Carbon fibre

A very stiff, very light composite of carbon filaments set in resin, used for guitar necks, reinforcement and occasionally entire bodies.

Its appeal is stability: it barely responds to humidity, so a carbon neck does not move with the seasons or need relief adjustment, and its stiffness allows shapes and string gauges that wood will not tolerate. The material is also consistent, since it has no grain or soft spots to avoid, and it damps differently from wood, which gives it a recognisably glassy, even voice. It is expensive to work with and hard to repair, so it appears mainly on high-end, travel and professional instruments.

Example: a touring player in a wet climate can leave a carbon-necked guitar in a truck overnight and find the setup unchanged the next morning.

Carbon fibre

See also