Rick Toone | Luthier

Daniel Hecht

March of the Trolls is a reference to Daniel Hecht's song by the same name on his album, Willow. I tossed it out there on my previous post to see if any readers would catch the reference. No one did.

And that's the problem.

Willow is a gorgeous collection of 6 & 12 string acoustic guitar tracks recorded and released by Windham Hill Records, in 1980. The album is long since out of print, which is a real shame, as Daniel is one of the influential contemporaries of what I would call modern steel string instrumentalism which began to reach a wider audience with Michael Hedges and Alex DeGrassi, who followed Leo Kottke's american primitive guitar movement.

I gladly paid $60 on Amazon for a mint condition used CD of Willow. And to me, this highlights an important issue. How much excellent music will be lost, over time, because it is out of print and unable to seek an audience through standard distribution channels?

Hecht's playing is extraordinary, very intricate, incredibly difficult to emulate, yet melodically accessible to the listener. I don't know if video exists of him performing, but my fellow musicians will appreciate his skill. I'll post two excerpts here in hopes that — with enough audience demand — the current copyright holder (unknown) will consider re-releasing Willow:

Afternoon Postlude Soliloquy MP3
March of the Trolls MP3

Hecht retired from music soon after recording Willow, in part due to injuries sustained from performing, a form of repetitive stress injury (RSI). From his website:

"Q: You were a guitarist who played twice at Carnegie Hall, recorded three solo albums of your own compositions — including the popular Willow on Windham Hill Records — and performed hundreds of concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and China. Why did you stop playing?

"A: A medical condition affected my hands and made playing very difficult, even when I was an active performer; by 1986, it was getting just about impossible. Giving up the guitar was really tough, but, looking back, I’m glad I did. For one thing, my compositions were very “athletic” and required constant practice, and I never seemed to get as good as I wanted to be. More importantly, I was deflected into writing, which I consider my true calling. Telling stories comes naturally to me — even my guitar pieces were more “narratives” than “tunes” — and I seem to have an inexhaustible fund of ideas, observations, and passions to draw upon."

He is now an acclaimed full-time novelist. Which reminds me, I want to read one of his works. Daniel, I just want to thank you for the excellent music. Your contributions are appreciated, and missed.

March of the Trolls

As an adamant advocate of freedom of speech, I've had to rethink my position regarding censorship recently, in reaction to comments left by one or two angry visitors. Amazingly, their anger was not provoked by anything I've written — discussing values or controversial topics — but instead by pricing.

Pricing and construction techniques.

To paraphrase the content (albeit not the tone) of the comments: "Hand built custom instruments are pointless because it's cheaper to purchase a mass produced instrument."

Because the written word is always a reflection of the writer's value judgments and moral structure — a revelation of character — I thought it worth contemplating possible motives for wanting to leave a derogatory comment. Why would someone (vehemently) object to the concept of a custom instrument?

1. Price — Not everyone can afford a custom instrument. Completely understandable, and no disparagement will be forthcoming from me. I've been there. If however, circumstances or priorities change, let's talk. I want to put instruments in the hands of musicians who are making a difference. But mass produced instruments, as we all know, are not necessarily less expensive.

2. Education — Lack of knowledge about the benefits of custom: personalized fit to increase skill or reduce injury, distinctive tone or aesthetic representation to differentiate your art in a competitive field, investment appreciation due to accrued value. One purpose of this website is to educate.

3. Tradition — Some prefer familiar and established norms (valid perspective). And some do not. I'm interested in building instruments for those who are seeking to push in new directions.

Perhaps I've missed something.

Perhaps these are just angry people who just want to wreak havoc for pleasure, trolls in net vernacular. Really, though, I can't help but think most "true" trolls — though unseen — would be easily identified by one prominent physical characteristic:

"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on..."

— Shakespeare

So, to return to censorship...I've enabled moderated comments. Not to stifle dissenting points of view, but to limit our discussion to the topic at hand: exploring the design, construction and ergonomic nuances of custom instruments.

This community was established on the assumption custom instruments are merited.

Hip Hole

At 6'2" 185 lbs. I'm not exactly "bony" but I notice most electric guitars and basses rest — or bang if I'm jumping around the stage — against the upper part of my pelvis. My Iliac crest to be precise.

Women have it worse. By happy accident of nature, they tend to be the ones who bear children, and thus (as a compensatory mechanism) possess a pelvis suitable for accommodating a fetus. Even a nine pound squirming one, as my sister-in-law just experienced. When mixed with bipedalism, one ensuing result is the female Homo sapiens sapiens has an even more prominent Iliac crest than the male.

As you know, the solid body instruments I build tend toward sculptural. I'm always playing with the form, in an effort to wrap the instrument around the musician's body. In conceptualizing Dove, I thought it might be interesting to create an additional cavity on the concave back of the instrument specifically to accommodate the pelvis.

Ah, heck — why not really experiment — and continue the cavity through to the front of the instrument? Make it an aesthetic feature as well. Differentiate the abstract dove's "wing" from her "body."

A structural hole. Hip hole.

DOVE SERIES:

Dove Takes Flight
Dovetail
Hip Hole
"Black & White" vs. "Shades of Gray"
"Explosive, sustained action!"
Fanned Frets
Fanned Fret Compensating Bridge

Dovetail

My ancestors settled in New Jersey in 1680. They were members of the Society of Friends, known to most folks as Quakers. Although the last of our practicing family members has recently died, and I am not religious, I nonetheless retain several prominent characteristics of my forebears:

1. A disdain for frivolous ornamentation
2. A penchant for egalitarianism manifested as a deeply held belief in non-interventionism

Which brings us to Dove.

As I transmogrified Orchid (the bass) into Dove (the guitar), the shape evolved toward abstract representation of a dove in flight. A dove is a symbol of peace, and provided a wonderful opportunity to extend the metaphor. "What if," I thought, "I just make the entire instrument symbolic of peace — peace as achieved through non-interventionism?"

So I decided to use (as much as possible) local resources. The cherry is part of a local tree I bought from an old-time local sawmill. The walnut & curly maple are sustainable North American hardwoods, obtained regionally. Why not build a gorgeous instrument with distinctive timbre, that doesn't require exotic tropical African species?

So, in thinking about the neck-into-body joint, I decided a dovetail was the perfect choice: incredibly solid, a traditional Quaker design & construction element, and correlating to our dove metaphor. Dovetail joints set forces in opposition, achieving a net-neutral balance that does not derive strength from glues or fasteners. A dovetailed joint on a furniture drawer can easily last for centuries.

This particular joint is a variant of the sliding dovetail. To further strengthen the joint, however, it is an asymmetrical sliding dovetail, such that the tension of the strings further tightens the grip of the surfaces. Due to the geometric complexity, I had to cut the joint by hand, with chisels. Because the joint seams are exposed on the front and back of the instrument, the workmanship had to be very precise: a process requiring many hours of labor. I enjoyed this challenge though. Once the joint was fitted and glued, I added walnut inlay for additional strength, visual contrast and interest. (click images to enlarge)

DOVE SERIES:

Dove Takes Flight
Dovetail
Hip Hole
"Black & White" vs. "Shades of Gray"
"Explosive, sustained action!"
Fanned Frets
Fanned Fret Compensating Bridge

Philosophy Defined

This was sparked by a conversation with Tricia, related to a new classroom management strategy she is introducing to her students this week. We were grasping for language to take the sting, the fear, out of abstract concepts.

So many people seem to tense up — like deer in the headlights — when "philosophy" is mentioned, as if the word implies an insurmountable, intractable, obstacle. But it's not. Philosophy is fun. And necessary for exploring possible outcomes.

Are you ready?

Philosophy is logic applied to imagination.

Simple, eh?