If the past year taught us anything, it’s that progress rarely happens in straight lines.
Sometimes it sounds like a guitar prototype being played in a room full of engineers who suddenly stop talking. Sometimes it looks like supply chains finally behaving after months of doing the logistical equivalent of the cha-cha. And sometimes it smells like whatever our fabulous colleague Lorelle decided to cook that day.
This year was about engineering discipline, resilience, and readiness. Now we’re carrying all of that forward with intent.
Continuing Guitar Development
Guitar development has continued in close collaboration with a sound engineer and our internal engineering team, with a clear focus on acoustic accuracy, consistency, and repeatability.
Recently, the sound engineer brought the latest prototype in and played it for the team. The beauty of the guitar was immediately audible. It was one of those moments where measured engineering decisions translate directly into something you can hear and feel… you could literally feel the room stop.
Behind that sound? Months of nerdy, obsessive work from our engineering team:
- material selection and behaviour
- geometry and structural design
- tolerance control in manufacturing
- iterative testing and evaluation under real playing conditions
Each iteration tightens the relationship between design intent and actual acoustic performance; reducing variability and improving how reliably the instrument delivers the sound it’s designed to produce.
Not finished yet. But measurably closer. And we can’t wait to show you more when this beauty hits the market.
Scaling Globally (While Keeping Systems Intact)
2025 was… let’s say, “eventful” on the global stage.
Global pressures increased. Trade decisions in the UK introduced uncertainty. Logistics decided to dance the cha-cha, and international delays followed. And yet, somehow, momentum didn’t stall.
There was a point where momentum could have stalled, particularly as national insurance tax changes and broader pressures hit UK businesses, but instead the focus shifted to protecting core systems.
How? By being deliberate, cautious, and yes a little stubborn.
- risk-aware planning that actually anticipated curveballs
- tighter forecasting so surprises were less shocking
- built-in contingencies for logistics and procurement
- long-term decisions over short-term panic
The result of that discipline: stronger foundations, fewer single points of failure, and a team that learned how to hold steady when the world went sideways.
Scaling the Work Itself: Higher Standards by Design
Over the past year, the work itself got complicated (in a good way):
- increased part counts and interfaces
- stricter internal quality requirements
- alignment with external standards and certification pathways
- more rigorous documentation and traceability
Some of it slowed us down. Some of it felt like a thousand tiny hurdles. But each piece was necessary for robustness, compliance, and long-term manufacturability.
Meanwhile, we strengthened supply chains, moving away from reactive sourcing toward stable, qualified partners with built-in flexibility. That foundation allowed us to take bolder risks, experiment creatively, and push innovation across design, process, and strategy.
Engineering Runs on People Too
Not everything that supports good engineering shows up in a Gantt chart.
Lorelle’s legendary cooking continues to create moments of togetherness. A space to talk, reset, and connect. Those informal conversations often do as much for clarity and alignment as any formal meeting.
Staying Connected Beyond the Workshop
We leaned into more events, networking, and group involvement; inside industry, inside community, and inside the company.
Why? Because real progress doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
These engagements bring exposure to evolving standards, emerging technologies, and practical insights, while also strengthening relationships across industry and community. Staying connected helps ensure the work remains relevant, informed, and forward-looking.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we move into 2026, the focus is unchanged:
- engineering rigour
- deliberate scaling
- creative problem-solving
- and a human approach to building complex systems
The past year reinforced that sustainable progress comes from discipline, collaboration, and a willingness to do things properly, even when it’s harder.
We’re excited to carry that forward, and if you’re curious about what we’re building or how we approach scaling with intention, let’s stay connected.
Watch this space.