Maliposa Music
Revolutionary, unique, strong, attractive,
resonant, and the ultimate acoustic
musical instruments
Crafted by: John Alden Robinson
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Design and Structure
  • All our musical instruments make judicious use of the latest musical
    instruments and aviation construction theories and advanced materials
    such as: fiberglass, carbon fiber, honeycomb, and marine epoxy resin to
    produce unique, attractive, strong, resonate, and the ultimate acoustical
    instruments possible. Our instruments are built in the Arizona desert and
    are sealed inside and outside to maintain optimal wood moisture. We would
    not recommend it, but you could use one of our guitars to paddle a boat
    without hurting it too much. The last statement in red is no longer true; I
    have succumbed to the pressures of industry. The epoxy was so slow in
    curing and I would get all kinds of dust and contamination in the finish and
    it does not buff out. So our guitars are finished in a fine nitrocellulose
    lacquer. Our necks are finished in either lacquer or hand rubbed oil. The oil
    if you play a lot is slicker and faster but requires much more maintenance. It
    is your choice.
Our Tops or Soundboards
  • We have tested many types of tops and top materials and bracing patterns and are now as a standard
    offering our sculptured Almost Brace-less Biplaner Tops using our 2V2X design, our MMX design and our
    FB5M for Classical Guitars.
Our Sculptured Biplaner
2V2X top

El Conquistador and option on our other guitarts
  • Our Biplaner-2V2X top uses an outer skin of
    Western Red Cedar for a strong bass, or Stika
    Spruce for fuller range,  or {Adirondack Red
    Spruce*} of approximately 0.045" thick. On the
    under side is placed carbon fiber reinforcement
    pattern of uni-directional carbon fiber strands
    three layers thick at differing lengths. A little like
    leaf-springs or as close as I can come to
    parabolic bracing. This forms the upper part of
    our cantilever almost brace-less system.

  • A Nomex honeycomb core is applied to the
    outer skin and the carbon fiber bracing and is
    sanded to a desirable thickness with more of
    the Nomex being taken away at the edges of
    the sound board and where it passes over the
    carbon fiber bracing  
  • The inner skin is of .025" thick Hemlock veneer I have just recently been able to get Hemlock in a veneer
    form and ready to use as the under side skin. Hemlock has been tested as guitar top and found superior to
    Engelmann Spruce for Classical guitars. The problem is getting good enough quality Hemlock to make
    those tops. It often has small sap pits marring otherwise good wood. Carbon fiber bracing is placed on the
    underside of the inner skin. This forming the lower layer of carbon fiber that can be adjusted to control the
    flexibility and strength of the top. The strength of this top system comes from the almost matching layers of
    carbon fiber separated by the core of Nomex honeycomb in a cantilever construction. As note I am having
    problems in getting tops weak enough to flex enough to match the carbon fiber bracing on the
    underside!          
  • Classical tops require different properties than our steel-string tops. Our Biplaner FB5M uses an outer skin of
    Engelmann Spruce, or Canadian Cypress, or  {Carpathian Spruce *}. Fritz Muller one of the leaders in
    Biplaner construction says that the outer skin determines most of the characteristic of the top. A Classical
    guitar needs draw out the upper ranges. The internal crystallization of Engelmann Spruce makes it a better
    wood for a classical Guitar than Stika Spruce.   

  • A Nomex honeycomb core is applied to the outer skin and the carbon fiber bracing and sanded to a desirable
    thickness with more of the Nomex being  taken away where it crosses the carbon fiber and at the edges of the
    top.
Our Sculptured Biplaner
Classical FB5M Top

For: Der Hauser
* Adirondack and German Spruce are difficult to come by and very expensive expect an additional charge for
using them!
We Test each top for Strength and
for Optimal Output
  • We test every top and make adjustments for optimal performance. On
    the left is an El Cornkeestador 12-string S/N 10905 an early experiment
    in Biplaner constructron using spider shaped carbon fiber reinforced
    birch bracing. The string load for a 12 string is 375 to 400 pounds acting
    through the height of the bridge. As note: This El Cornkeestador needed
    to be stronger and required additional bracing on the underside before it
    was assembled!
Our Sides Construction Use Two
Different Methods
  • We are currently using a lamination system of: an outer lamination of veneer and inner matching veneer and
    the core at 90 degree of Hemlock veneer. It is a system that has been used for over 30-years in cheaper
    guitars built in Far East! But not with a Hemlock core. Herman Hauser in his later guitars laminated Spruce
    to the Rosewood in a similar manner. It make a side of .070" and very resistant to cracking and looks and
    responses as if it was solid wood.
  • We have also evolved here or may be we should say we have de-evolved.
    Our earlier works we used a veneer of a selected wood and at 90 degrees
    a layer of Balsa Wood to stabilize the veneer. On the veneers we used to
    use 5.7 oz woven carbon fiber making a side or back of about 0.060" and
    very strong.
  • We are currently using a lamination system of: an outer lamination of veneer and inner matching veneer
    and the core at 90 degree of bass wood 1/16" thick. It is a system that has been used for over 30-years in
    cheaper guitars built in Far East! It make a side of .100" and very resistant to cracking and looks and
    responses as if it was solid wood.   
Our Back's Construction Use Two Different Systems
The Flying Buttress (Classical Guitars)
  • Interior of a classical guitar the Flying
    Buttresses go from the neck block to waist
    without touching the top or the back, and
    the waste brace for the back does not touch
    the back. Only the top diagonal touches the
    top tuning it for optimal out put.
Our Substructure (Steel-
String Guitars)
  • All our steel-string musical instruments
    minimize wasted vibrational energy
    dissipated from the neck into
    instrument body where it is unwanted
    by using a body substructure frame
    running from the neck block to the tail
    block. The sub structure does not
    contact the top or the back and has
    numerous holes in the web.

  • As a note the back of a guitar can be
    completely removed and the
    instrument will stay in tune!
  • All our musical instruments reduce wasted vibrational energy dissipated in the neck and pegboard (Machine
    head) so more goes into sound volume and sustain. We accomplish this by making a neck that is very
    ridged and strong by using epoxy resin, carbon fiber and wood laminations in the neck transverse the neck
    from the bottom of the heel to tip of the pegboard. Not just strips running under the fingerboard. Much of the
    unwanted flexing takes place in the pegboard and neck heel.
  • The neck above shows the laminations of carbon fiber and wood. This neck has 3-lamination that runs from
    tip pegboard to the end of the fingerboard extension with layers of unidirectional carbon fiber top bottom
    and in between. 5 more laminations run from the tip of the pegboard to the neck heal making the 90 degree
    turn and are glue to a neck filler block to make the neck heel. Carbon fiber is between each lamination. The
    neck less the fingerboard is 0.55" thick or less. The truss rod actually sets minimum thickness that we can
    make a neck.     
  • We, on our steel-string guitars, use a 24.1” or 22.7" fret scale, latter two are shorter scale than most
    manufactures. We like the sound of these scales complemented by medium gauge strings. The shorter
    scale relieves much of the hard string depression pressures. Note! The most sought after guitars are the
    per-war Martin Guitars, which used a similar length scale.
  • Our Nylon-string Guitars use a 650mm (25.59") scale, which is a standard. We will build shorter or longer
    scales and thinner necks than standard if it is desirable.
  • All our musical instruments have double
    acting truss rods and have removable
    necks with our tripodal adjustment system
    so they can be adjusted or replaced. The
    neck can be adjusted up or down, left or
    right, and even in or out to correct for
    changes in intonation scale. Because the
    neck has to move in the neck pocket
    there is little gap between the neck and
    sides that some find objectionable.
    Something new!

  • On our steel-string instruments the neck
    go in a neck jig for month where it is
    placed under full tension. We check string
    tension and adjust the truss rod during
    this period. At end of the month if any
    irregularities occur in the fingerboard they
    are sanded out before we proceed with
    the inlay and fret work.

  • We finish the playing surfaces -the
    fingerboard- with rubbed oil and we will
    do the back of the neck for a faster
    slippery feel in oil but it requires more
    maintenance. For a more durable neck
    finish we use Nitrocellulose Lacquer.
Other Standard Features
  • Tail block access panels for interior
    Access for string changes, neck
    adjustment and ease of adding
    electronics.

  • Armrest for more less dampening of the
    soundboard comfortable playing, an
    option in our economy instruments and
    standard feature on level one options.
We believe in Quality not Quantity
    The most instruments we ever hope to build is five a month. That way each
    instrument has the necessary attention that a hand crafted
    signature musical instrument should receive.
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Specification and pricing are subject to change without notification. The instrument pictured may not conform to the specifications in text or the way they
are currently being built. This web site will be updated as best we can make the changes. For further interest or questions,  please Contact us.
Our Sculptured Biplaner MMX
Soundboard

(Nazarene Star, Southern Belle, and Southern Star)

MMX
is our aberration for (Modernized Martin 'X') other than
the lay-out of the carbon fiber braces it is much the
same in construction as the 2V2X top for an El
Conquistador top above.
Use Our Sculptured Biplaner Almost Brace-less System
In Our Classical Guitars
In Our Steel-string instruments
The Sculptured Cylindrical Biplaner Back (Classical Guitars)

  • The back is made much the same as our Sculptured Biplaner Tops. But the Flying Buttress 'A' frame allows us
    to build the back without bracing. The outer skin matches the sides veneers but the inner skin is hemlock
    separated by varied thickness Nomex. Herman Hauser in his latter guitars laminated the back with inner skin
    of Spruce. The overall shape is a simple cylindrical curve of a 3/4" in 18". There is difference of 3/32" in the
    thickness of the back slightly doming the outer skin of the back in a prescribed pattern.
A Neiuport 28 Biplane

Of the Hat and Ring Squadron that Eddie
Rickenbacker (Top scoring American ace) scored
most of his kills in during WWI

Biplane as in two planes or wings is still the lightest
and strongest way to build an airplane because of the
duplication of structure and inter spacial bracing
which has led to the modern honeycomb structure in
current airplanes!
The Sculptured Cylindrical Laminate Back
(Nazarene Star, Southern Belle, Southern Star and El Conquistdor)

  • To stabilize the outer skin at 90 degrees the first core veneer (same as the outer
    skin is glued and pressed to take out the ripples and dimples in the outer veneer.
    The outer skin and the first core layer goes on to a Sculpturing board where
    second core layer of 3/32" Basswood also 90 degrees to centerline of the guitar
    is applied. The Bass Wood is much thicker than the two outer veneers. The
    Basswood is sanded to where it is non-existent at edges creating a difference of
    3/32" in the thickness of the back from the center to the sides. Then a matching
    veneer to outer skin is applied to finish the back.

  • The Sub Structure that we use makes it possible to eliminate all bracing on back
    of the guitar so the back is free to flex and amplify the sound of our instruments.
  • Optimized Elliptical Bridges
  • shaped to the size of the guitar soundboard for information
    on bridges a download is available on our index page
Tripodal neck pocket and
the  neck base above
The neck in the tripodal
neck pocket note the small
sometimes objectionable
but absolutely necessary
gap
Neck in the Jig under full loading before inlay and fretting
Nomex Honeycomb

To the right our MMX top for Our Nazarene Star mid way
through the Sculpturing process of the Nomex core. The
outer skin bracing can be seen through the honeycomb. The
lighter colored areas have been sanded and reduced in
thickness. The top is it's thickest at the sound hole area.
-The darkest area.
  • The inner skin is of .025" thick Hemlock veneer. Carbon fiber bracing is placed on the underside of the inner
    skin. This lower layer of carbon fiber can be adjusted to control the flexibility and strength of the top. The
    strength of this top system comes from the almost matching layers of carbon fiber separated by a core of
    Nomex Honeycomb in a cantilever construction.         
  • A Players Sound Ports on all guitars with only one sound
    hole. A Southern Star in the finishing stage pictured to
    the Left.
Classical
Steel String
Our Necks