Cole Clark is an Australian manufacturer of guitars and other fretted instruments. The company is based in Melbourne and was founded in 2001. Cole Clark uses unique designs, live pickup technology, and of sustainably sourced timbers.
Materials
Cole Clark guitars are made largely using Australian indigenous timbers. Solid timber is used in preference to plywood. Top timbers span equally across Bunya Pine, Australian Blackwood and Australian Grown Californian Redwood as top sellers, with small numbers of Spruce, Mahogany and Huon Pine. Back and side timbers include Australian Blackwood, Queensland Maple, and Maple Silkwood. The company has a commitment to sustainability and have all but replaced endangered fretboard timbers like rosewood and ebony with alternatives such as Blackbean and Sheoak.
Products
Primarily, Cole Clark produce acoustic guitars, but also venture into lapsteels and bass. Previously the company has produced ukeleles and electric guitars. These are currently not in production. The Cole Clark acoustic range includes the ‘Fat Lady’ Dreadnought models in 6 and 12 string, ‘Angel’ grand auditorium and ‘Little Lady’ travel guitar. The timber combination possibilities mean that the above models have up to 30 different combinations and back and side timber, hence a different product name. Fat Lady and Angel models are available in 1, 2 and 3 series. Each with varying levels of features. The Little Lady at this stage is available only in a 1 and 2 series. In a joint venue with Melbourne bass maker Neil Kennedy, Cole Clark released the ‘Long Lady’ electric bassline in 2017. Cole Clark uses a patented ‘3-way’ system that combines 3 elements that work together, hearing only frequencies they are best equipped to handle to deliver less ‘quack’ and ‘ping’ that the average acoustic pickup and eliminating many of the feedback issues associated with such instruments. In 2019 Cole Clark has released a series of Acoustic Guitars with additional Humbucker Pickups, on a second output, giving the guitars the ability to be played in an Acoustic or Electric mode.
Factory fire
At midday on 27 August 2013, a fire devastated the Cole Clark factory, halting production for almost a year.
Artists
Some notable artists that use and endorse Cole Clark guitars include:
