This is a rustified Sigma (Martin co.) 12-string guitar from my personal collection. Out of all the instruments I've worked on, this one, hands down, has achieved the greatest quality of sound improvement as a result of my treatment. The tone is deeper, richer, and a lot more evil sounding - and definitely sustains rung out chords for longer.

I really can't stress enough how much the removal of an instrument's plastic coating improves the sound. All aesthetics aside, this very simple and non-damaging procedure will make a remarkably noticeable difference in your instrument's tone and resonance. It's become a point of obsession since I've started this line of work.
 
Here's a detail of the "Keyburst" design, laid out symmetrically on either side of where the neck and soundhole meet. I suspect that these 24 metal keys are a great deal of the reason this guitar sounds so much different. And I hope Nick didn't leave anything important in his desk.
 
The headstock of this guitar also features acid-treated metal tuning pegs, and more metal plates than many of the other instruments I've worked on.

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