rod to the Amicus as its short scale doesn’t need one and would not provide much adjustability if added. Not having it also helps avoid neck heaviness.

The best place to experience all the custom options available is in the 3D Guitar builder where you can choose various carbon weaves, veneer choices, hardware and pickup choices and a beautiful selection of inlay designs.

Yes we do have a limited number of neck width and scale length options as well as the ability to add a multiscale fretboard layout. Please contact our sales team for options.

Please visit the 3D guitar builder to experience all the choices.

We use high grade stainless steel frets on all our guitars. Stainless steel provides much better wear resistance and a very nice smooth feel when bending the strings. They also don’t tarnish meaning your frets keep their nice new look indefinitely.

The main reason for fanned frets is to allow optimum scale lengths for different tunings. It allows you to have a longer scale length on the bass side which allows more powerful bass notes at lower tunings while allowing the treble to be shorter which gives less tension and sweeter trebles.

We find the fanned frets a huge benefit for extended range guitars, 7-string guitars, in particular, really benefit from a fanned scale giving much better definition to the low B. We usually use a 27” to 25.5” scale for 7 string but we can offer other options as well.

Over the years we have experimented with various sound hole configurations and we have discovered that by moving the sound hole to the side it gives much better projection to the player, allowing you to hear the instrument better yet still giving great forward projection to the audience.

It also removes the hole from the structurally important area in front of the bridge and allows us to build a lighter and more responsive top.

The fretboard is made from uni-directional carbon fiber.

We currently use a high-quality polyester top coat. We find the polyester gives a high-quality and resilient finish, but more importantly, we find it acoustically transparent as its very similar in makeup to the resins we use in our guitar and so has a minimal damping effect on the tone.

No we have designed the bridges to not be painted. The natural carbon finish has a beautiful satin sheen the contrasts nicely with the gloss top. The carbon bridge also is incredibly durable and scratch resistant which eliminates scratches and maring while changing strings.