In the beginning...

Most traditional guitars were poorly constructed and gave little if any attention to the inner workings. The 'engine' of the guitar, the braces, located under the bridge, were almost always completely symmetrical and evenly spaced, giving a
flat and unbalanced sound. For about a century guitar construction remained relatively the same until the early 1970's, when Dr. Michael Kasha, a genius physicist from Florida State University, took an interest in guitar-making.

After taking his son to a guitar lesson, he flatly concluded that current construction methods were poor and primitive.
Dr. Kasha set out to fix this structural error and discovered that by dividing the braces under the bridge one could greatly affect the way the sounboard moves. Also with an off-center soundhole one could have a-symmetrical braces that would take into account the high and low frequencies of the bass and treble strings. This opened up new doors for builders such as Master Luthier Richard Shcneider to be able to take new steps in guitar construction.

Boaz Elkayam, an artisan, acoustician, and world traveler, met Richard at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival and trying one of the Kasha Shcnieder guitars, immediately realized the significance of these discovery's. Working closely with Richard and later with Dr. Kasha, Boaz was able to bring his knowledge as a guitar-maker, and recording artist, to the table. In 1994, there was a project with other luthiers
to build 10 of the latest designed Kasha/Shcneider guitars.
Boaz, after completing the 10 guitars decided to take the Kasha design a step further.

By moving the soundhole completely off the soundboard he understood, that you could have more surface area with which to place the braces, and that removing the constructional braces and using the woods own stretch factor to support the guitar, gave added strength and stability. Although at first there was some opposition from Boaz's colleagues and even from Dr. Kasha himself, the result was undeniable.

This 11th guitar, which would later be know as the
Clarita Negra, was an incredibly powerful and balanced instrument. Because of the soundhole on the shoulder, the player for the first time felt he was being absorbed into the music. The increased strength and unique 'flexibility' gave the Clarita Negra the ability to withstand the toughest player and the most intense weather conditions. Created originally for the recording studio, musicians from around the world were soon asking to use this 'revolutionary' guitar in their live concerts. The Clarita's big sound and huge range could be heard in the back of the concert hall. Dr. Kasha, still unsure of the new direction, 'measured' the Clarita for volume, sustain, and balance in a special anechoic chamber
he had built at Florida State University. The physicist had to concede when the Clarita proved to be completely 'off the charts'. Boaz has been acclaimed by magazines, luthiers and players alike, all saying that the Clarita Negra is truly a breakthrough in guitar design and construction.

Boaz lives and works in his native Israel, where he continues his research and helps musicians from around the world get the most they can out of their instruments.