Paul Andre Akers is an American author and businessman. Akers is the founder and president of FastCap , a product development company that specializes in woodworking tools.
41-545: Akers started building guitars with his mentor Bob Taylor at Taylor Guitars and Musical Instruments in California right out of high school. He then graduated with a degree in education from Biola University and started his career in inner-city ministry in the Los Angeles area as a pastor with his wife Leanne. He worked as a teacher, and then as a carpenter. In his garage in 1997, Akers developed his first product:
82-433: A Herman Li signature, which includes four scalloped frets (21st to 24th). Karl Sanders of the death metal band Nile also uses several guitars with scalloped fingerboards, including several Deans , and KxK Guitars. In the 1970s, English guitarist John McLaughlin played with Shakti , along with Indian violinist L. Shankar , using an acoustic guitar with a fully scalloped fretboard. He also used an electric guitar with
123-400: A fretboard on fretted instruments) is an important component of most stringed instruments . It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument. The strings run over the fingerboard, between the nut and bridge . To play the instrument, a musician presses strings down to the fingerboard to change the vibrating length, changing
164-405: A humbucking induction pickup mounted in the neck and a pair of dynamic soundboard transducers wired to an onboard preamplifier designed by Rupert Neve . The entry-level 100 and 200 series has an externally similar system known as ES-T, which uses a single under-saddle pickup and no soundboard transducers. The first-generation ES system was introduced in 2004. It had two transducers, one mounted to
205-400: A deeply scalloped electric guitar for Vietnamese microtonal playing techniques. Some types of scalloping are: Note that filing away wood to scallop a fingerboard also affects inlays —so intricately inlaid fingerboards are not usually good candidates for scalloping. Simple dot or block inlays survive the procedure moderately well. The "scooped out" nature of scalloped fingerboards creates
246-547: A fork lift. He named the resulting instrument the "Pallet Guitar", and in 2000 a limited edition of 25 Grand Auditorium-bodied Pallet Guitars were made, with aluminum inlay included to accentuate the original nail holes in the wood. These guitars were sold to collectors, but the first Pallet Guitar remains on display at the Taylor Guitars factory in El Cajon, California. In January 1999, Taylor began making guitars with
287-399: A number of changes in the way the guitar plays. Most obvious is that the fingertip only contacts the string, not the fingerboard itself, creating less friction for bends and vibratos , which results in more overall control while playing. It also results in more weight-relief and less "neck-dive". However, one of the main disadvantages is that many players, especially new players, may find
328-461: A patented, bolt-on neck called the NT (new technology) neck. This differed from conventional guitar necks in using one continuous piece of wood from the headstock to the 19th fret to support the fretboard . The usual practice in guitar neck construction was to support the fretboard up to the fourteenth fret and glue the unsupported remaining length to the soundboard. The NT neck fitted into a slot on top of
369-401: A scalloped fingerboard too different, and difficult to play easily, especially if the strings are of a lighter gauge or the player tends to press too hard. It takes practice to play in tune on a scalloped fingerboard. The player must first become accustomed to not actually touching the fingerboard. Playing a scalloped fingerboard requires a careful application of pressure: Too much pressure raises
410-489: A scalloped fretboard in studio and live performances from 1978 to 1979. McLaughlin explained that this feature increased the ease and range of string bends by eliminating friction between the finger and fretboard. The scalloped fretboard also facilitates the rapid, microtonal variation that is important in Indian music, as exemplified by classical Indian Sitar music. Without scallops, the guitarist must play microtones by sliding
451-402: A smooth fingerboard; unfrettable strings run inside the frets, while frettable ones run outside. The fret arches are sufficiently high that the exterior strings can be fretted without the finger making contact with the interior strings. Frets may be marked by inlays to make navigating the fingerboard easier. On six-string guitars and bass guitars , markers are typically single smallish dots on
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#1732772479983492-582: Is also an author , lean teacher, YouTuber , and works as a speaker and consultant offering advice to companies and organizations. In 2010 Akers set his sights on politics, running for the US Senate in Washington as a Republican . He was defeated in the primary by Dino Rossi . Taylor Guitars Taylor Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer based in El Cajon , California . The company
533-514: The elliptical shape of the vibrating strings.) On bowed string instruments, (such as violin , viola , cello , and double bass ), the fingerboard is usually made of ebony , rosewood or other hardwood . On some guitars , a maple neck and fingerboard are made from one piece of wood. A few modern luthiers have used lightweight, non-wood materials such as carbon-fiber in their fingerboards. Various impregnated wood materials are being used for fingerboards in fretted instruments. Typically,
574-437: The pitch . This is called stopping the strings. Depending on the instrument and the style of music, the musician may pluck, strum or bow one or more strings with the hand that is not fretting the notes. On some instruments, notes can be sounded by the fretting hand alone, such as with hammer ons , an electric guitar technique. The word "fingerboard" in other languages sometimes occurs in musical directions. In particular,
615-502: The strings only, and do not touch the fingerboard. The process of "scalloping" a fingerboard well, if done by hand, is tedious work, usually done by careful filing of wood between the frets, and requires a large investment of time. Consequently, it is relatively expensive to have done. Generally, luthiers scallop fingerboards with a special milling machine that has 22 or 24 (according to neck dimensions and number of frets) wood cutting tools. This equipment saves time and adds precision to
656-568: The FastCap. It was a technique to cover and hide screw holes with a tiny adhesive cap that blends in with the wood around it. That idea turned into a manufacturing business. Overwhelmed with a multitude of tasks, personnel, and major financial decisions he faced on a daily basis, Akers began using the concepts of Lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System (TPS), which he credits for propelling FastCap forward. Akers
697-426: The G string, and between 0.5 mm and zero scoop under the E, which is usually a solid steel core on modern instruments. On guitars, specifically steel-string and electric guitars, the relief (or "dip") is adjustable by altering the tension on the steel truss rod inside the neck. Relaxing the truss rod allows the pull of the strings to increase the dip, and vice versa. Classical guitars do not need truss rods due to
738-502: The NT neck design. Taylor's 145,000-square-foot manufacturing facility is located in El Cajon, California, about 20 miles east of downtown San Diego. A free guided tour of the Taylor Guitars factory is open to the public at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday except some holidays. Premier Guitars published a four-part tour of the Taylor Factory, narrated by Bob Taylor, in 2008. Fingerboard The fingerboard (also known as
779-576: The Netherlands to serve the European market. In January 2014, the U.S. State Department honored Taylor Guitars with an Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) citing Taylor's commitment to responsible practices in obtaining ebony for its instruments, which notably included purchasing their own sustainable ebony mill and increasing its usable timber from 10% to 100%. As of January 1, 2021, the company became fully employee-owned. In May 2022, Andy Powers
820-475: The bridge and the other on the lower bout of the sound board, with a small, single-coil pickup mounted in the neck joint, all wired to the onboard preamp, which had three knobs for volume, tone and blend. This early ES system was available on the higher-end 500 series and above as well as the 30th-anniversary limited-edition series, starting in the fall of 2004. It was a custom order for the 300 and 400 series, and could be retrofitted to some older Taylor guitars with
861-530: The business in 1974, Taylor, Listug, and a third employee, Steve Schemmer, bought American Dream and renamed it the Westland Music Company. Needing a more compact logo suitable for the guitars' headstock , the founders decided to change the name to Taylor as it sounded more American than Listug . Kurt Listug said, "Bob was the real guitar-maker." Listug became the partnership's businessman while Taylor handled design and production. In 1976,
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#1732772479983902-409: The centre of the board. Usually the scoop is slightly greater on the bass side, less on the treble side of the fingerboard. Different string materials or different styles of playing may call for differing amounts of scoop. Nylon or gut strings require the most, and solid steel-core strings the least. A typical full-size (4/4) violin with synthetic-core G, D, and A strings shows 0.75 mm of scoop under
943-473: The company began to sell their guitars through retailers. In 1981, facing financial difficulties, Taylor Guitars took out a bank loan to purchase equipment. As of 2012, Taylor Guitars had more than 700 employees in two factories in El Cajon, California and in Tecate , Mexico, where the company makes their lower-priced models and guitar cases. In early 2011, the company opened a Taylor distribution warehouse in
984-432: The density of the material. Not having frets carefully and properly aligned with the fingerboard can cause severe intonation issues and constant detuning. The ultimate way of determining the source of a buzz and detuning problem is to measure the levelness of the frets. A straightedge positioned on the neck in the "lie" of one of the strings should show nearly level frets. (There should be a slight relief to compensate for
1025-407: The direction sul tasto (Ital., also sulla tastiera , Fr. sur la touche , G. am Griffbrett ) for bowed string instruments to play with the bow above the fingerboard. This reduces the prominence of upper harmonics , giving a more ethereal tone. A fingerboard may be fretted , having raised strips of hard material perpendicular to the strings, which the player presses the strings against to stop
1066-411: The edge of the fingerboard for easy viewing. Over time, strings wear frets down, which can cause buzzing and deaden the sound. Fixing this occasionally requires replacing the frets—but more often they just need "dressing". In fret dressing, a luthier levels and polishes the frets, and crowns (carefully rounds and shapes) the ends and edges. Stainless steel guitar frets may never need dressing, because of
1107-402: The finger is of little consequence because of the sustained stimulation of the strings by the bow. Unfretted fingerboards allow a musician more control over subtle changes in pitch than fretted boards, but are generally considered harder to master. Fingerboards may also be, though uncommon, a hybrid of these two. Such a construction is seen on the sitar , where arched frets attach at the edges of
1148-479: The fingerboard and on its side that indicate the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th frets—and the octaves of those positions higher up the neck. A double dot or some other variation marks the 12th fret and 24th frets. Variations on the standard dot shape can make a guitar more distinctive. Position markers are sometimes made luminescent (through using paint, or illuminated with light emitting diodes ) to make them more visible on stage. Position markers are also sometimes repeated on
1189-523: The fingerboard has a smaller radius to ease in forming chords. The bridge end of the fingerboard has a larger radius to make soloing more comfortable and prevent "noting out" ("fretting out"), in which a string comes in contact with a higher fret during bends . A Brief History Of Discovering The Conical Fingerboard in 1978 by luthier Denny Rauen can be found in American Lutherie #8/Winter 1986 and String Instrument Craftsman May/June 1988 under
1230-405: The fingerboard is a long plank with a rectangular profile. On a guitar, mandolin, ukulele, or similar plucked instrument, the fingerboard appears flat and wide but may be slightly curved to form a cylindrical or conical surface of relatively large radius compared to the fingerboard width. The radius quoted in the specification of a string instrument is the radius of curvature of the fingerboard at
1271-592: The following four categories: Notes: Classical guitars, some 12-string guitars, banjos, dobros, pedal steel, and a few steel-stringed acoustic guitars have flat fingerboards. Almost all other guitars have at least some curvature. However, some recent five and six string electric basses have flat fingerboards. For guitars, some players feel that smaller radii (7.25–10") are more comfortable for chord and rhythm playing, while larger radii (12"-16" and up to flat) are better for fast soloing. Conical and compound radius fingerboards try to merge both these features. The nut end of
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1312-399: The guitar body, achieving the desired angle with small shims . Guitars sometimes require neck angle realignment (neck reset), and the NT system achieved this by changing shims. Prior to 1999, Taylor Guitars had a simple bolt-on neck design which could be adjusted without the complex process of ungluing the neck joint. The Taylor company uses its own pickup, the "Expression System", which is
1353-434: The head nut. Most bowed string instruments use a visibly curved fingerboard, nut and bridge to provide bow clearance for each individual string . The length, width, thickness and density of a fingerboard can affect timbre . Most fingerboards can be fully described by these parameters: Depending on values of radius r and their transition over the length of the fingerboard, all fingerboards usually fit into one of
1394-400: The pitch of the fretted note to a sharp note, as during a bend , and too little pressure causes fret buzz . As a result, most guitar players use a traditional fingerboard on their instruments. Fretless bowed-string fingerboards are usually scooped lengthwise in a smooth curve, so that if a straight edge is held next to the board parallel to a string, some daylight shows between them, towards
1435-440: The player to bow single strings. Those of the modern violin family and the double bass are strongly curved, however those of some archaic bowed instruments are flat. Examples of some instruments' fingerboard radius parameters: A fretted fingerboard can be scalloped by "scooping out" the wood between each of the frets to create a shallow "U" shape. The result is a playing surface wherein the players' fingers come into contact with
1476-460: The process of scalloping the wood in the neck's radius the same in all fret spaces. Scalloped fingerboards are most commonly used by shred guitarists , most notably Ritchie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen , who have signature models developed with Fender that include scalloped fingerboards. Ibanez JEM series guitars, designed and played by Steve Vai , come standard with the last 4 frets scalloped. In 2008 Ibanez made available their E-Gen model,
1517-639: The string sideways on the fret. Experimental luthier Yuri Landman made an electric guitar for John Schmersal of Enon called the Twister with a partial scalloped neck for only the thin strings (similar to small playground slides ). Some examples of lutes with scalloped fretboards include the South Indian veena and Vietnamized guitar (called đàn ghi-ta , lục huyền cầm , or ghi-ta phím lõm ). The Japanese multi-instrumentalist and experimental musical instrument builder Yuichi Onoue has also made
1558-485: The strings. On modern guitars, frets are typically made of metal. Frets let the player stop the string consistently in the same place, which enables the musician to play notes with the correct intonation . As well, frets do not dampen string vibrations as much as fingers alone on an unfretted fingerboard. Frets may be fixed, as on a guitar or mandolin , or movable, as on a lute . Fingerboards may also be unfretted, as they usually are on bowed instruments, where damping by
1599-407: The title "Multi-Radius Fingerboards". This special radiusing is a standard on many of Denny's custom-built guitars and refret work beginning in 1978. Denny Rauen's articles on the "Multi Radius Fingerboard" are the first published documents on using a conical fingerboard to improve string bending while retaining comfortable chording. Bowed string instruments usually have curved fingerboards, to allow
1640-496: Was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug and specializes in acoustic guitars and semi-hollow electric guitars . It is one of the largest manufacturers of acoustic guitars in the United States and sells guitars in 65 countries around the world. In 1972, at age 18, Bob Taylor began working at a guitar-making shop owned by Sam Radding called American Dream, where Kurt Listug was already an employee. When Radding sold
1681-477: Was named the new CEO, President, and Chief Guitar Designer of the company. In 1995, Bob Taylor was interested in finding out if using exotic tonewoods in quality guitars was more important than luthier techniques and good design. He built a dreadnought guitar's back and sides with oak from shipping pallets he found at the factory, used a nondescript piece of 2x4 timber for its top, and made of neck out of pallet oak. The fretboard's Formica-and-pearl inlay depicted