Unsatisfied with his instrument’s limitations, the film and television composer designed a seven-octave guitar with a piano’s range.

After discovering a passion for film music and guitars at a very early age, Bryce Jacobs did everything he could to surrounded himself with the art form. That included gaining a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Master’s degree in Composition. While there, he discovered that most piano and orchestral music was out of the guitar’s reach, so to fill the void he decided to take matters in his own hands and build a completely new guitar. After receiving a financial contribution from the Australian Arts Council’s Music Board and employing Australian guitar maker Gerard Gilet to construct his design, the end result was a one-of-a-kind BKJ seven-octave guitar based on the range and capabilities of a piano. Since the creation, he has successfully incorporated the instrument into many of his film scores, including Random Tropical Paradise which will be released June 9. Chris Miller spoke to Jacobs about his Australian influences and creating the original instrument.

How do you think your education at the Sydney Conservatorium helped you make it in the Hollywood composing...