Rick Toone | Luthier

This War, Made Personal

We lost a friend this week.

He was a wounded Iraq veteran, double amputee, roadside IED.

The pain from his severed legs extended deeper than surface nerves. We saw the raw chafed stumps, the attempted bravado, the compensating humor.

Groomsman in my friend's wedding, John leaned on Tricia, bridesmaid, for support. He even danced, as some of us stared, some of us looked away.

The bullet he sent through his own skull on Tuesday finally quieted his anger.

But not mine.
Goddamn this war.

J.W.B. 1986—2012 ...you are missed.

Production Guitar | Features Update

PHOTOS: Low altitude flyover of Javier Reyes' Viceroy 8-string guitar which serves as prototype body shape for TOONE & TOWNSEND production guitar. B&W is useful for showing contours. Swamp ash and spalted maple.

It's quite fascinating angles and points can be more comfortable to the human body than the traditional curves we are used to seeing on guitars. When I look at this instrument, then at stealth technology in aircraft, it causes me to wonder if our physical world is structured around geometry and math more than we realize.

I'll be taking the prototype a few steps further, applying what I've learned from the past several builds. But the shape is close. Really refined. Damn near invisible to your body when playing, seated or standing.

More good news.

We definitely have enough interest to do a solid initial production run. Based on your emails, we will build a combined batch of 6-string guitars and 8-string guitars.

As chosen by by you, features will include:

• Exoskeleton™ neck machined from solid aircraft aluminum
• Quick release neck attach/detach mechanism
• 2 humbuckers + 3-way switch (possible coil tap)
• Plug-n-play pickup replacement
• Altieri gig bag (flight case optional upgrade)

Many of you love figured woods as well as the 'art' finishes I've been doing, including: holes, distressing/aging, and color textures. Many of you also love color choices in the TOONE & TOWNSEND hardware.

I hear you loud and clear.

So I think what we'll do is spec a base line model that is swamp ash body with the features described above. We will then have an a la carte menu for you to choose upgrade options, including: body facing woods, finishes, pickups, hardware colors, cases.

Some of you have begun to self-organize, via email, or by posting on sevenstring.org as well as fractalaudio.com — this is really smart strategy.

CNC production requires an upfront investment in prototyping, CAD, and machining code. That is an expense I have to pay in advance. Expenses are then divided across all of the guitars in the production run...the larger the production run, the less cost per guitar. Lower pricing for you.

We also want this production batch to be fast moving and efficient — so we will limit the size of our group by keeping everyone focused around the same features. Now that we've decided on features, I can complete costs research. Bart Townsend is meeting with me today to work through hardware details.

HIFI Guitar Picks | TV Interview

PHOTOS: If Rick looks concerned in the bottom photo, probably because he was. Mike just asked me to play guitar on camera. Jenn is trying to reassure me. I've been so busy building, I haven't had time to play. What's a C chord again?!

After a few months of attempting to hide from (gently persistent) HIFI Guitar Picks producer Jenn Sunnerton, she drove down from Canada and finally caught me this week. Cornered in the shop by mics and camera, I had no choice but to answer her questions.

It wasn't so bad, actually.

At first it felt like a trip to the dentist (or Gitmo). Blinding light in your face. Technicians adjusting equipment on and around you. Rapid tech jargon between the crew: "Position him a little more camera right. Need to adjust the white balance. Can you move the sticks."

But suddenly things quieted. Producer sunglasses pushed up. Eye contact. And we began to make a human connection. The camera receded into soft focus.

PHOTOS: Filmed the first half of the day at Townsend Machine, where we followed one TOONE & TOWNSEND headless tuner component from raw material, through CNC machining, to inspection. Many thanks to Bart Townsend & Bill Goldy for adjusting the shop schedule, and to Monster for his photography.

Jenn was smart, funny, respectful, and highly responsive to suggestions regarding what I (personally) thought was important and relevant...rolling with tangents like introducing deer bones, walking in the creek with my dog Josie...and expanding the scope of the project by adding additional travel and filming time at Townsend Machine — because the hardware components are so integral to these instruments.

The final tone of the segment will be determined by post-production editing and script so can't predict that in advance, however the filming process itself was honest and accurate. Producer Jenn Sunnerton and cameraman Michael Davidson captured this moment in my life as it is lived. Thank you both.

HIFI Guitar Picks segment will air sometime during the 2012-2013 Fall/Winter TV season.

PHOTOS: Highlight of the day for me was definitely reversing roles and turning the camera on Mike. He got to explore Dirty Blonde Orchid bass and Al Shaffer's T2 Buckskin guitar as well. Check out Mike's band Ravenscode.

TOONE & TOWNSEND | Six • Seven • Eight

One project during the next several months is a production guitar. This will be a serious machine designed and built for professional touring and recording, with standardized CNC components for easy servicing under field use conditions.

Wood choices will be indigenous sustainable North American species. Components choices will be premium, all made in USA.

The design includes features most requested by my clients, as well as technologies I've been developing in hardware, vibration capture, and ergonomics.

• Exoskeleton™ multiscale machined neck
• IPNP™ + TNP™ + Temperature Fin™ profile technologies
• Fretboard Flare™ geometry
• Bottle Hanger™ headstock
• TOONE & TOWNSEND precision tuning system
• Compact Control™ 3D volume & tone system

Ergonomics from Blur 8-string extended range, Viceroy 8-string, and Sketch 7-string guitars are blended into the body design. The instrument will align with your natural posture and remain in comfortable position when you are seated and standing.

I envision this production concept with different intentions from the bespoke instruments I normally create. Each of those is unrepeatable fine art, designed and hand built to match the requirements of a specific musician.

Production guitars instead represent a summary of things I've learned, and are intended to become available to more musicians.

If you are interested in a production guitar, drop me an email with the features you are seeking: pickup choices & configuration, number of strings, etc.

Once we get enough alignment to make a small initial production run, we'll spec pricing and availability. Then bake up a batch...

TOONE & TOWNSEND | Facebook Page

Yesterday and this morning I built a TOONE & TOWNSEND Facebook page. The new page will serve as news central for developments with the hardware and the artists who are using these systems. Visit and 'Like' — see you there.