Design & Construction
Every Soleil guitar starts with a finished design. We engineer the geometry, balance, neck feel, and performance targets first, then build to that specification with tight tolerances and premium components. Nothing is improvised mid-build, and nothing is left to chance.
This approach allows us to focus on what matters most: accuracy, consistency, and reliability under real-world conditions. By limiting variables and building each instrument to a proven specification, we achieve predictable results—guitars that feel familiar in the hands, respond immediately, and hold up on stage, in the studio, and on the road.
This page outlines the core design decisions and construction details behind our instruments, explaining not just what we use, but why we use it—so you understand how each choice contributes to performance, longevity, and playability.
Design Philosophy
Soleil guitars are designed as complete systems, not modular platforms. Each model is engineered around a specific performance goal—feel, balance, response, and reliability are all defined before a build is ever offered. Once that design is finalized, it becomes the standard we build to.
This approach allows us to control variables that directly affect performance. Geometry, neck profile, scale length, materials, hardware, and electronics are chosen to work together as a unified system rather than independent options. The result is an instrument that behaves predictably, stays consistent from build to build, and performs the same way night after night.
By avoiding open-ended customization, we’re able to focus on tighter tolerances, repeatable accuracy, and long-term stability. Fewer variables mean fewer compromises—and more attention can be placed on execution, setup, and overall build quality.
Every Soleil guitar is built with the intent that it will be played hard, transported often, and relied on in demanding environments. The design philosophy reflects that reality: clarity over excess, consistency over choice, and performance over novelty.
CAD Design & Validation
Every Soleil guitar begins long before any material is cut. Each model is developed through an extensive CAD design and validation process where geometry, balance, and functionality are proven before machining ever starts.
Every component of the instrument is modeled in detail—including body geometry, neck profile, scale length, fret placement, hardware, electronics, and routing. Hardware components are modeled to exact specifications to ensure proper fitment, clearances, and mechanical function. Nothing is assumed, and nothing is left to interpretation on the bench.
Special attention is given to tolerances, alignment, and center of mass. Balance points, strap locations, and overall weight distribution are evaluated digitally to ensure the instrument hangs correctly and feels stable in playing position. This prevents ergonomic issues from appearing later in the build, where they are far more difficult to correct.
Designs are refined, tested, and revised repeatedly until every element works together as a complete system. Only once a model has been fully validated in CAD—fit, function, balance, and manufacturability—does it move on to CNC programming and machining.
This process is time-intensive by design. Investing heavily in CAD validation eliminates downstream errors, reduces variability, and ensures that every instrument produced behaves exactly as intended.
Neck Design & Stability
The neck is the foundation of the instrument, and every Soleil guitar is engineered around long-term stability, control, and comfort. Rather than relying on traditional symmetrical profiles, we use a custom asymmetrical C–D neck profile designed to match the natural mechanics of the fretting hand.
A fuller C shape on the bass side provides a solid anchor for the thumb, improving leverage and control during fast runs, tight rhythm work, and extended legato passages. The flatter D shape on the treble side reduces unnecessary mass, allowing the hand to stay relaxed and mobile at speed. This asymmetry reduces fatigue without sacrificing rigidity, keeping the neck fast but stable under aggressive playing.
To ensure consistency and resistance to movement, each neck is reinforced with carbon fiber rods and paired with a two-way stainless steel heel-adjust truss rod. This construction minimizes the effects of string tension, temperature changes, and humidity, allowing the neck to remain predictable over time and easy to maintain.
The result is a neck that feels immediately familiar, stays stable under real-world conditions, and supports demanding playing without becoming a limiting factor.
Scale Lengths & Geometry
Scale length and geometry play a major role in how an instrument feels, responds, and stays in tune. Each Soleil model is engineered with a specific scale and layout chosen to support its intended tuning range, playing style, and performance demands.
Standard 25.5” scale designs are used where balance, familiarity, and versatility are the priority. This length provides a predictable feel across a wide range of tunings while maintaining comfortable string tension and clear articulation.
For models designed around lower tunings and higher string tension, multiscale layouts are used to improve consistency across the fretboard. By increasing scale length on the lower strings while maintaining a shorter scale on the treble side, multiscale designs reduce floppiness, improve intonation, and preserve clarity without increasing overall playing fatigue.
All fret placement, bridge positioning, and neck angles are engineered to work together as a single system. Multiscale layouts are never used as a visual feature—only when they provide a measurable improvement in tuning stability, response, and low-end definition.
The result is a guitar that feels natural in the hands, stays accurate across the entire fretboard, and performs consistently under real-world playing conditions.
Materials & Tonewoods
Materials are chosen for performance first, not tradition or appearance. Every Soleil guitar uses woods selected for stability, consistency, weight balance, and predictable response, so the instrument behaves the same way every time it’s played.
Body woods such as walnut, limba, and mahogany are used for their balanced tonal profiles and structural reliability. These woods provide strong midrange presence, controlled low end, and manageable weight—important for both extended sessions and live performance. Tops are selected to complement the body wood and refine attack and articulation without introducing unnecessary complexity.
Neck woods are chosen with long-term stability in mind. Maple variants—standard, figured, or roasted—offer stiffness, responsiveness, and resistance to movement. Where roasting is used, it improves dimensional stability and consistency without altering the intended feel of the instrument.
Fretboard materials are selected for durability and tactile response. Options such as Richlite, maple, and ebony-style boards provide a smooth, fast playing surface that holds up under heavy use. Combined with stainless steel frets, these materials ensure consistent feel and longevity with minimal maintenance.
Rather than offering a wide range of interchangeable materials, each combination is engineered as part of a complete system. Wood choices are made to support the guitar’s geometry, hardware, and electronics—resulting in an instrument that feels balanced, responsive, and reliable over time.
Hardware & Tuning Stability
Hardware is selected to support tuning stability, balance, and long-term reliability under real playing conditions. Every component is chosen to work as part of the instrument’s overall system—not as an upgrade path or aesthetic feature.
Hipshot hardware is used throughout for its consistency, precision, and durability. Whether fixed bridge, tremolo, or headless systems, each configuration is chosen based on the model’s performance goals. Fixed bridges prioritize direct string response and tuning security, while tremolo systems are selected for smooth operation and reliable return-to-pitch without excess mass or complexity.
Where headless designs are used, the goal is improved balance, reduced overall weight, and increased tuning stability. Removing unnecessary mass from the headstock minimizes dead spots and improves resonance while making the instrument more comfortable during long sessions and live performance.
Supporting components—such as Graph Tech TUSQ XL nuts, quality string trees, and locking tuners—are used to reduce friction points and ensure smooth tuning behavior. Strap locks and recessed hardware are standard to protect the instrument during transport and stage use.
Every hardware choice is made with one outcome in mind: a guitar that stays in tune, responds immediately, and holds up under repeated use, without requiring constant adjustment or maintenance.
Electronics & Control Layouts
Electronics are chosen to deliver clarity, control, and consistency under high-gain conditions. Rather than offering multiple pickup options or complex switching schemes, each Soleil guitar is engineered around a matched pickup set selected to complement the instrument’s geometry, materials, and intended use.
Bare Knuckle pickups are used for their consistency, articulation, and dynamic response. Each set is chosen to maintain tight low end, controlled mids, and clear note separation under saturation—ensuring the guitar stays defined at volume and at speed. Pickup selection is finalized as part of the overall system and remains fixed to preserve predictability from build to build.
Control layouts are intentionally simple and performance-focused. Volume is placed first, with coil split functionality included where it adds practical flexibility rather than novelty. Tone controls are retained for shaping without clutter, and switching layouts are kept direct and intuitive to avoid distractions during performance.
All control cavities are fully shielded to minimize noise, and wiring is assembled for durability and serviceability. The result is an electronics system that responds immediately, remains quiet under gain, and stays reliable on stage and in the studio.
Finishing & Clear Coat
Finishing is treated as a functional step, not a decorative one. Every Soleil guitar is finished to protect the instrument, preserve resonance, and withstand real-world use—without unnecessary thickness or damping.
All colors, stains, and burst finishes are applied by hand, not sprayed. This allows precise control over color depth, transitions, and transparency while avoiding the inconsistencies that come with heavy sprayed pigments. Hand application ensures each finish enhances the natural character of the wood while remaining consistent and repeatable across builds.
Clear coats are applied using a UV-cured lacquer system, chosen for its durability and consistency compared to traditional air-cured finishes. UV curing allows the finish to fully harden quickly and evenly, resulting in a surface that is tougher, more resistant to wear, and less prone to soft spots or premature aging.
Finish thickness is carefully controlled to provide protection without choking the instrument. Once cured, surfaces are leveled and polished to achieve a smooth, refined feel that holds up to touring, temperature changes, and regular use.
Every finish exists to serve the instrument first—durable, stable, and road-ready—with appearance following function.
Playability, Setup & Consistency
Playability is not treated as a final adjustment—it is engineered into every Soleil guitar from the earliest design stages and verified throughout the build before the instrument leaves the shop. Geometry, neck profile, scale length, fretwork, and hardware are designed to work together so the guitar feels predictable, responsive, and immediately familiar in the hands.
Every structural component is CNC machined to within .001” accuracy, ensuring repeatable geometry and tight tolerances across builds. Critical parts are inspected during the build phase, not just at the end. If a component does not meet specification, it is rejected and remade before the build continues. This process eliminates tolerance stacking and prevents small inaccuracies from becoming larger playability issues later.
Stainless steel frets are standard for their durability, smooth feel, and long-term consistency. Each fret is carefully leveled and dressed to ensure even response across the entire fretboard, clean articulation, and accurate intonation without dead spots or uneven behavior.
Setup is executed with precision and repeatability. Digital indicators are used to measure nut slot depth, neck relief, and string action, allowing adjustments to be made accurately and consistently rather than by feel alone. This ensures each instrument meets the same performance targets and eliminates variability between builds.
Relief, action, and intonation are dialed in to balance speed, control, and stability—not extreme measurements that only work under ideal conditions. The goal is an instrument that plays fast and clean while remaining reliable under aggressive picking, heavy fretting pressure, and extended sessions.
Because each model is built to a defined specification and verified against the same benchmarks, setup results are consistent from guitar to guitar. Instruments do not leave the shop until they meet strict playability and performance standards, both on the bench and in the hands.
What We Don't Do
We don’t offer open-ended customization, mid-build design changes, or unproven configurations. Soleil guitars are engineered as complete systems, and altering individual elements compromises consistency, reliability, and performance.
We don’t chase trends, novelty features, or cosmetic options that don’t serve the instrument. Every material, dimension, and component is chosen because it performs a specific function within the design.
We don’t build from guesswork. Designs are validated in CAD, components are machined to tight tolerances, and anything that fails to meet specification is rejected before the build continues.
And we don’t ship instruments that fall short of our standards. If a part, setup, or final result doesn’t meet our requirements for accuracy, stability, and playability, it doesn’t leave the shop.
These limits exist for one reason: to ensure every Soleil guitar performs exactly as intended—consistent, reliable, and ready to be played without compromise.
From time to time, we may accept a limited number of fully custom builds by request, provided they align with our design standards and can be accommodated within the production schedule. These projects are handled separately and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Closing Statement
Every Soleil guitar is built with a single goal: to perform exactly as intended, every time it’s picked up. Design decisions are made deliberately, validated before production, and executed with tight tolerances and strict standards.
By engineering complete systems and controlling variables throughout the process, we’re able to deliver instruments that feel familiar, respond immediately, and remain reliable under real-world conditions. Nothing leaves the shop unless it meets those expectations.
This approach isn’t about volume or variety—it’s about consistency, accuracy, and trust. When a Soleil guitar arrives in your hands, the work has already been done.