Introducing Theunis Fick Guitars
We're so excited to announce that we have added Theunis Fick to our roster of acoustic luthiers.
From Cape Town, South Africa, Theunis Fick is building some of the most progressive acoustic guitars in the world, blending science, mechanics and modernism. With a degree in civil engineering, and having studied guitar building through The Casimi School of Lutherie in South Africa, and the Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair in Michigan, USA, Theunis completed an apprenticeship with Casimi Guitars before setting up his own custom shop.
“My goal is to pursue a deep understanding of the physics of the acoustic guitar. I believe that through a holistic understanding of the guitar and the application of engineering principles in designing and analyzing the instrument, the acoustic guitar can be optimized beyond its current form,” says Theunis.
Playability is addressed throughout the build, from the string spacing at the nut and saddle, through to the construction, shaping and fitting of the neck, and precision fret work and setup.
To achieve the desired responsiveness, care is taken to construct lightweight plates with bracing patterns which evenly distribute the stresses imposed by the string tension. The fundamental resonances of the plates are tuned to achieve the desired level of coupling, without excessive attenuation. Pitch accuracy is addressed by placing these resonances between scale notes (which reduces the likelihood of dead or “wolf” notes) and by intonating both the nut and the saddle.
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