Guitarkid®

Aquila Guitarkid Q & A

1) What is the Aquila Guitarkid?

The Guitarkind is a classical guitar made micronised thanks to the innovative type of strings we have developed

2) Is it a Guitalele/Guilele?

Absolutely not, although it resembles one. The differences are first of all in the tuning, which is the same of a regular classical guitar. In addition, there are other design features that enhance the acoustic volume and a discrete resonance in the low frequency range, so that it imitates a classical guitar in every way.

3) How does it differ from the Microguitar?

The Microguitar is a micro classical guitar made with a solid cedar soundboard (i.e. not laminated); it also has a shell with a greater air capacity than the Guitarkid, a different bridge and a neck attachment at the 14th fret. The acoustic quality is therefore better (and therefore more expensive).

The Guitarkid, on the other hand, is an instrument designed to be more resistant to knocks and falls (very common occurrences in a class of children); it has a slightly flatter body favouring ‘grip’ by the child and is more affordable: a perfect instrument therefore for the musical education of children and young people but also for the entertainment of adults.

4) Why can’t others, following your example, miniaturise a classical guitar as you have done?

In 1948, they invented the transistor which enabled the miniaturisation of radios. Without the discovery of the transistor this would not have been possible.

Our ‘transistor’ is the ultimate type of string based on the use of a recently discovered Italian bioplastic that we call ‘Sugar’ and of which we have exclusive worldwide use.

Scientific measurements commissioned by us have shown that it has 24% more sustain than fluorocarbon strings and 18% more power in joules.

This bioplastic is loaded by us with varying amounts of micronised iron, thus creating strings with very high acoustic efficiency: this has opened the way to the possible miniaturisation of the classical guitar.

In other words, we are facing a pioneering technology.

5) All the strings are Sugar strings, then?

No. The six strings are very different from each other both mechanically, in terms of the materials used and in terms of technology: all this in order to achieve a perfect homogeneity of tone and acoustic volume. For example, the first and second are sugar-based strings loaded with iron powder, which is greater in the second string. The third is a multifilament string coated with a thin stainless-steel wire balanced in its components so as to guarantee a consistent ‘bridging’ sound between the second and fourth strings and at the same time ensure a certain durability (steel is a very strong material and also stainless).

The fourth and fifth and sixth use a red varnished copper wire: the goal is both to reduce noise when passing fingers and to eliminate potential metal allergies.

The sixth, which is the most critical string in the bass range, uses a special multifilament that provides even better acoustic performance than traditional Nylon-based multifilament. It is not used for the fourth and fifth strings because otherwise there would be excessive brightness and tonal imbalance with the others, especially the sixth.

6) What other improvements have you made?

The soundboard, fingerboard, neck and bridge are made of solid or laminated Bamboo wood, a wood considered eco-friendly.

The ‘Ovation’-style shell is made of goffered black ABS, but we are planning to use a bioplastic in the near future.

The shell was chosen not only for a commercial distinction but because in this way we achieve less wood consumption, lower costs, greater sound volume and better resonance in the low frequencies, which is the real problem to be solved in such a drastically miniaturised instrument.

The width of the neck at the nut and other construction details were studied in consultation with those specifically involved in music education. The neck attachment is at the 12th fret

7) Do you have future optimisation possibilities?

On request, we can install a piezo under the bridge bone and direct output jacks without pre-amplification. The main intended use is however without amplification

8) Is it very expensive?

Despite the strong technological contribution, the cost of this instrument remains, by our precise choice, very low. We are around 80 euros plus VAT.