Can science create the perfect musical instrument or is traditional craftsmanship the key to good music? For decades acoustic guitar manufacturers have searched for a synthetic material that gives the same sound as wood. A team of scientists based at Loughborough University have developed a range of guitars built from advanced plastics, which they reckon sound just as good as their wooden counterparts, but are cheaper to produce. Quentin Cooper asks Dr Eddie Norman whether science can really create superior sound, or if a certain something is lost in the mix. Producer Michelle Martin