The future of music is here. An alternative to wooden guitars and basses has been developed in Eugene.
Made out of carbon fiber, the design allows for lighter, stronger and acoustically different instruments from their wooden counter parts. The products come from University of Oregon alumni, Steven Mosher whose current career is far different from the one he originally set out for.
A UO graduate from the class of 1974, Mosher was an architecture landscape major. After working in landscaping for several years, Mosher made a career change. It was his love of surfing that caused him to look at his surf board more closely. With a passion for product design, Mosher said he began to look at the plastic it was made of in a new light.
“I was heavily influenced by design, and I was heavily influenced by being a wild and crazy beach kid,” Mosher said.
Mosher dove into the world of plastic and carbon design and discovered the musical properties of carbon fiber. He soon crafted a base neck out of the substance. Moses Carbon Graphite, named after Mosher’s wife nickname for him, was founded in 1981, according to the company’s website. The company is located locally here in Eugene and is fairly unknown to students.
“I think the lighter the guitar and the faster the action is, the easier to play,” said Gabe Gomez, a bass player and student at the UO, about the carbon fiber instruments.
As company founder and owner, Mosher has a business mind, not out of need, but necessity. His love of music and design is what drives him and his business forward, Mosher said.
“I like developing process, that’s what I like doing most. I don’t mind the entrepreneurial spirit,” Mosher said.
Carbon fiber is a tool to Mosher, not an art. It’s the sound it creates that makes him experiment with it, Mosher said.
“It would mean nothing to me if I couldn’t produce good sound,” Mosher said about carbon graphite.
While Mosher successfully made his mark in the music industry, he knows there are others who have not been so lucky and is grateful for what he has achieved.
“I feel very fortunate, even though [it’s] not like I’m a wealthy man out there like Bill Gates. I’m doing fine. What I can say is that it’s very difficult to get involved the music industry right now from scratch, just in practical terms,” Mosher said.
Others believe that he has done a great job in a tough industry.
“I think he’s made a go of it in an area that’s tough,” Don Lataske, a senior instructor of jazz and blues music, said.
While Mosher may spend a good deal of time designing products and running his company, he still finds time to perform live with his group of friends at local breweries and night clubs, Mosher said.
Moses Carbon Graphite will soon launch a line a speakers made out of carbon fiber and plastic. More information available at the link here.
Local UO Alumni crafts alternative to wooden musical instruments
Eric Schucht
December 5, 2015
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