NoMATERIA 2020 | Balance

“This product incorporates ideas from the Venezuelan cuatrista Jorge Glem regarding
the shape of the pickguard and the position of the microphones. It was built at the maker
space Pumping Station: One, in Chicago IL.
The # 32 is a solid body electric four, with some cavities to increase the harmonic complexity
of the sound. It is intended to use nylon strings and works with metal strings as
well. The body materials are mahogany, spruce and pau ferru, with clear acrylic finishes.
The ultimate goal of the instrument is to give the musician the possibility of sounding
as close as possible to the sound of the ‘traditional’ acoustic cuatro, having the advantages
of a solid body instrument: resistance to abuse, weathering and with the ability
to amplify without fear of feedback.
This is a lightweight instrument with rounded surfaces and a good scale to use. The # 32
rescues the visual elements of a four, with a reduction of the ornament. The geometry of
the instrument frees the material from structural stresses, in such a way that the effect
of the wood on the sound is the least possible, at the same time that it facilitates the
digital manufacture of the pieces.”