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The World's Newest (Oldest) Guitar

The World's Newest (Oldest) Guitar

Italian musician and designer Lorenzo Palmeri has designed the "oldest guitar in the world.” It's made of ancient Kauri, a 50,000-year-old wood native to New Zealand.

Photo: Lorenzo Palmeri

The navel comes in three different designs. To create the limited edition guitar from Kauri wood, Palmeri collaborated with furniture maker and wood specialists, Riva1920, who helped him work with the 50,000 year old material. 

Kauri wood comes from prehistoric Kauri trees which were buried and preserved in New Zealand’s North Island. Buried by a yet to be explained natural occurrence, the trees have survived for centuries underground which has preserved the timber in perfect condition.

All 3 guitars' designs are meant to contrast masculinity and femininity characterized by the round, 'feminine' form and 'masculine’ angularity. The guitars' designs are "meant to match its tones, which are capable of extending from very sweet to very powerful" says Palmeri.

Photo: Lorenzo Palmeri

The Kauri wood guitar is one of three new guitar models from Palmeri. Another of the models is made of Fenix NTM, a nanotech material featuring low-light reflectivity and an anti-fingerprint, soft-touch effect, and the final model is a classic guitar that is made from beech wood.


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