Relay Arc
Lab voicing
This voicing's design is defined but has not been physically built and validated yet. Component choices and wiring details may change after testing.
Open · Spatial · Separated
A middle-primary model focused on clarity and separation: wide clean sounds that keep detail under reverb, delay, and other effects.
Bridge
Filtertron
Alnico V · 9.5K
Middle
Humbucker
Alnico V · 9.0K
primaryNeck
Humbucker
Alnico V · 8.0K
Pickup interaction: Primary voice
The middle pickup is a main selector destination for open, spatial sounds with strong note separation.
What it is
Relay Arc is an open, spatial, middle-driven guitar focused on clarity and separation. It is built for players who want detail and width without the sound getting thin.
Pickup interaction
Category: Primary voice.
The middle pickup is a main destination on the 5-way blade. It is selected directly in position 3 and used in the two adjacent combined positions. It is not an augment layer and not a shaper.
That matters because Arc uses the middle position to define the guitar's identity. The surrounding pickups support that open center instead of pulling the model toward warmth or compression.
Controls
5-way blade
- Bridge
- Bridge + middle
- Middle
- Neck + middle
- Neck
Tone (push-pull) - Arc air contour.
How it behaves
Arc keeps notes separated. Chords stay readable, single notes keep their edge, and effects have room around them instead of turning into a dark wash.
The middle Dream 180 is the main reason. It brings Filter'Tron-style chime into a humbucker-sized format, with enough PAF warmth to avoid sounding brittle. The bridge pickup should add clarity and snap without heavy compression. The neck should stay open enough that the combined positions do not close down.
Choose Arc if you want clean space, reverb-friendly definition, and a middle position that feels wide rather than soft.
Who it's for
Indie, ambient, clean pop, country, and effects-heavy players. Arc is especially useful when delay, reverb, chorus, or compression are part of the sound and the guitar still needs to stay legible.
Pickup choices
- Neck: GFS Vintage 59 Humbucker
- Middle: GFS Dream 180
- Bridge: GFS Retrotron Liverpool
If you substitute parts, the middle pickup must be articulate and open, not mid-heavy. The bridge should prioritize clarity over compression. Avoid dark, overly hot, or soft pickups because they reduce the separation that makes Arc work.
Join the community
Interested in Arc? Join the Discord to follow development and share what draws you to this voice.