Rick Toone | Luthier

Extended Range Multi-Scale Combined Guitar and Bass — Origami

This instrument is designed for musicians seeking extended range. Combining deep bass fundamentals with guitar, Origami is positionally suited for unobtrusive conventional play as well as the next generation of touch and tap technique.

Multi-scale (fanned fret) ergonomic comfort provides optimal tone. Headless design with body mounted tuning solves balance issues associated with extended range instruments. Dual-plane fretboard facilitates bowing and strumming as well as plucking and tapping, without the awkwardness of a single string plane.

PHOTO: Scale cardboard mock-up facilitates rapid design iteration and demonstrates angle relationships. Instrument body is not shown (modular neck structure only).

Dual-Plane Uni-Neck

I would like to introduce you to my friend and micro-partnership collaborator, Dr. Dominic. He is a highly skilled plastic surgeon practicing in Thailand, who has a passion for musical instrument design. We first met when he commissioned me to design and build Cupid semi-hollow body guitar.

Dr. Dominic invented his ingenius dual-plane neck shape based on principles from the Japanese art of paper folding, known as Origami. Folding instantly transforms pliable paper into a stiff lightweight structure. One simple crease changes everything.

PHOTOS: Modular structure will be machined from aircraft grade aluminum or titanium. Carbon fiber is another possible material.

When Dr. Dominic shared his dual-plane concept with me, many months ago, we agreed to combine it with my Uni-Neck invention to create a modular structure capable of mounting on interchangeable bodies: solid, semi-hollow body, acoustic. I am in the process of sketching body concepts.

Instruments will feature the Simplicity hardware system. I may also discuss licensing my friend Ola Strandberg's EGS system, as well. Interested, Ola?

Seeking Micro-Partners and Venture Capital

The intention and purpose of eLUTHERIE.org is to experiment with the leading edge of stringed musical instrument design. Including the process of collaboration as well as the business of making, selling and licensing instruments.

We are inviting you to join us in this micro-partnership.

If you have venture capital to invest, or if you have a specific skill in: structural engineering, midi or electronics (pickups), CAD, CNC, marketing or intellectual property, and would like to join us please contact me. We will consider working with established firms as well as talented individuals.

Send your bio as well as what you propose to contribute. NOTE: Please do not send designs or ideas without requesting prior approval from me. This is not a job — it is an opportunity to participate in a win-win business start-up. All serious offers will be considered:

Rick Toone
PO Box 162
Frenchtown, NJ 08825
USA
PHONE 908.996.4815
EMAIL tooneguitars@gmail.com

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License

Guitar & Bass Control Shielding

Solder fumes must be getting to my head, despite the respirator and working outside. This probably falls into the "way over the top" (unnecessary) category. But I just can't help myself.

It may seem subtle, but the feel of switches and controls is really important.

Doesn't matter if it's a car, camera, watch or guitar — tactile interactions seem to set the mood for our experience with that tool. Smooth, positive, precise and repeatable movements are a strong indicator of intelligent engineering and quality workmanship.

If you've ever used a Manley Voxbox or Avalon Design Vt-737sp you'll have an idea what I mean. Ahh.

Conversely, I am horrified — public confession moment — by the proliferation of plastic guitar knobs on split knurled shafts. The wobble. The pop off. The hollow velveeta "ting" at full stop. I just can't take it anymore...

(sob)

So in an all out assault on landfills, I'm launching an initiative to create the perfect guitar control feel. This is a personal offensive. Join me if you dare, or just watch from the safety of the trenches. Don Quixote rides again!

You already know about my obsession with shielding control cavities. Today's objective is to carry it another step forward.

Using copper plumbing pipe sections purchased from Gene at Frenchtown Hardware, I silver-soldered 1/8" thick end caps, forming precise assemblies similar to those described in my battered (1984) spiral-bound black and white copy of Donald Brosnac's Guitar Electronics for Musicians. Apparently, you can learn new tricks from an old dog.

These will add ounces of weight to the instrument. But the feel of the pots is magnificent...and the shielding. Blissful sigh.

LEARN MORE: Simplicity

Ukulele Got Back

And now ladies and gentlemen...the indomitable, immutable, indescribable, indemonstrable, immortal, indemnifying...Gethyn ("G" as we know and love him)...will perform one of the classics for your listening pleasure.

It is certainly time we began taking the ukulele seriously.

Black Cab Sessions

I was wandering around on the web this morning and discovered Black Cab Sessions — which premise is simply tossing musicians (and basic kit) in the back of a London taxi, and pushing PLAY on the camcorder.

Minimalist and brilliant.

Music is so...fun...and inspiring when it's close up and raw. And, really, if a song works, it will work on this level. Like sitting around a campfire, except in a tin box on wheels, filled with gasoline.

A few standouts for me (so far):

Ane Brun — Ola Strandberg introduced us to her in his recent visit. Elegant simplicity.

William Orbit — One man, his guitar, a pile of cables and batteries. Organized (great) chaos.

Smoke Fairies — It's very seldom music grabs me immediately and viscerally. I love her low voice. Here's a YouTube embed if you can't get to the BCS link...

Mark Frith Fretless Bass

I'd like to introduce you to my friend and colleague, luthier Mark Frith. Mark is a graduate of David Savage's Rowden Farm Workshops in Devon, England. Rather than building furniture, he has instead turned his attention to primarily fretless and EUB basses.

Mark is also a fine composer and pianist, with professional grade sound design and Pro Tools skills. His beautiful bass is a significant milestone because it is the first completed instrument using design and technology based on research developed then shared via eLUTHERIE.org. Essentially his bass embodies the spirit of eLUTHERIE.org as filtered through Mark's playful curvilinear design aesthetic.

He writes:

"Having spent a large part of my career expressing my creative self through music composition via digital technology, I now feel that I have come full circle.

"Being able to express myself creatively through a tactile artisan medium — trading digits for atoms — breathing living design concepts into beautiful materials which in turn, in the hands of skilled performers, come alive to produce music is, for me, alchemy.

"It completes the circle and makes me whole. We luthiers are very lucky people."

Although credit is his, I can't help but feel elated by his moment.

Description of the instrument:

"This thru-neck 4-string fretless bass guitar has a 34" scale. The hardware is Schaller M4S Tuners, Schaller Piezo Bridge with La Bella 760n strings. Body woods are Zebrano facings on Maple with an American Black Walnut core. Thru-neck is five piece re-sawn Maple with Walnut stringers.

"I've experimented by using your aluminium Neck Core concept (developed via Orchid) which does give double stopped notes a great deal of extra clarity. It really makes the instrument sing and increases sustain which not only improves the tonal profile but also amplifies the effect of the performer input, enhancing the loop/bio-feedback between the instrument and musician. Together with the body and neck woods it produces a long natural decay. In the neck profile I utilised a high rising heel which really helps the left hand position as you approach the top end of the neck."

Please notice the quality of his workmanship, including consistent and precise joinery. Bold and deliberate use of contrasting woods. Fine clear finish. Repeating motifs in the form of French curves. Mark seems to naturally produce smoothly rounded shapes — even in his music — so I am excited to watch and learn how he will incorporate the organic structure of the Simplicity tuning system. Bart Townsend and I have promised him the first completed bass system for his pending semi-acoustic 5-string fretless.

Mark Frith
mfrith@mac.com
Devon, England
PHONE 01409 281047