No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The guitar above has not been left out in the sun and is not melting. What you are seeing is the ergonomic design of Greg Opatik and the flagship instrument of his new company Sinuous Guitars from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

While focusing on the inherent shortfalls of traditional designs, Greg’s background in industrial design combined with his love of guitars in his first model he is calling the SD-22.

Throw Me a Curve

As someone who loves the idea of mixing ergonomic design and guitars, I was pretty excited to see the first pictures of the SD-22. The back of the body has a convex curve at the bridge end to fit against your belly, without a sharp edge poking you in the ribs. But it was the top horn that really got me. Greg says, “I rounded down the upper guitar body so severely it minimized any wrapping of your right arm around the body to play it, your arm just simply rests on the guitar body bringing that strumming hand right to the strings.” In fact, it works so well he received US Patents for it. The guitar ‘wraps around’ your body eliminating the need for constant adjustment to avoid fatigue common in other designs.

Wood is Good

Sinuous Guitar’s design isn’t the only thing they have going for them. They use a beautiful selection of woods making their guitars as beautiful as they are functional. Many guitarists are drawn to a guitar’s looks before they ever pick them up and plug them in. While using poplar as a base, Greg uses many different kinds of timbers to personalize each guitar, from flame maple to figured walnut. You can order your guitar with maple or rosewood fingerboards, a painted or clear-coated neck, and black, gold, or chrome hardware. Guitars feature a single volume and tone (with push/push coil split) as well as a 3-position switch. Necks are bolt-on, and bridge and tuners are made by Hipshot. Of course, all guitars feature Seymour Duncan pickups. You can discuss your choice of pickups with Sinuous Guitars and get recommendations for your style of music and the type of wood you have chosen. So far, his guitars feature 2 humbuckers, and they are available covered or uncovered in black, gold, or chrome.. If you have any custom requirements such as fret size, special wood types, or hardware, you can ask for a quote using this form.

From the Mouth of the Maker

I recently asked Greg some questions about his designs and his preference for Seymour Duncan as his pickups of choice in his ultra-modern designs.

Be sure to like the Sinuous Guitar’s Facebook page for updates and the newest pictures. Check them out on Twitter as well @sinuous_guitars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avHqvFAJV4k

What are your favorite wood combinations? What was the last new guitar you bought?