alchemy acoustic labs

These are frequently asked questions regarding the AO1 Process™. If you have a specific question that isn’t answered here, please email or call us.

Q. Do you change anything structural or cosmetic about the guitar?
A. No. There is no shaving, sanding, removal, addition or alteration of material in any way or modifications to the bracing, saddle or any other part of the instrument. The changes are at a cellular level and are undetectable to physical observation.

Q. Why can’t you explain what the process actually is and how it works?
A. The process is one that Frank Sanns has worked on for some time.  We are in Patent-Applied-For status right now. Upon their issuance, more information may be shared with the public. If we told everyone how it worked without any protection – every guitar coming out of China would suddenly start to sound better and we’d be out of a fantastic, breakthrough, game-changing product. We understand that this may seem off-putting to some people. We encourage you to read everything we’re saying about what the process is NOT, and read, hear and watch real customers’ and real players’ reactions to our results.

Q. I’ve got a  custom, hand-built, small-batch guitar with an Adirondack top and select Brazilian Rosewood back & sides  that one of the best small luthiers in Vermont made for me personally. How can you say there’s something wrong with it?!
A. We don’t say that. We love and support small luthiers. There’s nothing wrong with it any more than there was anything “wrong” with a brand new Martin D-28 in 1932. Our process isn’t designed to “fix” something wrong with well-made guitars, it’s designed to take them to their fullest mature potential as intended by the masters who built them. Would it sound even better if you played it and cared for it for 75 years or so? Then it can sound that kind of better right now.

Q. What wood types are good candidates for the AO1 process? What about body shape/size? What about age?
A. As of yet, none of those factors have emerged as a pattern in how well a guitar does with our process. Stiffer, “overbuilt” guitars improve significantly more, but we’ve seen top-end results with several different wood combinations, ages and body sizes.

Q. I read online someone suggesting that the process involves ammonia fuming or microbes. Is that true?
A. No. There has been quite a lot of speculation from people as to what the process “must be”. Most of it is is very entertaining but none of it has any firsthand knowledge behind it. If it were anything as implicitly invasive as chemical fuming or microbes, we would most likely not be able to offer it without some sort of license. It also isn’t shaving, cutting, sanding, pressurizing, shaking, plasticizing or space aliens. It is simply real science applied in an extremely specific, controlled, tested, measurable way.

Q. You are making claims of +3db  and more volume gains. That’s more than doubling the output of a guitar. That’s outlandish.
A. No, it’s significant. Every guitar’s results are different. We don’t claim to be able to take a guitar and increase its amplitude by “Xdb”. It WILL get louder, achieve more sustain, have a more balanced sound, and feel easier to play. Those are the areas that we affect. But because every guitar is different, every guitar’s processed results are different and they’re impossible to predict accurately enough to make promises from. On average, we’ve been seeing about +3db increase on the guitars we’ve processed. Recently, we had a guitar that achieved a +6db gain.

Q. Wait, what do you mean when you say “decibels” or “doubling”? Do you mean power, volume or what?
A. Decibels are often used to describe the Power in a system. The decibel is not a linear unit so double the power is not double the number of decibels. Since the decibel is the logarithm of the ratio of one power to another it works out that every 3 db is a doubling of power. Increasing the power of an audio amplifier by 3 decibels increases the power by a factor of two. A 100 watt amplifier is 3 db more powerful than a 50 watt amplifier.

However, that power doubling is not perceived as twice as loud. This is because the human ear does not perceive a doubling of power as a doubling of volume. In this case, as it turns out, the human ear perceives a 10 db gain as “twice” as loud. The difference between total silence and a whisper is +15db. LINK Depending on your baseline measurement – you will experience volume changes much differently. To experience a difference of 3 dB, position yourself 20 feet from a constant volume sound source like a guitar or speaker. Move up to 14.1 feet and that is a 3 db increase in power density but it will be only moderately detectable as far as perceived loudness. Move up to 10 feet from the source and you’re now experiencing a +6db in perceived loudness.

100% of the guitars we have processed have come up in volume. Across the board. Some more than others.
For many players, ANY volume gain is welcome.

Q. Is the process permanent or is it lost over time or when I change strings?
A. The process is permanent. Due to the physical nature of the process, your instrument will actually continue to improve for 4-6 weeks after it is returned to you. It will not dissipate with the changing of strings or anything else you choose to do to your guitar.

Q. What happens after the process when I get my guitar back?
A. Your instrument will continue to improve from the process for roughly 4-6  weeks after the process at a tapering rate before leveling out. A few notes about your Post-Process experience:

There is a  ‘burn in’ time of about three weeks where we suggest that you play the guitar in standard tuning for about 1-2 hours a day.

When we process the guitar, it takes the wood to a point as if it were played for many years. But it far surpasses the amount of those characteristics that one person could achieve with one playing style.  After the guitar has been processed, the ‘burn in’ time helps ’set’ those characteristics in place much like when you apply pressure to two pieces of wood while you’re gluing them. The more pressure you apply via a clamp – the better the join will be. You create the “clamping” benefits by playing (the more aggressively, the better) for about 3 weeks after the initial process has been rendered.

Q. Will the process work on a composite material  instrument?
A. No. The process was designed around the natural polymer properties of  wooden instruments.

Q. If I like the results of the process, can I have it done a second or third time or more to get more out of my guitar?
A. No. The process is one time, permanent and each instrument receives the fullest extent of what we are able to bring out of it.

Q. Will the process work on other stringed instruments like a mandolin or a violin?
A. Yes. The process is specially optimized for each instrument type. It was initially conceived for guitars but came out of research that was carried out on multiple types of stringed instruments. The mandolins and violins we have processed have improved dramatically.

Q. Will my instrument be subjected to any harsh temperature or humidity changes.
A. No. Your instrument will be kept at controlled, normal ambient environmental conditions during its stay at our labs.

Q. Will it work with nylon string classical guitars?
A. Yes. The classical guitars we have processed have had some of the most dramatic improvements of any instruments that we have recorded thus far.

Q. I have a small crack in my guitar. Can it still get the process?
A. The process is intended for instruments in good structural condition. We would prefer that you have it professionally repaired before sending it to us.

Q. How long does the process take?
A. Depending on our waiting list/backlog, we will have your guitar for about  3-4 weeks and make every effort to get your instrument back to you quickly.

Q. Why do you sometimes put new strings on the guitar when you send it back?
A. Many people do not change their strings for extended periods of time and this will adversely affect the sound of any quality instrument. New strings are our way of making sure your instrument sounds the very best when you receive it. We don’t need to change the strings as part of the process, and if you send it with newer strings, we’ll send it back with those same strings.

Q. What strings do you install on the guitar when you send it back?
A. After much research, we’ve chosen to offer John Pearse or Elixr medium gauge strings because they perform consistently well and in the case of the Elixrs – they offer extended string life. If you prefer another brand or gauge of string, send them along with your instrument and we’ll be happy to put them on for you.

Q. I’ve got some trepidation about sending off my guitar.  Where is it going?  Who will receive it?
A. We have made arrangements with Hollowood Music to receive and send back the guitars through their shipping & receiving facility. Hollowood Music is a 45 year-old Pittsburgh based music store with a  sterling reputation. Your instrument will be professionally repacked, insured and sent back to you via overnight delivery service.

Q. Who else besides AAL can provide this process for my guitar?
A. The process uses sophisticated instrumentation and techniques. We are not opposed to the idea of  making the process available to luthiers and guitar manufacturers in the future.  For right now – we are the only facility that is authorized to perform the process.

Q. How can I be sure the process will work on my guitar?
A. The process has worked on every single instrument we have applied it to. That’s a 100% success rate across many instruments over a significant time period. Because every instrument is different, we cannot tell you exactly how much your guitar’s sound will improve before we do the process. We do inspect and analyze each instrument that comes to us and we are able to predict some of the areas that the guitar will improve in. The AO1 Process™ will work on any fine wooden stringed instrument but it will not be nearly as effective on low quality tone woods or poorly designed instruments for many reasons. If you own a well-made instrument, we can make it sound nearly priceless.

Feel free to call or email us and ask us about your instrument.