Vintage Guitar Magazine
June 2005

WRITING ABOUT new gear is a problematic situation when you’re called Vintage Guitar magazine. Fortunately, most of the gear we review is based on long-accepted concepts. Even the advanced technology of a modeling guitar or amp falls in line; the gear is designed to faithfully reproduce favorite sounds produced by instruments and amps of the past. However, every now and again, new thinking shakes things up. At least, that’s how I felt when I first saw a photo of a Jeff Babicz guitar.

Babicz, whose experience includes engineering work in the semiconductor industry and nearly 10 years with Steinberger Sound, is no stranger to the introduction of new concepts in guitar design. Remember, Steinbergers are paddle-shaped, with no headstock, and feature a bridge/tailpiece/ tuning system down where the paddle would hit the water when you’re paddling your pirogue with the thing.

It’s just that kind of sarcastic response to change that Babicz faced when, after helping redefine solidbody electrics, he and partner Jeff Carano set out to give acoustic players something new to consider.

The Babicz guitars (also available in the handcrafted Signature Series made with master-grade timbers by Babicz in New York) are not for the hardcore traditionalist, even though they feature commonly used tonewoods and recognizable body shapes. Babicz – guitarist, craftsman and engineer – has developed three radical patent pending features that can be found on his handmade and production lines.

Our review guitar is an Identity Series Acute manufactured in Indonesia. The Babicz models all have a smooth-operating mechanism at the neck joint that allows the “continually adjustable neck” to move up and down.

The first time I checked out a Babicz guitar, Jeff actually raised the action by moving the neck down as I continued playing, with no perceptible change in intonation or string tension. Detuning to open D and lowering the 14-fret neck for a higher/slide action was simple and quick with the easily accessible adjustment wrench, mounted on the back of the headstock.

A two-way truss rod makes the rest of the necessary neck adjustments easy. I noticed that the neck on the Acute was slightly out of longitudinal alignment, but it’s possible this could be reduced with a sideways adjustment of the next innovative feature.

Babicz Guitars also feature a “torque-reducing split bridge.” The rosewood bridge is attached with a proprietary screw system that, when loosened, allows it to be moved incrementally to facilitate intonation adjustment. A string retainer is similarly attached, providing necessary down pressure. There are no bridge pins to lose, and the compensated saddle never has to be tinkered with for setup purposes, which are performed with simple neck and bridge adjustments.

Most noticeably, the Acute utilizes an entirely new design in anchoring the strings, resulting in a uniquely different load distribution on the top. Each string is anchored with a lightweight piece of hardware near the rim, positioned so the strings fan out from the retainer. The design allows for an extremely light bracing pattern that features two longitudinal tone braces, cross-grained hardwood braces under the string anchors, and beefed-up braces around the moving neck joint. This guitar, with its "lateral compression soundboard," displays much less top distortion due to string-related stress than more commonly accepted bridge designs, despite its delicate interior structure.

The sonic result of Babicz's design is a profound resonance and sense of air movement that is immediately apparent when the instruments are strummed or fingerpicked. The guitar seems to open up and blossom when the strings are struck. Chords fretted up the neck have an open-string dimension, and the hang time on a strummed chord in any position is long enough to do a little songwriting while waiting for the end of the note decay. Response across the frequency spectrum is even with an impressive volume. Although the Acute is not as penetrating when played up the neck in a single-note style as some acoustics, soloists will enjoy the flexibility afforded by the extra string length. Standard strings fit all Babicz models.

The onboard LR Baggs iMix system offers an excellent range of sounds. Both the iBeam pickup and the under-saddle Element sounded good individually and blended, and the phase switch allows for great sonic variation. Only a fine microphone might better capture the airiness of the Acute. Too-tight string spacing was the only detraction from the pleasure of playing the Acute live: I couldn't play a first position C or A-minor chord without my forefinger hitting either the open G or high E string. There is plenty of room on the 13/4" plastic nut to widen the string spacing.

Sitka spruce and Javanese rosewood, very similar in appearance to Brazilian, are joined together to form the mildly tapered Acute body, 191.4" long, 151/16" wide and 37/8" deep at the tailblock with multi-layer purfling on the top and black binding on the neck and body. The mahogany neck of the Acute has a spliced-on heel and headstock with rosewood overlay, 251.2" scale length, and a pleasing rounded shape. A few inadequately filled wood pores on the neck and back are visible, but that is also a sign that the urethane finish is nice and thin.

The Babicz Identity Series Acute is outstanding in the categories of design, materials and workmanship and is a fine value for any musician brave enough to buy a guitar that stands outside the parameters of traditional design.

Vintage Guitar Magazine
June 2005

BABICZ GUITARS was founded after Jeff Babicz built a prototype six-string he knew was “acoustically real and visually different” – and subjected it to groups of industry experts and professional musicians. The response was so positive that he and partner Jeff Carano, who once worked together at Steinberger , decided they had to take the next step, which they saw as the Healdsburg Acoustic Guitar Festival in California.

“At the show, we were fortunate enough to be invited by Tom Ribbecke to show my guitar in his workshop where it would be seen by many of the world’s top luthiers,” he said. Babicz’s design was so well-received there was little question whether they should take the guitar to market. “And we never looked back,” he said.

“Because we were employed in the IT industry, we had the luxury of taking our time to find the right factory to produce the new Identity line,” he added. “This was a great benefit because early sales revenue went right back into the company, where it was allowed to grow because we didn’t depend on it. Also, we learned a lot about the guitar market during the Steinberger days, so we had a strong foundation.

“Hopefully we learned along the way.” Today, Babicz Guitars consists of three divisions in relation to patents, research and development, and distribution; Babicz Design, Babicz Guitars USA, and Babicz Guitars International. We recently posed a few questions to Jeff Babicz.

Vintage Guitar: Was building guitars something you undertook as a full-time venture right out of the gate, or did you start by doing it on the side?

Jeff Babicz: Everything grew very quickly, and in no time it became more than full-time. Between new product development, overseas production, and my handmade requirements, it’s 24/7.

How large was your initial product line?

It started with designs on my handmade guitars, but quickly grew into a full line of acoustics – jumbos, small jumbos, dreadnaughts, and auditoriums. As soon as we opened our first dealers and got instruments into musician’s hands, we realized that we needed to offer the typical options, such as a wood choice, cutaways, and onboard and electronics. Our newest model, the Spider, is a thin-body, all-black guitar with electronics.

Was there any particular element that has spurred your growth?

In December, 2004, we reached an exclusive distribution agreement with Hohner/HSS for our Identity Series. This really allows our guitars to get into the hands of the players because their dealer network is so large.

What is it that sets your product apart?

My goal, when I set out to develop my guitar, was simply based on my personal needs as a player. I wanted to have a guitar that addressed three specific points – intonation, string height, and acoustical sound. The The Babicz Colossal is a full-size jumbo guitar. The pattern for the molds used to build it were taken from a 1949 Gibson SJ-200. end result is a guitar that the musician can adjust quickly and easily, sounds great, and has a totally identifiable look.

How many people do you employ?

We have an overseas factory with 70 employees, which is managed by Jeff Carano and myself. As for our U.S. production, I’m a one-man shop, building about 12 handmade acoustics in a year.

What are your hopes for the future of the industry?

That it can offer the best instruments to the students and musicians as possible. This is really the heart of my Continually Adjustable Neck, from the student level all the way to the superstar musician.

What are your goals for your own products?

My soundboard/bridge and adjustable neck patent can be applied to most stringed instruments. It’s not a stretch to say that someday it will be included on an array of products such as archtops, classicals, basses, 12-strings, and electric guitars.

GuitarNoise.com
June 2005

Read this article on the GuitarNoise website.

Evolution. I think that single word captures the essence of Babicz guitars.

Jeff Babicz has not redesigned the acoustic guitar, he re-invented it.

For about a century now, everybody and their sister have been making acoustic guitars pretty much the same way. Oh, perhaps a little innovation here and there, but nothing major; an acoustic is an acoustic. Craftmanship and wood quality make the difference. I know this is rather large, but let’s face it, there’s been nothing new under the sun.

Until now.

Jeff Babicz has not redesigned the acoustic guitar, he re-invented it.

The major problem with an acoustic guitar is the sound hole. Because of its position, with the bridge coming up behind it, it has to be reinforced to hold under the strain of the strings. Unfortunately, by reinforcing it, you tend to lose a lot of the sound quality the guitar can offer. So what do you do? It’s been an on-going problem with guitar manufacturers over the years. And no matter what they’ve done, after a time, the bridge section has a tendency to belly-up because of the strain, requiring major work on the guitar.

What Babicz has done is brilliant in its simplicity. If the problem is with the strings attaching on the bridge, just attach them somewhere else! Six anchors are set about an inch and a half from the back of the guitar in a fan shape and that’s where the strings attach. They run into the neck, then out to the anchors. What this means, first and foremost, to the serious guitarist is that you immediately pluck the strings at that end. It’s a lot of fun, believe me. Gave me a lot of ideas.

Once you get over that, you quickly realize the advantage of this system; the strings pull on the whole of the top of the guitar enabling a much greater resistance to the strain of the strings. Which also means the sound hole doesn’t have to be reinforced. It’s simply brilliant! Amazingly simple, yet so effective.

It also means that the whole of the inside top of the guitar is redesigned. Instead of the traditional X-Brace like you find on most acoustics, this one has two longitudinal braces running along almost the entire top of the guitar.

To most people, this kind of improvement would be enough. You’ve already reinvented the thing and taken care of the most important problem with acoustics; great work, time to rest. But not Jeff Babicz...

The second major problem with an acoustic lies in the neck. On most acoustics, the neck is glued on. Meaning you’re stuck with the position it’s at. Over time, it will have a tendency to be in the wrong position, because of the strain of the strings. Having it repositionned also requires major surgery that most of us can’t afford. Or we’re simply too scared to see our precious baby go under the knife and we play the guitar the way it is.

Some manufacturers have resorted to bolting on the neck. It does have some good results, but what you gain in efficiency, you lose in sound.

Babicz to the rescue again. Jeff has totally reinvented the neck joint. Here the neck is hooked up to the body using a patented rail system. This offers one absolutely incredible advantage over any acoustic guitar ever made: you can actually change the action! And it’s so easy to do, you can do it in your sleep.

All you need is a wrench (but you keep losing those, don’t you?). Here the wrench is actually located on a clip behind the neck. Jeff Babicz deserves huge credit for thinking about that one; a place to keep your wrench where you’re likely to find it.

Insert the wrench behind the neck and turn. Raise or lower the neck in a few seconds. Yes, seconds. Brilliant. Want fast action? Raise the neck. Want a fatter sound? Lower the neck. It’s so simple, you can actually do this on stage between two songs. And your band’s frontman doesn’t have to be Peter Gabriel: a short hello to the crowd and you’re ready to perform again.

But what about the neck in relation to the bridge? The bridge is also adjustable by using a wrench!

Basically, Jeff Babicz thought of everything and applied it all. This is a great example of thinking outside the box. Perhaps it’s due to his years at Steinberger.

So, you ask, you have a guitar that has all these innovations, but how does it sound? Quite frankly, it rates up there with the best of them. For a much smaller price tag.

The one that was sent my way to review was a cut-away Dreadnought, Identity Series, Rosewood, with onboard active EQ. $1195 for the guitar and $399 for the onboards. Not expensive considering everything.

I predict that this is the guitar of the future. In years to come, any professional will play the Babicz and nothing else.

Comfort-wise, it has all the comfort of your standard acoustic. Look-wise, it’s a work of art. Sound-wise, well let’s just say that my ears were more than delighted by the sound of the guitar. Try as I might, I never managed to get a less than incredible sound out of it.

The neck is comfortable and fast. The cutaway lets you reach the higher frets, much to my liking. The very first time you play it, you don’t get that feeling you usually do from a different guitar. It feels like you’ve been playing it for years. And this guitar will follow you for years. An investment in your musical future.

I also wanted to mention those onboards. With other systems I found I always had a lot of trouble adjusting the EQ to get good sound. Not so of this system; plug it in, strum and twist the knobs for a few seconds and there you go. In fact, at any setting, the sound is great. You just adjust it to you own personal liking.

It came in a hardshell case which, before even opening it, allows you to see the mind-set of Jeff Babicz: instead of the usual hard plastic handle which is so uncomfortable, it has a large padded handle which feels very comfortable. I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure you wouldn’t damage your hand after carrying it around for an hour or so.

This is a serious guitar for the serious guitarist. Or for anyone who simply wants an acoustic that will last the rest of their life. One thing’s for sure, once you try this out, you’ll never look at another acoustic the same way.

I predict that this is the guitar of the future. In years to come, any professional will play the Babicz and nothing else. I know I don’t want to try out anything else now.