Patent applications have been filed and production versions of the Toone & Townsend headless guitar tuning system are undergoing final CAD/CNC tweaks, so this seems a good time to begin sharing some of the experiences from beta testing.
I've been honored to work with some incredibly gifted and imaginative luthiers throughout this process, who are openly sharing their insights and pushing to explore the capabilities of this unique hardware system. I think you will be excited to see the instruments they have designed and are building, from rad-traditional to full-on-ergo.
Their stories will begin soon. For today, let's just talk hardware. Here are some notes from observing others and working with the hardware myself...
Photos above show a 6-string conventional bridge beta test prototype. Townsend Machine performed gorgeous work, fabricating each of these test systems as one-off pieces of mechanical art. You're looking at the output of master machinists who translated scale drawings into finished hardware using lathes, drill presses, milling machines, their hands and thought. I hope others can appreciate their craftsmanship as much as I do.
Prototyping is a necessary step toward creating a finished product. Using these prototypes, input from beta test luthiers and my own experiences with the hardware, I refined the design for production: smaller, smoother, lighter, more curves. Head machinist Bill Goldy adjusted tolerances for the material and finish choices, and with help from expert CAD programmers, converted the refined design to a format ready for larger production runs on automated CNC machines.
This is definitely not hardware for average guitars. This is premium precision required by luthiers building instruments for musicians who are serious about intonation accuracy and tonal nuances. There are no castings or chrome plating, instead all components are machined from solid blanks. String intonation points are titanium. Bearings are bronze. Adjustment shafts and screws are polished stainless steel. The structure is lightweight anodized aircraft grade aluminum. Designed and machined in USA.
Intonation accuracy of the adjustable nut is quite spooky. After dialing in the guitar by ear and confirming with Peterson V-SAM, it made me realize how compromised traditional guitar intonation actually is. This ability to adjust intonation creates a palette of options...from "traditional" guitar dissonance to "piano-like" chord accuracy. Adjustment is done in real-time and you will actually hear the instrument settle into intonation. One version of the nut accepts ball end strings that drop into a slot and anchor, tool free. The other version accepts plain end strings including steel, bronze and nylon.
If you already prefer body mounted tuning systems for their excellent balance, but don't like trying to manipulate their tiny tuning knobs, you will love this system. The oversized, interlocking control surfaces are very comfortable to adjust, and the mechanical advantage provided by the leveraged rotating design requires much less effort than screw-based systems on the market.
Also, the headless guitar tuner is designed to mount with 45 degrees of potential rotation, relative to the body of your guitar. Which means you can position the tuning knobs to point out the tail end of the instrument, or you can position them to point out the top of the instrument. Function is the same, either way. So if you want the ability to look down and actually see which knob or string you are tuning, this will do that.
I love the tuner's ability to simply anchor strings. You can use plain end strings, or ball end strings. You can use steel, bronze or nylon strings. Mix and match. Function is the same. The slot cut into the string anchor knobs fits a nickel (coin) or a guitar pick, so you never need to worry about bringing along a special tool to change strings.
Multi-scale (fanned fret) capable. 6-string, 7-string, or 8-string guitar capable, the modular design allows you to order your preference. Information about availability and pricing will be appearing here soon.
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