Partially listed below are technologies I am exploring. Concepts throughout this website may only be used by permission, including body shapes. Subject to patent, trademark, and copyright laws. Please contact me for licensing opportunities.
TOONE & TOWNSEND Precision Hardware
Total intonation control. Patented (US 8,076,559 and 8,294,011).
The tuners are so smooth and exact, it is more a scientific instrument than a guitar. Of course, so visually impressive.
Al Shaffer
T2 'Buckskin'
Exoskeleton™ Extended Range Neck & Element™ Neck
Sleek aircraft grade aluminum or carbon fiber neck.
blur has. landed. Currently shredding. The neck...totally contributes to more attack, clarity/note separation and sustain! This thing SINGS. It quite interesting how it still sounds extremely guitar-like considering the unconventional materials used. I'd say it sounds like an enhanced guitar or 'hyper-real'. VERY COOL. I really think you are on to something with all this.Tosin Abasi
Animals As Leaders & TRAM
Capoble™ Integrated Capo System
Transform tuning with unobtrusive ease.
genius.
Tosin Abasi
Animals As Leaders & TRAM
Multi-Scale
Ergonomic fretboard increases wrist and shoulder comfort.
Neck Construction vs. Sound
The amount of air in a neck seems to influence tone.
Trapezoid Neck Profile™ (TNP™) Geometry
Explaining the geometry of this neck profile. Patented (US D630,676).
IPNP is 'the shit'!!!!! Man, that is one comfortable, super-slinky neck! Despite being 8-string width, and still lots of material to keep it stable...
I can't believe how cool it is...
Ola Strandberg
Strandberg GuitarWorks
(licensed user)
Fretboard Flare™
Comfortable chords and improved string bends.
This whole thing sounds like a solution in search of a problem.
Cagey
Unofficial Warmoth Guitars Forum
A lot of Rick Toone's innovations seem like that until you play them. Then they make you go 'oh. Oh, right. I see.' The thing about problems is that you get used to them, and stop noticing them until one day they're not there, and you realise how much of a problem it really was.
Kadmium
Unofficial Warmoth Guitars Forum
Intonation Adjustable Nut™
Simple intonation adjustment. Patented (US 8,076,559).
Multi-Scale Fretboard Design
Geometry and math for accurate multi-scale (fanned fret) layout.
Partial-Fret Bass
Two methods for half-fretted vs. half-fretless fingerboards.
Interchangeable Guitar & Bass Bodies
A modular system. What color are you feeling today?
Uni-Neck™
A bold leap out of the 1950's. With a little help from titanium.
Trapezoid Neck Profile™ (TNP™)
Getting a grip on an entirely new shape. Patented (US D630,676).
These necks are patented by Luthier Rick Toone. At first glance they seem very unconventional, but upon playing them I found them to be extremely comfortable. Rick Toone (is a) luthier very much concerned with ergonomics and reducing stress on joints, tendons, muscles etc. while playing.
Rick was awesome enough to send me 4 different template neck profiles to audition before I choose one for the guitar. Needless to say I'm very excited...(he) represents what I really appreciate about custom instruments. A progressive minded approach to the guitar!
Tosin Abasi
Animals As Leaders & TRAM
Neutral Tension Bridge™ (NTB™)
Vibrational freedom for soundboards. Patented (US 7,795516).
Lever Tuning System
A simple machine with potential. Patented (US 8,294,011).
Fanned Fret Compensating Bridge
Bridge solution to a perpendicular nut fanned fret neck.
Hip Hole
Fun with anatomy. No, it's not what you think.
Awesome Rick! I studied classical guitar at one of the major conservatories, and I still have the curved spine, miss-placed hips and shoulders, and right shoulder injury. I'm 5'3". My teacher would not even entertain a solution for the physical problems I was having. I left after studying three years, as the physical problems effected my coordination, and I was having trouble even playing a scale without lots of misses. Thanks for doing the research and for your designs for women!!!
Bev
YouTube comment
Finally! Somebody gets it! This female has been playing guitar for 26 years and I have not owned even ONE comfortable instrument yet. I've never seen a guitar specifically designed to accomodate a female's body, and that's even after six years of attending NAMM and walking the entire convention floor.
Thank you for noticing that when the body and the guitar have to do battle, the player and the music lose.
Athena
Website comment
Dovetail
Perhaps the oldest and strongest joint.
Orchid Grows A Headstock
An underappreciated design element.
Orchid Body
Composite (all wood) body building in a few simple steps.
Stacked Laminate Neck Construction
Machining and re-engineering.
Orchid (Explained)
Balance and control.
Ergonomic Guitar & Bass Neck Design
Ideal neck dimensions.
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