Every once in a while, an innovation comes along that makes you completely rethink everything you thought you knew about the electric guitar – something that opens your eyes to engineering possibilities you had never even thought possible, let alone practical.
This time, it’s the turn of Taras Guitars – a new company founded by ambitious builder Taras Kovaliv, who has pioneered an extraordinary new design for “Outward String Bend Super Guitars”.
Where to start? Well, how about we cut straight to the chase and touch on that insane Wide Tonal Fretboard (appropriately shortened to W.T.F), because that’s where the VP-1 Dark Fang (yes, that is its official name) truly shines. Don’t worry, we’ll get to its gnarly body shape in a bit.
The expanded fretboard is behind the VP-1’s outward string bending concept. It can be a little hard to wrap your head around at first, but Kovaliv has painstakingly laid out his thought process.
Effectively, the W.T.F. looks to help make more ‘pitch points’ not only accessible, but visible as well. It’s all been mathematically engineered using what Kovaliv calls a ‘Convex Arc Formula’ in order to make previously unreachable bends and intervals, erm, reachable.
One way in which the unique nature of the VP-1 Dark Fang is especially apparent relates to the two E strings. For riffs, the low E string can now be bent out and beyond the confines of an orthodox fretboard, resulting in extra space between the A string and potentially lending itself to some truly topsy turvy shapes.
The high E, likewise, can now be bent out of the way of the B and G strings, and the additional room – and lack of string collision, as Taras puts it – can help facilitate some quirky double-stop harmonies.
In his explanation of the VP-1, Kovaliv says it builds on concepts utilized by the Indian sitar and Chinese pipa – two stringed instruments that, naturally, have their own rules and customs when it comes to fretting and bending notes.
Oh, and let’s not forget that body shape, which wouldn’t look out of place in the prop department for a Batman or Star Trek flick. The huge cutaways are there to help with upper fret access, sure, but they’re also a necessity owing to the sheer scale of the fingerboard. The result is something quite unlike anything else out there on the market.
It’s certainly not one for the blues purists, but we can’t help but think there are progressive visionaries out there who could make this mind-bending build come to life. Kovaliv has posted a few demo videos, but he’s the first to admit that others may be better placed to do it justice. He is the engineer, not the player.
Nevertheless, his videos do a good job of breaking down the outward string bending school of thought and showcasing how it can be utilized under some basic circumstances.
“I’m not trying to copy the classics,” says Kovaliv. “I’m building guitars that look and act like they were designed in a dream, or a far-off Sci-Fi garage. Instruments that tell a story before you even play a note.”
For more info, visit Taras Guitars.
