Cole Clark True Hybrid SSS Thinline All Blackwood

Continuing on their mission to create instruments for the modern touring musician, Melbourne’s Cole Clark Guitars proudly announce their ‘True Hybrid’ range. After noting the trend of players adding a second pickup to their guitars to blend an electric tone with their acoustic sound, the company launched a range of dual output acoustics with built in humbuckers in 2019. The popularity of those models lead the research and development team to dig deeper and the result is 3 new models that bridge the gap between acoustic and electric guitar. The True Hybrid models are a thinline comprising the world leading Cole Clark PG3 acoustic pickup and a second, independent output with the option of two humbuckers, three single coils, two humbuckers or a humbucker with two singles. The goal was to create an instrument that is equal parts acoustic and electric with absolutely no compromise on the capabilities and tone of either. A large part of the amplified sound of an acoustic guitar is the use of phosphor bronze strings. This raised an issue. Electric magnetic pickups will only hear the nickel core of an acoustic guitar string, meaning the bottom four strings produce a lower volume than the top two strings. This occurs with other hybrid guitars. To combat this, Cole Clark’s resident electronics genius Paul Gale set about inventing a machine capable of altering the strength of each pole piece in a magnetic pickup to perfectly balance the sound for phosphor bronze strings. This new technology, with endless implications for what’s to come, took the mission from impossible to patent pending in the space of three years and the True Hybrid range is now available for converts and sceptics alike to try.

The True Hybrid models also utilize Finite Element Analysis, commonly used in structural engineering for the purpose of finding and solving potential structural or performance issues.