An epic battle of physics rages on between strength and flexibility, two opposing forces that are required of all guitar tops. The balance between the two means everything, and our solution is a breakthrough that finds the sweet-spot for both. By routing a small, softly concave channel along a portion of the inside perimeter of the guitar’s top, the top gains additional freedom to move—and release its tone. It also means a very quick response, even at whisper-quiet playing levels. It’s a similar technique to "feathering" (reducing the thickness of the top toward the edges), which has the advantage of leaving the mass of an even-thickness top intact, promoting more power. The top relief rout is a patented process used by both R. Taylor and Taylor Guitars.