FAQ

For a basic U8 or U10 please use our preorder form. These models can just be customize to a certain degree. If you have special requests write it to the comment box in the form and we will get in contact with you. 

For custom models sent a mail to Stefan Huth. Once you’ve clarified the model, wood, pickups and finish that you want, and are ready to confirm your order, we ask for a 50% down-payment (1000€ on U8 and U10) so that we can get the building process started. 

It takes between 6-9 months (4-5 months for the basic models) to construct and complete a Touch Guitar. During this period, you will be constantly updated about the progress of your build.

Don’t worry – unlike most touchstyle instruments, you can continue to use all regular guitar and bass techniques on a Touch Guitar (including pick playing, fingerpicking or slapping) without a drop-off in either playability or sound quality.

Since the string action is really low, you just need to get comfortable with using a softer touch than you might expect from having played a regular bass or guitar.

Yes – you can play it in a more traditional guitar position, or even something much more eccentric if you like! Our Touch Guitars are perfectly balanced instruments – so you can put them into any position that you want, and they will stay there. 

Regarding the “unusual angle” – many of our Touch Guitar Circle players do choose to play their instrument at a fifty-degree angle to suit some of the pieces and playing styles in the foundational TGC repertoire. However, the instrument has been specifically designed to be adaptable to any player’s choice of playing position.

We have the following pickups available for all 8 stringed instruments (U8, T8, U8 Deluxe, S8, AU8)

1. Touch Guitars® custom pickups (a very modern-sounding soapbar-style pickup)
2. Delano SBC HE/S (transparent and clean sounding and standard on basic U8)
   https://www.delano.de/sbc6_he_s/sbc6_he_s_details.html
3. Lace Alumitone Bassbar (more bass pronounced, passive and a lot of output)
   https://lacemusic.com/products/aluma-bass-bar-4-0-for-5-string-basses
4. Cycfi Spectra (active full range pickup with flat response and tone block to shape the sound)
   https://www.cycfi.com/category/xr-spectra/

As a default option, the U8 model uses a factory-standard Delano SBC Series pickup. The AU8 semi-acoustic model uses both the custom pickup and an extra set of custom piezo pickups (to make full use of its expanded tonal potential).

The U10 model (due to the greater number of strings) uses an expanded version of the custom pickups. There are two versions available.

1. Touch Guitars® custom pickups V2
   (best dynamics and a transparent and clean tone)
2. Touch Guitars® custom pickups V1
   (has adjustable polepieces and more output)

The custom pickups can also be commissioned in various on-demand forms (for example, pickups in PVC or wood housings, or pickups which are laser-engraved).

Our tuning is designed around the greatest pitch range available on a 34″ scale length instrument without sacrificing tonal quality. We have found that the ideal range is one which starts at the low B♭ on a bass guitar (B♭₀) and ends at the D found on the 22nd fret of a regular guitar (D6).

The tuning is also optimal for playing with all eight fingers on the fretboard since it allows you to easily cover a whole octave with both hands in a single position without stretching.

These are the gauges of our basic Touch Guitar® string sets.
rw = roundwound
p = plain
TGC = we use this tuning in the Touch Guitar Circle

8-string TGC tuning: U8, U8 Deluxe T8, S8, AU8 Standard

Bb – .110 rw
F – .080 rw
C – .055 rw
G – .035 rw
D – .020 p (+ 020 rw as an option)
A – .013 p
C – .011 p
D – .009 p (2x)

8-string Multiscale TGC tuning: U8, U8 Deluxe T8, S8, AU8 Standard

Bb – .110 rw – 35“
F – .075 rw – 34,714“
C – .050 rw- 34,429“
G – .035 rw – 34,143“
D – .020 rw – 33,857“
A – .013 p – 33,571“
C – .011 p – 33,286“
D – .010 p – 33“

10-string Tuning 5th/4th

D – .010 p
A – .013 p
E – .018 p
B – .024 p
F# – .036 rw
———————————
C – .105 rw
G – .070 rw
D – .045 rw
A – .030 rw
E – .018 p

10-string TGC Tuning 5th/5th

C – .011 p
A – .013 p
D – .020 p
G – .035 rw
C – .055 rw
——————————
Bb – .110 rw
F – .080 rw
C – .050 rw
G – .035 rw
D – .020 p

Yes – there is absolutely no problem with doing this. However, since we are using locking tuners the string needs to be long enough to reach the tuner of a 34″ scale length instrument. Most regular guitar strings and bass strings will work with this setup. We recommend the use of contact core or exposed core strings to allow for easier setup of the string height as well as providing a brighter playing tone.

Since most of the well-known amplifier modelers and Profilers offer a full range of guitar and bass sounds, they will all work perfectly with the full range of a Touch Guitar®. If you’re asking for a more direct recommendation, we at Touch Guitars have had a particularly good experience with Phil Jones Bass amplifiers with 5″ speakers. These accommodate the whole tonal range of the instrument perfectly. 

Touch Guitars are robust and tend not to develop serious problems: however, there is a support system available for when this happens. The first thing that you do is contact us by email with details of the problem: our product specialists can easily advise you on solutions to small problems which you can fix yourself. In the case of more substantial problems which need to be fixed by a luthier, you’ll need to send your instrument to our manufacturing address in Austria, with full details (advising us via email first). For the benefit of players in the United States, we also have US-based partners who can check your instrument so that you do not have to send it to Europe – email us for details.

The strap is made out of premoium buffalo leather and can be cut to length.

The ideal height is when the nut is at chin height when playing it in an upright position.