RICK TOONE

Trapezoid Neck Profile

Technology, licensing & collaboration.

Luthiers or manufacturers may want to duplicate or adapt my designs for production. Skilled amateurs may want to duplicate my designs for themselves. Contact me to discuss how we can work together for mutual benefit.

eLUTHERIE.org allows sharing patented, patent-pending, or patentable ideas. The organization is structured around non-exploitive, mutually beneficial, permission-based relationships.

Granting individual licenses to everyone who wishes to use an idea is a tedious and complex process. For individual permissions it is more logical to use a central mechanism whereby membership grants access to many ideas.

eLUTHERIE.org helps us collaborate, exchange ideas and profit from improving stringed musical instruments. I will be sharing my own ideas and patent pending technology within the organization. Sharing will include detailed descriptions, photographs, drawings, discussions, collaboration — and freedom to use the technology in your own instruments, even for profit, within the terms of agreement. Consider joining us.

Looking forward to collaborating with you.

Selected theories in application. For more information, explore Lutherie category of archives.

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.

Trapezoidal Neck Profile
Getting a grip on an entirely new shape. Patent Applied For.

Neutral Tension Bridge
Freedom for soundboards! Patent Applied For.

Lever Tuning System
A simple machine with potential.

Fanned Fret Compensating Bridge
Bridge solution to a perpendicular nut fanned fret neck.

Fanned Frets
Ergonomic fanned frets avoid wrist over-rotation.

Hip Hole
Fun with anatomy. No, it's not what you think.

Dovetail
Perhaps the oldest and strongest joint.

Orchid Grows A Headstock
An underappreciated design element.