Rick Toone | Luthier

Nathaniel Kunkel

Studio Without Walls is built around studio quality modular recording systems designed to travel to the artist. This is a different premise from both mobile (live sound) recording and conventional brick & mortar production facilities. He brings the studio to you.

I like his paradigm flip.

What's lost for the artist is the anticipation and formality of travel to a studio. The sharpening of wits. What's gained for the artist is the comfortable familiarity of an informal location. Privacy. Convenience. I would imagine Kunkel's approach most benefits artists who are highly self-disciplined.

All this by means of introduction.

What I want to point out is the quality of his written insight. He's replaced Steve O's (venerable) op-ed Electronic Musician column with his own InSession. October's "Why Can't I Stop Listening to This?" perfectly nails why so much contemporary music is as exciting as browsing the aisles of Wal-Mart:

"The other thing that differed in my approach to mixing on this project was my abandonment of an elevated-level master. I am so over it (no pun intended). This product was going to have dynamic range.

"So I printed my mixes of real performances with dynamic range (which should not be the anomaly that it is). Then I burned a couple of discs to reference in my car. However, I was not prepared for my reaction: I was fully engaged and unable to pull myself away from listening to this...normally I want to get away from a project as much as possible after listening to it for weeks. But this was different. There was flow. There were dynamics. There was humanity. There were jokes and discussions. There was, right there, something I don't hear much anymore: people entertaining me. Not machines. Not reverb. Not Auto-Tune. People."

Human connection. Kunkel's is a producer's perspective on why you can't fool the human ear, extending the discussion I posited with Music, Tribes & Sex. We can't fight evolution. We can't remove sexual authenticity from music and expect it to hold meaning for us.

The implications for this perspective are far reaching. Nathaniel — I couldn't agree more:

"If you are in front of an artist and they don't floor you, I not sure adding a loop is going to make them a star. We should stop trying to make hit records for any artist and start making good records for hit artists. Not only is it easier, but if I were to judge an artwork's success by the enjoyment of the person experiencing it over time, I think it's more likely that a good (recording) from a talented artist will result in great art."

More Orchid Bass Photos

"Ack! Black and white — AGAIN?!"

I know. I know.

What can I say? In an era of instant gratification digital photography, it's much more fun to pretend I have a vintage Leica and am walking in the shadows of Corbijn or Cartier-Bresson or Bourke-White.

(sans toxic developing chemicals)

Anyway, here are a few shots from the archives. Just suffer quietly. You know who you are...Alex.

;)

Fanned Fret Compensating Bridge

Fanned frets on Dove's trapezoidal neck profile complicate the bridge mechanism significantly.

I remain concerned about the long term ergonomic considerations of fanned frets that use a non-perpendicular nut, as previously discussed. Over-rotation of the wrist is a troubling requirement, unless the neck is played in a near-vertical position.

(play air guitar at your computer to explore)

Fanned fret systems have strong ergonomic potential (for less vertical neck positions) when using a perpendicular nut. Frets angle progressively toward the bridge along the bass strings. Wrist rotation is intuitive, natural, and comfortable when playing Dove. Particularly when chording. As always — in the balancing act that defines lutherie — new factors emerge:

• Fanned frets are highly suitable for string bending, due to the mathematical interaction between string and fret. For a given amount of string movement, pitch change is more than what we expect from conventionally fretted instruments when strings are pushed, less when strings are pulled. This sharp/flat progression is mathematical (exponential) and requires some adaptation in playing technique.

• Bridge design must progressively compensate for string length differences. Dove's low E is 0.5" longer than high E. Intonation compensation adjustment requirements remain, but the intonation point now changes for each string.

After attempting and rejecting several failed bridge designs, I've decided upon the successful system you see here. Each string has an individual "turret" which auto rotates in order to allow the string/anchor point assembly to self-align with its corresponding nut slot. Much like my Libertarian principles, each string is free to act as it best sees fit.

Heh.

The saddle and turret are titanium. The screws and springs are stainless steel. The bridge plates are machined bronze, and will be engraved to match the pattern of the tuning key plates. Strings pass through the top plate and anchor on the back bridge anchor plate, which also aligns the turrets for precise rotation.

All metal decisions optimized toward ultimate tone.

Below are a series of photographs showing the design and machining steps involved.

DOVE SERIES:

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

Fanned Frets

Dove has fanned frets: 25.5" bass vs. 25" treble strings.

I'm exploring the ergonomic aspects of fanned frets, in particular as a means of reducing the amount of forearm rotation required. I became interested in this topic after breaking the Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) in my left wrist while rock climbing. For more than a year, the break was excruciatingly painful whenever I attempted to rotate my forearm, and made it extremely difficult to play even basic chords.

The break also made me aware of how much pressure is placed on the human wrist under conventional fretting conditions.

The concept of slanting frets has existed for at least six hundred years. Out of respect for intellectual property rights, I wrote to Novax Guitars — the most recent patent holder of this technology — and asked for permission to use the idea. Mary B. was kind enough to acquiesce:

"No, we don't sell Fanned-Fret fretboards. However, if you go to our web site and then to Links-Resources, you'll find a link to luthier Mike Doolin's article explaining how he cuts a Fanned-Fret fingerboard. And our patent has expired, so you are free to build as many Fanned-Fret instruments as you wish."

In studying how contemporary luthiers are applying fanned-fret technology, I became concerned by the amount of over-rotation required to play this technology. Although there might be sonic advantages, the ergonomic disadvantages more than negate. I want an instrument that not only sounds better, but is easier to play.

So the premise I'm experimenting with on Dove is to use a (conventional) perpendicular nut, and to mathematically compensate only toward the bridge. The wrist begins in a neutral position, and the index finger progressively rotates toward your navel as you move higher up the neck. So far, I love the way it sounds and feels.

Try it — play some air guitar in front of your computer!

Next we'll discuss Dove's compensatory bridge design.

DOVE SERIES:

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