Ooh! No it betta don’t! After 3D Systems made itself known at every convention for the 3D printed guitars of Olaf Diegel, imaterialise has gone and 3D printed their own guitar bits. Lucky for them, imaterialise only 3D prints small components for Hilko Guitars’ custom orders, while in the case of Olaf’s guitars, the entire body is laser sintered. Still, the 3D printed parts of Hilko Nackaerts’s tailored guitars demonstrate the customizability that 3D printing offers the music world.
Nackaerts has been running Hiko Guitars for 10 years, handcrafting speciality instruments for bands like Simple Minds, K’s Choice and Triggerfinger. More recently, the Belgian designer has been able to utilize 3D printing for specific parts that would have been more difficult obtain otherwise. Nackaerts explains, “As a luthier 3D printing is a great help. I use imaterialise to print my headstock logos, custom made control knobs, pickup rings or replicas of hard to find vintage guitar parts. The imaterialise staff are very kind and always help me come up with the best solution. Our clients are thrilled with the results. Ruben Block from Triggerfinger was very pleased with the custom made sterling silver headstock logo for his Hollowbody HC guitar.”
The above hollowbody, handmade from wood, has a polished, classic look unachieved by Diegel’s laser-sintered nylon. This reminds me of why, for the time being, 3D printing may not always be the most appropriate method for creating something. Though Olaf’s guitars may look and sound unique and interesting, nothing beats the sound or sheen of lacquered wood, as demonstrated in the Triggerfinger video below:
But that’s just my opinion and it is entirely open for debate …..
Source: imaterialise
