What is flaxwood exactly?
Flaxwood is an innovative new tone material that is created by breaking the grain structure of natural wood and injection-molding it into shape together with an acoustically sensitive binding agent.
Technology

What are flaxwood's benefits compared to those of natural wood?
In so many words, acoustic consistency and uniformly flawless quality. As it is rid of irregularities in composition such as the grain and knots found in traditional tonewoods, the acoustic response of flaxwood is such that it resonates with equal force in all directions, and gives an even dynamic response through a guitar's entire range. Flaxwood is also completely unaffected by changes in humidity, making it a more reliable tone material in changing conditions. Flaxwood is also an ecological alternative to wood species used in traditional instrument building that are slowly nearing extinction.

How are Flaxwood guitars manufactured?
All Flaxwood guitars' bodies and necks are injection-molded. The guitar is fully assembled by hand. All of the fretwork, adjusting and fine-tuning are done by hand by experienced luthiers.

How does age affect a Flaxwood guitar's sound?
A brand new Flaxwood plays and sounds like a vintage guitar. Flaxwood is a natural tone material that is acoustically 'open' from the outset; you won't have to wait for years for the wood to settle and be broken in to get the best tone from your instrument. The sound is open and rich, straight from the workshop. Flaxwood is also practically immune to the effects of aging.

In which temperature can I play the guitar?
As with traditional solid-body guitars, avoid keeping your Flaxwood in extremely hot or cold temperatures.

How does humidity affect the guitar?
Flaxwood is completely impervious to changes in humidity. However, avoid long-term direct contact with water.

How much abuse can flaxwood as a material take compared to regular wood?
Flaxwood is a very sturdy material, on par with normal tonewoods as far as durability and strength is concerned - your guitar is not any more likely to break and not any less likely to break if dropped or knocked over than a guitar built from regular wood. However, as with all guitars, avoid direct, sudden blows to your instrument. When travelling, be sure to pack your guitar in a hardshell case to minimize the risk of damage.

Is flaxwood especially sensitive to feedback?
No. The Flaxwood handles feedback like any other semi-hollow, boutique quality guitar.

How does the semi-hollow construction of Flaxwood guitars work with high-gain active pickups?
Although stylewise the Flaxwood is without doubt one of the more versatile all-around guitars, it must be noted that all our guitars have a basically a semi-acoustic architecture; one reviewer placed a Flaxwood on an architectural scale somewhere between a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson 335, and this is a view we agree with. We mention this as some players who play in the heaviest high-gain spectrum have reported having feedback issues, most notably with the our EMG-equipped active pickup models, the Äijä and the Vasara. Other metal players have said that feedback has not been an issue for them at all. Still, we feel dutybound to bring this issue to public attention, and therefore recommend that if you are a very high gain player and are considering a Flaxwood, DO test the guitar at your actual performance gain levels to ensure that it suits your playing style and environment.

How long is the warranty on a Flaxwood guitar?
One (1) year limited warranty.

Does Flaxwood sell guitars directly from the workshop?
If you don't have a dealer near you, it is possible to order a Flaxwood guitar directly from us. If there is a dealer in your country, please do not hesitate to contact them for information on prices and stock.
Authorized Flaxwood dealers

What happened to the RZZ, Blacksmith, Fairlane and REC models? Can I still buy them somewhere?
Unless you come across an older model at one of our authorized dealers, no. With our 2007 line we gave these models new names with more of a Finnish identity that better reflects the true personality of each guitar. No other modifications were made, only the names were changed. Thus, the old RZZ corresponds to the new Liekki, the old Blacksmith to the new Vasara, the old Fairlane to the new Laine and the old REC to the new Voima.

What is the Flaxwood Custom Shop?
The Flaxwood Custom Shop can build you a guitar based on your custom specs.
Custom Shop

How long will it take to get my Custom Shop guitar delivered?
It will take 3-4 months, depending on your custom specs. The more intricate the customizations, the longer it will take our luthiers to build.

Do you make Custom Shop models such as left-handed models or 7-string guitars?
Unfortunately, at the moment, we don't have any left-handed models or 7-string options.

What should I do to care for and maintain my guitar?
For care and maintenance, wipe the body, neck and strings with a micro-fiber cloth after each use. Flaxwood master luthier Veijo Rautia recommends Johnson Pledge Multisurface for the lacquered surfaces and Johnson Teak Oil for the neck. Do not use any oils or chemicals other than those mentioned.

What strings can I use on my Schaller LP tremolo -equipped Flaxwood guitar?
Flaxwood guitars are strung with .010 -.046" strings at our workshop, and both their intonation and bridge springs are adjusted accordingly. You can also use .009 -.046" to .011 -.049" strings; if you wish to use thicker strings than .010 -.046", the tremolo springs may need to be changed to stiffer ones. If you use thinner strings, one or more springs can be removed from the bridge. Remember to recheck and readjust the guitar's intonation for each different gauge of strings you use.

What strings can I use on with my Gotoh bridge -equipped Flaxwood guitar?
Flaxwood guitars are strung with .010 -.046" strings at our workshop, and their intonation is adjusted accordingly. You can also use .009 -.046" and .011 -.049" sets. If you wish to use thicker gauges, the nut must be specially filed to suit the new strings to maintain your guitar´s optimum performance. Remember to recheck and readjust the guitar's intonation for each different gauge of strings you use.

Is it possible to adjust the intonation of each string separately on Flaxwoods with a fixed bridge?
Yes. The Gotoh 510UB bridge we use on our fixed bridge models has a screw for each string that can be turned to adjust the intonation of the string.

What is the function of the Flax resonator back plate?
The Flax resonator back plate was designed by our luthiers to amplify and enhance both the unplugged and plugged-in sound of the guitar. Unplugged, the sound of a Flaxwood gravitates towards that of an archtop guitar; plugged in, the back plate ensures an open and rich tone through the guitar's range.

Is the Flax resonator back plate made of metal?
No. Like the body and neck, it is also made of flaxwood.

What is the Tune-X Tuning System?
Flaxwood guitars come equipped with a Tune-X Tuning System nut, which allows for consistent tuning and flawless intonation on all positions on the fretboard. The Tune-X Tuning System nut is made of a self-lubricating, high-tech material and was especially and exclusively developed for Flaxwood Guitars.

Do I have to tune differently than I do now?
No. With the Tune-X you simply tune the guitar normally.

Can worn frets be changed?
Yes. The neck material is very ebony-like, so the luthier performing new fretwork has to have experience in working with ebony fretboards.

Can I have an even more ecologically-friendly model made that doesn't have any paint or lacquer finish?
We offer the Kivi oiled rock finish as an option.

If my Flaxwood guitar needs service, who can I contact?
All repairs are done at the Flaxwood workshop in Finland. Please contact info@flaxwood.com.

How do I get spare parts for my Flaxwood guitar?
For spare parts, you can contact our workshop at info@flaxwood.com.

For any and all other questions, please e-mail our customer service at jussi@flaxwood.com.