Babicz Guitars
Babicz Guitars (pronounced BAB-bits) is an American manufacturer of acoustic guitars and full contact hardware, as well as a producer of licensable guitar technology. The Babicz Guitars offices are in Poughkeepsie, New York, ninety miles north of Manhattan.
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Type | Corporation |
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Industry | Musical instruments |
Founded | 2003Poughkeepsie, NY | in
Founder | Jeff Babicz and Jeff Carano |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | America, Europe and Asia |
Key people | Jeff Babicz (CEO) |
Products |
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Divisions | Full Contact Hardware |
Website | babiczguitars.com |
History
Babicz Guitars was established in late 2003 by Jeff Carano and Jeff Babicz. As the executive management team for the headless Steinberger Guitar Company in the 1980s and early 1990s, Carano and Babicz experienced success in selling products throughout the world due to their unique relationship with domestic and international distributors, as well as a cohesive artist relations program.
Throughout the 1980s Jeff worked with Ned Steinberger to oversee instrument production at the Steinberger factory in Newburgh, N.Y. He used his business and personal experiences to design guitars and other hardware. He and his partner Jeff Carano founded Babicz Guitars USA in 2003. As a designer he is known for building and designing for artists such as Billy Gibbons, Eddie Van Halen, Steven Wilson, Steve Howe, David Gilmour, and Corey Czechowski.
The Technology
When Jeff Babicz set out to "re-design" the acoustic guitar, his three main objectives were improvements in string action, sonic qualities, and intonation. Babicz guitars is most known for its three patented technologies: the Continually Adjustable Neck (US patent # 7,157,634), Lateral Compression Soundboard, and the Torque Reducing Split Bridge (combined into one patent # 7,112,733). In addition to selling guitars, Babicz Guitars licenses these technologies to guitar manufacturers such as C. F. Martin & Company and Michael Kelly Guitars.
Continually Adjustable Neck
The Babicz Continually Adjustable Neck is used to adjust the action of the guitar from a low electric feel all the way to high slide, without changing the tuning or intonation of the guitar and can be done without detuning. This is because unlike previous neck adjustments there is no tilting or pivoting. The neck slides in a pocket parallel to the slides of the guitar not altering scale length or string tension. This is done by inserting a 3/16" allen wrench into the trap plate on the back of the guitar and turning it in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.[1]
Lateral Compression Soundboard
Unlike for standard 6-string guitars, Babicz anchors their strings fanned out along the edge of the soundboard near the side. The strings pass through the string retainer and over the saddle. By anchoring the strings like this, the overall tension is spread across the top and not concentrated in the center, which is the weakest part of the top. This allows Babicz to use a lighter form of bracing on the top than the rigid X-brace which can impede the vibration of the top and dampen the guitar's sound.
Torque Reducing Split Bridge
The feature allows the player to adjust the intonation of the guitar throughout its life. Loosening the fasteners on the bridge allows it to slide back and forth to adjust the intonation when needed unlike standard guitars with glued bridges.
Models
Babicz has two guitar series: the Identity, which is their high-end acoustic model, and the Octane series hollow-body electric guitar. All guitars feature Babicz’s patented iCZ technology.
Identity Series

The Identity Series is constructed with solid Engelmann spruce soundboard, solid Javanese rosewood or mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge, gloss finish on back and sides, and a satin finish on the top and neck. Identity models have 20 frets, a 25.5” scale length, and a 1-11/16” nut. Body shapes include Jumbo cutaway and Dreadnought or Dread cutaway. The Babicz Spider is their all black, all mahogany guitar. The Acute and Small Jumbo FingerStyle models feature a wider neck with a 1-13/16” nut width, and a shorter 24.75” scale length along with a pointed Florentine cutaway.
Octane Series
- 515 Acoustic
Single cutaway semi-hollow body, mahogany or spruce top, mahogany neck, 15/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, Torque Reducing Split Bridge, L.R. Baggs iMix pickup and electronics, two knobs, pickup selector switch, black hardware, available in Natural finish, mfg. 2006 only.
- 818 single pickup
Single cutaway semi-hollow body, spruce top, mahogany neck, 15/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, Torque Reducing Split Bridge, single Seymour Duncan humbucker pickup, three knobs, black hardware, Natural finish, mfg. 2006 only.
- 818 two pickup
Single cutaway semi-hollow body, mahogany or flame maple top, mahogany neck, 15/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, Torque Reducing Split Bridge, two Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups, two knobs, pickup selector switch, black hardware, available in Black, Blue Flame Maple, or Tobacco Burst finish, mfg. 2006-2010.
- 818 three pickup
Single cutaway semi-hollow body, mahogany or flame maple top, mahogany neck, 15/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, three-per-side tuners, Torque Reducing Split Bridge, three Seymour Duncan single coil pickups, two knobs, pickup selector switch, black hardware, available in Black, Blue Flame Maple, or Tobacco Burst finish, mfg. 2006-2010.
Guitar Artists
Musicians who use Babicz guitars include:[2]
- Mick Jones of Foreigner
- Robert Randolph of Robert Randolph & the Family Band
- Jake Cinninger of Umphrey's McGee
- Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey's McGee
- Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree
- John Wesley (guitarist) of Porcupine Tree
- K.K. Downing of Judas Priest
- Mike Marlin
- David Sancious
- Todd Rundgren
- Richard Hart (singer/songwriter/guitarist)
- Pat Travers
- Tim "Izo" Orindgreff (The Black Eyed Peas)
- The Pretenders
- Earl Slick
- Outlaws
- Joe Lynn Turner
- Adrian Belew
- Gregg Allman
- Lyle Workman
- Billy Greer of Kansas
- Chad Kroeger of Nickelback
- Jennifer Batten
- Kev'n George (singer/songwriter/guitarist) "g3nrg / g3nrg1"
- Will Clay
- Satchel (Russ Parrish) of Steel Panther
- Rina Epstein of the Epstein Family Singers, Jerusalem, Israel
- Neal Morse of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic
- Bret Michaels
- Keith Urban
- John Wetton
- Carlos Villalobos
- Jimi Jamison
- Joe Retta of The Sweet
- John Wesley
- Robbie Dupree
- Chris Caffery
- Aviv Geffen
- Brian Hanlon
- Billy Crain
- Richie Scarlet
- Don Dokken
- Jesse Gress
- Billy Sherwood
- Michael Franks
- Paul Cotton
- Jay Jay Franks
- Kasim Sutton
- Michael Wilton
- John Platania
- Wayne Mills
- John Goodsall
- Larry Hoppen
- Norman Mathew
- Howard Leese
- David Lopen
- Fuzzbee Morse
- Kelly Hanson
- Tina Sugandh
- Tim Palmierei
- Eddie Ojedia
- Corey Czechowski
Full Contact Hardware Artists
- Billy F. Gibbons
- Jeff Berlin
- Jeff Carlisi
- Scott Ambush
- Billy Sheehan
- Julio Fernandez
- Victor Wooten
- Ike Willis
- Dusty Hill
- Dusty Hill’s “Fur” Base
- Tim Brennan
- Dan Spitz of Anthrax: Red Lamb
- Alana Rocklin
- Bjorn Englen
- David Swift
- Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys
- Alex Venturella of Slipknot
- Jerry Jemmott
- Richie Scarlet
- Marten Andersson
- Matt Bachand
- Branden Campbell
- Jake Cinninger
- Pancho Tomaselli
- Ted Turner of Wishbone Ash
- Joey Vera
- John Regan
- Pat Travers
- John Abercrombie
- Lance Hoppen
- Billy Greer
- Dave Meros
- Rodney O’Quinn
- Eddie Ojeda
- Matt Noveskey
- Randy George
- Dallon Weeks
- Kasim Sulton
References
- "Babicz Guitars USA - Continually Adjustable Neck". www.babiczguitars.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-06. Retrieved 2015-10-05.
- Artist list