The Boaz One Modular Guitar’s Kickstarter nears completion

The Boaz One, a modular guitar that allows for instant swapping-out of pickups, is set to be funded later this week after a highly successful Kickstarter campaign.

The guitar was announced earlier this year, and hit its initial crowdfunding goal on 2 August. Since then, backers have raised over $400,000 for the project, which will be funded on 28 September.

The Boaz One’s striking design consists of a mostly polycarbonate construction for its three main parts. The core consists of the neck, an interchangeable bridge and the jack socket. The body fits around the core, with the choice of either a sleek, minimalist wing design or a more traditional full body. A body module with an integrated amplifier is also showcased in the Kickstarter video, but is reportedly on hold due to technical issues. The pickup module slots into the core underneath the strings, and lets the guitar leap across musical styles within seconds.

While the outré design might send tonewood purists reeling, Boaz is confident in its material choices. The polycarbonate body is far more resistant to changes in temperature and humidity than wood, and hence can forgo setups for the most part. The body also won’t pick up chips and dings quite as easily as a traditional guitar might.

Another potential concern laid to rest by Boaz is the issue of refretting: while a luthier might not know how to refret a polycarbonate neck, the core module is easily replaced for less than the cost of a fret job, should the Boaz One become unplayable from fret wear.

The Boaz One is available for the discounted preorder price of $279 through kickstarter.com. More information at boazone.modularguitar.com.