AFP
In the United States, a French luthier makes mushroom guitars
Frenchwoman Rachel Rosencrantz is at the same time an industrial designer, a musician and an innovator in biomaterials: from her workshop in the northeast of the United States, she makes guitars from mushroom mycelium. The use of mycelium – sort of the “root” of a mushroom – in the manufacture of biodegradable items is nothing new. But 42-year-old Rachel Rosencrantz, originally from Montfermeil near Paris, and who has lived in Providence, Rhode Island state for years, is a pioneer in building corded instruments that respect the environment. She turned a designer and industrialist by trade a luthier to create mushroom guitar bodies that are lightweight, biodegradable and plastic-free. “In the design world, everyone is working on biomaterials.” Rachel Rosencrantz, who received AFP in her studio surrounded by books, musical instruments, tools and plants, in Providence, where she attended the renowned Rhode Island School of Design Of course, like any innovation, “it’s still like the +Wild West+ and we’re trying all kinds of things”. Biodegradable at BMW and Hermès – “but it’s not hippie stuff anymore, because (German automaker) BMW now uses flax fiber to make dashboards” and French luxury group Hermès uses mushroom “leather” for bag linings, she explains. How Rachel Rosencrantz makes her guitars, famously In reference to the Fender brand Stratocasters called “mycocasters”? She takes a bag of mycelium and corn husks from her fridge, which she pours into a mold she has disinfected. The mycelium is the vegetative part of the mushroom, Which is made of white fibers. In a way, their roots and their digestive system. All smiles, the craftsman explains: “The roots can take any shape you want. There’s something very beautiful about that. Even though the fruit has a specific shape, the roots don’t have any. So it’s possible to mold them, without removing material.” , as it is the material itself that will fill the void. Two weeks before being put in the oven to dry completely and to resemble a crust of French brie cheese. Traditionally, luthiers depending on the desired sound quality make their instruments in cedar, mahogany, ebony or rosewood. Wood is of course biodegradable, but environmentalist Rachel Rosencrantz is sensitive to deforestation and is looking for more sustainable materials. ki) continue to use the same species? Because who really plays music like it was 400 years ago? (New York Conservatory of Music) Some students at Juilliard? It’s good, they need it”, she says. “But if we make new kinds of music, we also need new ways to get it”, she also cites poplar and bamboo. , which are rarely used in the manufacture of musical instruments. According to her – the sound of a mushroom – and what is the sound of a mushroom guitar? We are far from traditional guitars, the sound is more nasal, she tells AFP. “It’s just There is a new sound. It won’t replace cedar because it’s not cedar”, said the eco-designer. Rachel Rosencrantz reiterates, “The idea came to me while studying packaging in polystyrene. Since the mushroom was used to take the place of polystyrene, which is known to be a good conductor of sound because it is filled with air, I began testing whether its natural counterpart would do the same. And the same thing happened. But times were different”, she explains. Of course, given the time it takes to make a single guitar, the first price starts at…$6,000 (5,500 euros). The big company says: +Let’s make them at $50 per “Fender, if you hear me!”, she concludes, calling out the famous American maker of electric guitars. mdo/nr/arb/vgr/rr