Private | |
Industry | Musical instrument manufacturing |
Genre | Guitars |
Founded | 2001 |
Founder | Adam Cole and Bradley Clark |
Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia |
Products |
Acoustic guitars Lap steel guitars |
Website | www |
Cole Clark is a manufacturer of guitars and other fretted instruments based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 2001 by Adam Cole and Bradley Clark, the company has patented a design that blends steel string body shapes with Spanish classical guitar construction techniques.
Cole Clark produce the following products:
The Company has ceased producing electric guitars at this stage.
Cole Clark guitars are made largely using Australian indigenous timbers. Solid timber is used in preference to plywood. Clark's discovery of the best type of wood for his guitars came whilst searching in Australia in 1998. He came across Bunya Pine, and found out that it had the perfect characteristics for the sound board on an acoustic guitar. Whilst researching this type of wood, Clark also discovered that Bunya is about 18% stronger than Spruce wood, which a traditional choice when constructing a guitar. Blackwood is also another favourite material of Cole Clark's for building their guitars (http://www.coleclarkguitars.com/about-cole-clark/guitar-timbers/).
Materials used include Spruce, Bunya, Queensland Maple, Australian Blackwood, ebony and rosewood.
Some notable artists that use and endorse Cole Clark guitars include:
At midday on Tuesday 27 August 2013, a fire devastated the Cole Clark factory, halting production for three months.
In 2008 Cole Clark came under fire from the Fender Corporation for the naming of two models of guitars, the 'Offender' (telecaster style) and the 'Defender' ( style). The names of these models have since been changed to, respectively, Culprit and Guardian.
Brad Clark is a former director of Cole Clark. His experience includes eleven years at Maton, first as factory manager and then as CEO.