Ultralight System
The Portland Guitar patent pending Ultralight System delivers rich lows, full mids, and crisp highs through lightening the top and back and a new brace shape, a T-beam that is reinforced with carbon fiber
The result is a responsive top, excellent projection, incredible tone with sustain that lasts. These are some of the ideal features of an acoustic guitar. It’s hard to deliver all of these because of the physics of the instrument. Our new system of bracing and making top and backs takes a significant step forward in achieving these goals.
The top has the most effect on the sound of any part of the guitar. A light and loose top will perform with exquisite highs and deep lows. A light back adds a live sound which colors the whole spectrum of frequencies. This conflicts with the structural needs of the guitar as the tension of the strings wants to break the top. This is the main purpose of bracing.
The Ultralight System creates relief pockets in the top and back which take away mass making it lighter. The way the relief pattern is made is such that it doesn’t harm the strength along the long axis of the guitar that the tension is pulling on.
To reinforce the top and back a new form of brace is used which is called the T-brace. It has a flat head flange that has a layer of carbon fiber that reinforces the brace and adds strength that doesn’t deform through humidity changes. The shape of the brace and the carbon fiber used allow for the lightest possible brace to be used.