Cross-Fertilization to Innovate the Guitar Design

The paper suggests to reflect and discuss on cross-fertilization and, especially, on innovated materials, electronics and 3d printing technologies applied in the guitar design. The making of stringent instrument concerns different levels of design and production system. Regarding the electric guitar, the cross-fertilization's dynamics concern methods and tools in terms of product and process innovation. The purpose of this paper is to review my recent research conducted with the help of companies, luthiers, musicians, engineers and designers, in order to address the complexity of cross-fertilization for the innovation of the guitar design. The findings of this study suggest new research opportunities linked to the concepts of physical and psychological nature, such as, for instance, usefulness, aesthetics, understandable, environmentally, user friendly.