HC-Y’s Concept’22 SF,S-ESU/ATB

Introduction

Concept model with a new system even to the ATB series

New Twistless System

It incorporates various mechanisms that minimize stress at any playability level and allow comfortable playing for a long time.
The ultra-thin, extra-slim U-grip provides high playability, and the twistless mechanism uses two bearings to absorb the tension in the neck caused by the truss rod.
Twisting is caused by the force of the nut turning the truss rod, the force of the truss rod itself being pulled, and the friction between the nut and the washer.
With a normal truss rod, this frictional twisting force causes the neck to twist slightly. Each time the truss rod is adjusted, this twisting will increase. The bearing between the nut and washer rotates to counteract this slight twisting.
The neck, which is no longer affected by the twisting of the truss rod, receives only the force to correct the warping and becomes stable without any twisting.
A stable neck allows for big neck and string height adjustments and maintains a high level of playability.

The clear tone born from interweaving Lutz Spruce and Padauk wood

We used rare Padauk wood and lutz spruce from Canada for the side and back. The former produces a well-balanced sound in the bass and the treble, and the latter gives us a woody, sparkling addition to the treble that is hard yet flexible. The “34 Semi-Forward Bracing” layout blends the two wood materials to enhance the mid-range, and as a result, the guitar adapts to the player’s nuances with a high response for delicate fingerstyle touch and crisp stroke play.

Next-generation modern pinless bridge

This mechanism loosens the tension of the strings and improves playability.
A pinless bridge is a bridge with a slit at the end of the bridge where the ball end is hooked and fixed in the groove.
The angle at which the strings break at the saddle is different; the conventional bridge has an acute angle, while the pinless bridge has an obtuse angle.
The difference between these two bridges changes the frictional resistance between the saddle and the strings, and the obtuse angle results in less frictional resistance, allowing the strings to expand and contract more smoothly. The more obtuse angle makes the string feel softer because the string stretches without stress when you press down on it.

New tapered fingerboard design

In addition to the bridge, the fingerboard tapers 0.5mm from the end to the nut, which makes the neck set angle shallower than usual and changes the angle at which the strings break from the saddle to the nut, thus easing the tension feeling.
The tension feeling is even milder than a 648mm scale model, even after playing for an extended period of time it will still feel great to play.

Adopted Luminray position for visibility

Luminous luminescence is used for position marks on the fingerboard and sides. The luminous luminescent material makes the position marks highly visible even on a dimly lit stage, enhancing practicality.
In addition, the position marks are placed on the 6th string side with a smaller Φ3 position mark to improve playability.

No-pickguard design

Lutz spruce, a natural hybrid of hard Sitka spruce and flexible Englemann spruce, is used for the top material, and Avalon is applied to the rosette around the soundhole.
In order to maximize the sound of the body, a non-pickguard is used, and the white color of the Lutz spruce and the Avalon rosette create a simple yet luxurious decoration with a sense of Yasui’s style.

A word from Masato Yasui

In the custom series, we receive orders and take time to produce one-off products.
For this concept model, I reexamined the drawing design and manufacturing process for efficiency and optimization and incorporated specifications and mechanisms that were said to be unfeasible for the series.
The “Y’s Concept” was born out of my long-held desire to make my guitars more accessible to players with the theme of player-friendly guitars. The concept model is based on the specifications of the custom model, but this time, I incorporated techniques and innovations such as the “twistless system” of the adjustable rod and the “tapered fingerboard,” which I thought were difficult to realize in the Asuka Team Build. We offer guitars with the theme of “gentle playability” and “guitars that can be played for a long time” that we would like various customers to experience.