We Are Ready!


I am a craftsman and an artist, above everything else. After more than a decade’s worth of research and development, I am delighted to announce that my masterpiece Thor — a carbon fiber and hardwood hybrid concept guitar with cutting-edge electronics and infinite multichannel sustain — is now raring to reach you.

Thor is now officially available for preorders. Email me and be the first to own this one-of-a-kind concept guitar. The complete turn-key system, including the Nexus-GK set is $3600 (excluding shipping charges). I will accept a 50% deposit (via PayPal), with the other half payable upon completion.  No more than 20 units will be built in the next 6 months (the production lead time).

Purchasing Thor will make you an official sponsor of the Infinity Project, an ongoing quest as presented in its white paper. Your sponsorship will mean a lot. Ultimately, it will fund further hardware and software developments beyond what is currently already achieved. As a bonus, and in addition to receiving a complete Thor package, this will also give you preferential access to current and future developments of the Ascend multichannel processing project — the software component of the Infinity Project. We’ve only just begun. There’s a lot more in the pipeline.

Together, let us bring the guitar to the 21st century!  

Overview

Thor is a concept guitar following the design philosophy of the Alpha project. The goal was to bring the guitar into the 21st century. Thor is constructed using carbon fiber and traditional hardwood. Thor has multichannel (polyphonic) sustain with multichannel outputs with one pickup per string. This opens up an entirely new world of possibilities, including extensive per-string audio processing and synthesis.

Sound Clips

I’m pretty sure the first thing you’d want to ask is how does it sound. One word: phenomenal! It’s nothing like you’ve heard before. It’s built around the well-established Nu-Multi system and Nexus system refined over the years, and lay the foundation for the Infinity system incorporated in Thor.

I prepared a few short sound clip demos along with explanations on the signal processing involved. Check out these posts:

Thor: Sonic Envelopes
Thor: Poly Fuzz

Goal and Challenges

Over the next 6 months, we will build the first 20 Thor guitars. Details of the development will be posted here. There is zero risk. At this point, the technology is very mature. I made sure that everything is perfect before this announcement. 

The only potentially disruptive concern is the current global chip shortage. The microcontroller (MCU) used in the current Thor prototype is unavailable due to the shortage. I had to find an alternative MCU suitable for the task. Indeed, I already found one, but then I’ll need to redesign the circuit board around the new processor. Other than that, there may be other unforeseen supply issues, such as unavailability of certain parts. These will be the challenges that I need to contend within the next 6 months. The worst-case scenario will be a delay in completion.

There will be some very minor changes before the final release. For example, I am considering fiber-optic dots for the markers instead of square plastic LEDs. You are welcome to take part in the discussion as such details are finalized.

Features

  • Infinite multichannel (polyphonic) sustain
  • Multichannel audio output
  • Roland GK ready
  • CV/MIDI pots and 5-way switch for controlling parameters on external devices
  • Modular, upgradable, future proof, hacker friendly
  • Carbon fiber / Hardwood hybrid
  • Balanced weight distribution (center of mass at the 22-24th fret)
  • 9-layer bolt-on neck, maple / carbon fiber
  • Aluminum truss rod
  • Resonant, semi-acoustic, carbon fiber body
  • Smooth neck-body joint, no visible screws
  • Removable, carbon fiber back
  • Full, easy access to electronics, with magnetic fasteners
  • Carbon fiber top
  • Recessed low-profile bridge
  • Carbon fiber wrapped Ash midsection
  • LED / Fiber optic markers
  • Mother of Pearl Inlays
  • Stainless-steel frets
  • Stainless-steel nut
  • Hard-case included

You can find some pictures below. I will provide more details, including technical information, in a subsequent post.

Specs

  • Full-scale length: 644 mm
  • Head thickness: 18 mm
  • Head angle: 14 degrees
  • Neck thickness
    • 0th fret: 18 mm
    • 12th fret: 21.375 mm
    • 24th fret: 22.5 mm
  • Nut width: 43 mm
  • 24th fret width: 57 mm
  • Fretboard (compound) radius 
    • 0th fret: 304 mm (12″)
    • 24th fret: 456 mm (18″)
  • Action 22nd fret: 1.371mm
  • Weight: 2.5kg

Gallery

Click to zoom in and view the details. I pay utmost attention to details.


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8 Comments
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Olav Martin Kvern
Olav Martin Kvern
1 year ago

Congratulations! Thor is beautiful.

Michael Könings
Michael Könings
1 year ago
Reply to  Joel de Guzman

Amazing piece of craftsmanship! Can’t wait to hear it!!

Matteo
Matteo
1 year ago

“I am considering fiber-optic dots for the markers instead of square plastic LEDs.”
YES!

Chris
Chris
1 year ago
Reply to  Joel de Guzman

Btw, what are the fret markers used for?

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