Babicz Guitars

Babicz Guitars is a manufacturer of high-end acoustic guitars and electric guitars and a producer of innovative and licensable guitar technology. The Babicz Guitars offices are in Poughkeepsie, NY, ninety miles north of Manhattan. The company is a member of the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce, and is also an EDZ (Economic Development Zone) Certified business for the Dutchess County Economic Development Corporation. In addition, Babicz Guitars is a member of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants).

Features

Babicz guitars is most well known for its 3 patented technologies, the Continually Adjustable Neck ^TM (US patent # 7,157,634), Lateral Compression Soundboard ^TM, and the Torque Reducing Split Bridge ^TM(combined into one patent # 7,112,733). In addition to selling guitars, Babicz Guitars licenses these technologies to other guitar manufacturers such as C. F. Martin & Company and Michael Kelly Guitars.

Continually Adjustable Neck

The Babicz Continually Adjustable Neck is used to adjust the action of the guitar from a low electric feel all the way to high slide feel all without changing the tuning or intonation of the guitar and can be done anytime without detuning. This is because unlike previous neck adjustments there is no tilting or pivoting. The neck slides in a pocket parallel to the slides of the guitar not altering scale length or string tension. This is done by inserting a 3/16" allen wrench into the trap plate on the back of the guitar and turning it in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

Lateral Compression Soundboard

Unlike a standard 6-string guitars, Babicz anchors their strings fanned out along the edge of the soundboard near the side. The strings pass through the string retainer and over the saddle. By the anchoring the strings in this fashion the overall tension of the strings is spread across the top and not concentrated in the center, which is the weakest part of the top. This allows Babicz use to a lighter form of bracing on the top other than the rigid X-brace which can impede the vibration of the top often dampening the sound of the guitar.

Torque Reducing Split Bridge

This feature allows the player to adjust the intonation of the guitar throughout its life. Loosening the fasteners on the bridge allows it slide back and forth to adjust the intonation when needed unlike standard guitars with glued bridges.

Models

Babicz has two guitar series: the Identity^TM which is their high-end acoustic model and their Octane^TM series hollow-body electric guitar. All guitars feature Babicz’s patented iCZ technology.

Identity Series

The Identity Series is constructed with: solid Englemann spruce soundboard, solid Javanese rosewood or mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, gloss finish on back and sides, and a satin finish on the top and neck. Identity models have 20 frets, a 25.5” scale length, and a 1-11/16” nut. Body shapes include: Jumbo cutaway and Dreadnought or Dread cutaway. The Babicz Spider is their all black, all mahogany guitar. The Acute and Small Jumbo FingerStyle models feature a wider neck with a 1-13/16” nut width, and a shorter 24.75” scale length along with a pointed Florentine cutaway.

Octane Series

Babicz’s hollow-body Octane 818 Series model is constructed using: Solid mahogany back, sides and soundboard, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, and gloss back, sides and top with a satin finish on the neck. The Octane has three models: the Blue Flame, which has a flame maple top, the Black Top, and the Tobacco Sunburst model. The humbucker Octane comes with Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates on the neck position and George Lynch Screamin’ Demon on the bridge position. The single coil Octane includes one Seymour Duncan Cool Rail pickup on the neck position and two Hot Rails for the middle and bridge positions. All Octane models offer a custom L.R. Baggs preamp option for acoustic piezo output, which includes a magnetic pickup/piezo blending knob.

Musicians who use Babicz guitars

Notable musicians who use Babicz guitars include: [http://www.babiczguitars.com/artists.shtml] Expand list|date=August 2008
*Mick Jones of Foreigner
*Robert Randolph of Robert Randolph & the Family Band
*Jake Cinninger of Umphrey's McGee
*Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey's McGee
*Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree
*John Wesley (guitarist) of Porcupine Tree
*K.K. Downing of Judas Priest
*David Sancious
*Todd Rundgren
*Pat Travers
*Tim "Izo" Orindgreff of the Black Eyed Peas
*The Pretenders
*Earl Slick
*The Outlaws
*Joe Lynn Turner
*Adrian Belew
*Greg Allman
*Lyle Workman
*Billy Greer of Kansas

External links

* [http://www.babiczguitars.com/ Official website]