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Recently, global engineering company Sandvik presented the world’s first 3D printed smash-proof guitar. In a short film, Swedish-born guitar virtuoso and notorious guitar smasher Yngwie Malmsteen was challenged to destroy the unique, all-metal, 3D printed guitar during a live show in Miami
Since the project was launched on April 9, the guitar has evoked massive global interest, resulting in hundreds of articles and millions of views.
Now, Sandvik announces the one of a kind guitar, played and signed by Malmsteen, will be auctioned to raise funds for charity organization Engineers Without Borders Sweden.
The auction will run on popular online music marketplace, Reverb, from May 2, 2019, until May 12, 2019.
Visit Reverb to learn more about the auction or to place your bid:
The unusual project started with the notion that rock stars have been smashing guitars on stage for decades. Sandvik decided to test their cutting-edge technologies by building the world’s first 3D printed, all-metal, smash-proof guitar and letting Yngwie Malmsteen unleash his smashing skills on it.
After the unsuccessful smash attempt in Miami, the guitar had only suffered a few scratch marks. It was signed by Yngwie Malmsteen before heading back to Sandvik’s hometown of Sandviken, Sweden, where Yngwie had previously followed the production of the guitar.
"This guitar is a beast! Sandvik is obviously on top of their game. They put the work in, they do their hours, I can relate to that," Malmsteen said. "The result is amazing. I gave everything I had, but it was impossible to smash."
In the project, Sandvik gathered experts from across the company to demonstrate how they could use sustainable, cutting-edge techniques to make something that is both highly precise and amazingly durable.
Sandvik engineers teamed with renowned guitar designer Andy Holt, of Drewman Guitars, to match Malmsteen's exacting musical standards and his lightning-fast playing style.
For the guitar's 3D printed body, Sandvik relied on its world-leading expertise in metal powder and additive manufacturing. Lasers traced a design in beds of fine titanium powder, fusing layers of material one on top of the other.
The guitar's neck and fretboard were machined from a solid block of recycled stainless steel. To strengthen the fret and neck as they extended into the guitar's body a new, super-light lattice structure was sandwiched between the guitar's neck and fretboard.
Sandvik has been supporting Engineers Without Borders Sweden since 2017. Through their important work, solving engineering challenges related to inequality and global development, people around the world have been able to raise their standard of living.
