Lifespan of a CF guitar?

So I'm curious, what has been said about a projected lifespan of a CF guitar? Sure, no effects from heat/cold/humidity etc. So in theory, assuming normal play and wear and tear etc., that you take pretty good care of it, no drops, etc. should one last what, 20 years easily? 50? 100? Longer? Indefinite? do they one day become family heirlooms for your great great great grandchildren?

Surely even the long wearing CF material has some break down over time. Just curious what that would be?

[Claytone]

Originally Posted by hammerhead

So I'm curious, what has been said about a projected lifespan of a CF guitar? Sure, no effects from heat/cold/humidity etc. So in theory, assuming normal play and wear and tear etc., that you take pretty good care of it, no drops, etc. should one last what, 20 years easily? 50? 100? Longer? Indefinite? do they one day become family heirlooms for your great great great grandchildren?

Surely even the long wearing CF material has some break down over time. Just curious what that would be?

Hammerhead: I have heard it on good authority that when our Sun go's Nova, then our Carbon Fiber has a 50% chance of melting...just saying...

[Earl49]

Don't know about the lifespan, but it would be cool to hear it when the tone opens up in 100,000 years or so......

[Acousticado]

I would say that the lifespan of CF guitars should be faaaaar longer than wood guitars, even without a re-fret if stainless steel frets are initially used. It would take forever, if ever, for a CF guitar to look like Willie's 'Trigger'.

[frances50]

Well, I just bought a Martin c. 1870 0-28 and if it could survive for 146 years so far, I'm confident that my Rainsong could survive at least that long unless some catastrophic incident occurs.

So perhaps it is realistic to think there will be forum members, centuries from now, talking about how they just found some 500 year old Rainsong in some attic, dusted it off, popped some new strings on it, and it played like a dream

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by hammerhead

So perhaps it is realistic to think there will be forum members, centuries from now, talking about how they just found some 500 year old Rainsong in some attic, dusted it off, popped some new strings on it, and it played like a dream

Yep.......of course, that's assuming such instruments haven't given way to strange manifestations where it's either uncool or the playing skills have been lost.....but I doubt it.

[Song]

Originally Posted by hammerhead

Surely even the long wearing CF material has some break down over time. Just curious what that would be?

Carbon fiber has a near-infinite fatigue life. CF can be cycled at high stress if the design promotes stress applications that do not exceed the fatigue curve. CF is typically stronger in all aspects than most materials and it can be engineered with a tensile modulus that will allow it to bend before reaching yield. As long as stresses are kept between the tensile modulus and yield, CF will simply bend and rebound back to shape. The beauty of CF is in the tensile modulus of the material. By combining different types of CF layed in different directions, the structure can be micro-engineered and tuned to a much greater extent than other materials. Carbon fiber will last far longer than our 18.5% carbon based human bodies..

Rock On

[Song]

How it's made: Carbon Fiber Cello

https://youtu.be/J_gI3chGtww

https://youtu.be/X-A7K4TPT2k