The Verso Sine guitar provides one other dimension to the corporate’s trademark avant-garde strategy, in addition to marking its first foray into making a guitar from wooden. That’s virtually the one conventional factor about it.
We discuss craft and know-how with Verso’s Robin Stummvoll, who makes all Verso devices from his workshop within the central German metropolis of Kassel. He tells us in regards to the genesis of the Sine guitar and the way it differs from his earlier and ultra-ambitious deconstruction of the guitar type, the Verso Cosmo.
Pale inexperienced Sine Guitar by Verso Musical Devices on stand
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
Wallpaper*: The place did the inspiration come from for this new guitar?
Robin Stummvoll: It got here from my first mannequin, Cosmo. Until you’ve gotten held one, you wouldn’t count on its sheet steel physique to be versatile. Not in an uncontrolled or wobbly means; because of its massive bent armrest, it capabilities like a tensioned spring, feeling agency but versatile. You’ll be able to push the again and high collectively with out inflicting everlasting deformation. As soon as launched, it springs again to its authentic form.
For years, I noticed this pure flex as part of the guitar’s consolation – it’s not a static block of wooden however a responsive object that strikes along with your physique. Nonetheless, over two years in the past, I realised this seemingly random element might be intentional and helpful.
The Sine guitar options the corporate’s signature movable pick-ups
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: So how does the Sine guitar exploit this?
RS: As a substitute of a static floor for mounting the pickups, I believed the physique may additionally add a 3rd dimension to my freely movable pickup system: a dynamic floor that may be pressed down, including depth to the pickups’ motion. This led me to the idea of mainly turning my first building utterly the wrong way up. Slightly than mounting the sheet steel physique to the highest of the neck, I mounted it on the again of it. This was the core concept.
The Sine guitar, exhibiting the wood physique and looped steel ‘scratchplate’
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: In impact it’s the inverse of the Cosmo guitar?
RS: Sure. Whereas Cosmo’s defining characteristic is its lack of a stable physique, this new idea required one: I wanted a platform with sufficient depth to permit the springy floor to maneuver. This resulted in Sine’s neck and bridge being fairly elevated. Sine’s physique is basically break up in two: half air, half wooden.
Element design of the hand-crafted Sine guitar
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: How did you strategy shaping the shape?
RS: Aesthetically, it was difficult – making a wood guitar throughout the Verso household, recognized for the dearth of such a wood physique. I feel the Sine Pad, with its distinctive bent armrest, ties all of it collectively. Different options just like the headstock, pickups and the enter/output part are an identical to my earlier devices and create this acquainted really feel.
‘I feel the hassle and power I put into the devices provides them character and that is felt by the gamers’
Verso’s Robin Stummvoll
The Sine Guitar makes use of Verso’s pared-back headstock design
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: Do you continue to handcraft all of the guitars your self?
RS: Sure – Sine is totally handcrafted as much as the pickups. I bend the laser-cut sheet steel in my small store, which is a loopy troublesome course of on this mannequin. Very sophisticated to nail the small tolerances. It required growing many customized instruments.
Additionally, the neck joint and bridge require a lot consideration. However these challenges add to the enjoyable constructing it – I feel the hassle and power I put into the devices provides them character and that is felt by the gamers. All wood elements are exactly CNC-machined and hand completed.
The guitar is hand made by Verso’s Robin Stummvoll
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
Sine Guitar by Verso Devices
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: How in regards to the colors and the finishes?
RS: Floor-finishing the wood physique was a brand new problem for me, as I by no means needed to trouble about spray paint, lacquer or colouring wooden. Up to now I mixed very outdated strategies with my fairly fashionable constructing type – like pairing a shellac-finished neck with a powder-coated physique. I discover a lot pleasure and sweetness in these uncommon mixtures.
For Sine, I additionally needed to make use of a standard paint, and after failing with milk-based casein paint, I fortunately acquired launched to the handcrafted linseed oil paints by Danish firm Linolie. Their vivid tones and silky feeling however matte-looking floor will age superbly, as it’s a fairly gentle materials.
Element design of the Sine guitar
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
W*: What in regards to the inside parts?
RS: The one industrial-made half is the Lehle Expression – a module that allows the guitarist to manage results, synths or a pc by the motion of the Sine Pad. Lehle supplies me the PCBs. The steel housings had been designed particularly for Sine and are produced in low portions by a German-based sheet-metal producer.
The graphics had been printed on the elements by Burkhard Lehle himself – what a blessing to work with such an concerned staff! I feel one of many causes such a longtime and world-renowned model like Lehle was thinking about a cooperation with a small guitar builder like me, past the revolutionary idea, stems from our naturally aligned design languages.
The Sine guitar is on the market as a 7-string mannequin
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
Sine Guitar by Verso Devices, versoinstruments.com, @versoinstruments
Element design of the Sine guitar by Verso Musical Devices
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
Element design of the Sine guitar by Verso Musical Devices
(Picture credit score: Verso Devices)
Supply: Wallpaper