Our Story
One day in 2010 as 8-year old Thalia Bradley was playing guitar, she gazed up at the poster of Taylor Swift on her bedroom wall. Taylor was holding a beautifully inlaid Hawaiian Koa Taylor guitar. As she focused on Taylor's guitar, she had a big idea.
Thalia was using a capo that day, but as she stared at the poster she envisioned a much more beautiful capo for Taylor, one that would perfectly match her Hawaiian Koa Taylor guitar. That was the seed of an idea that would ultimately lead to the invention of the Thalia Capo.
For Thalia's father Chris was an inventor and guitar player and he loved Thalia's idea, but he also thought the capo could be redesigned to make it much easier to use. They went to work and some 70 prototypes and four years later it was ready.
The "reverse action" design of the new Thalia Capo makes it easy to apply with just the fretting hand using the same pinching action as a barre chord. And of course it also features exotic wood and abalone shell inlays, just as Thalia had imagined. As for Thalia, she is quite pleased with her new capo and hopes to someday meet Taylor Swift, so that she can give her a Thalia Capo and thank her for the inspiration.
In October of 2014, we ran a highly successful 22 day Kickstarter for the Thalia Capo. We are very grateful to the 4,252 backers who helped us launch our company! In commemoration of their important contribution, we created our Kickstarter Backer Wall, which we modeled after the wall of inductees found at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Thank you backers! Be sure to check out our story film too!
Thalia Guitar Blog
Being a thankful guitarist
When we think about Thanksgiving, we think about the festivities. Turkey and Cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving day football, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – you know what we mean. But, at its core, Thanksgiving is about, well, giving thanks. And that goes for us guitarists as well. Here at Thalia, we’re been thinking about the guitar-related things to be thankful for this holiday season. These are some of our observations.
Read MoreThe Tree: The story of the world’s most coveted tonewood
“When I picked it up, I was completely humbled. It was a shock-and-awe moment. It changed everything I’d ever thought about acoustic guitars leading up to that point… It was the most amazing acoustic guitar I’d ever played or heard.”
When it comes to guitars, it takes a lot to impress Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. The top-hatted axe-wielder owns more than 100 instruments, with plenty of vintage Gibson Les Pauls, Martin D-18s and Gibson J-200s featuring in his collection. But then, the guitar Slash was playing was quite unlike any other instrument in existence. Built by master guitar maker Reuben Forsland, the JOI jumbo acoustic Slash played that day was made from “the Tree.”“The Tree” is something of a legend in guitar luthier circles. It’s the source of a mythic, unusually dense, centuries old mahogany that’s uniquely quilted, uniquely beautiful, and coveted by master guitar builders and their rock star clients. If you want a guitar made from this legendary wood though, it’ll come at a price – somewhere in the region of $30,000 to $40,000. But what is “the Tree,” and where did it come from? Read on and find out…
Know Your Tonewood: Mahogany
When it comes to tonewood, mahogany carries some serious weight in the guitar world, both literally and metaphorically.
A mainstay in both acoustic and electric guitar manufacturing, it’s been used to make some of the most iconic instruments of all time. And, it’s prized in lutherie for both its aesthetic and sonic properties.
Today, we’re getting to grips with mighty mahogany; its varieties, its tonal characteristics and its sustainability.