VIDEO: Chris Buono rocks sixty seconds of Green Monster. SM57 against the tweed of a ’64 Deluxe Reverb re-issue straight into Logic.PHOTOS: Swamp ash, AAAA one-piece flame maple neck, carbon fiber, aircraft aluminum. Steve Blucher’s exceptional (noiseless) DiMarzio pickups.
VIDEO: Twenty minutes from the end of the night, wrapping up the second set after two hours onstage. cB3 is an amazing trio…the level of musicianship is worth the drive: Chris Buono, Ben Stivers, Tobias Ralph.
Chris saw me walking through the open glass doors of Triumph Brewing Company in Red Bank, New Jersey.
“Green Monster…? Let’s do it.”
Chris had only played Green Monster for a few minutes, a month prior. Keep in mind he did not know I was coming. Did not know I would bring the guitar. And he was unfamiliar with this latest prototype of my new Pisces™ trem design. (patented & multiple patents pending)
No time for a soundcheck. Gig started in ten minutes. Jedi Master test pilot mindset.
“Pisces™ trem is like no other. I am constantly discovering new whammy phrasing.” (Chris Buono)
VIDEO: Overview introduction of the new tremolo design.
PHOTOS: Wingspan™ 8-string guitar. Swamp ash. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ & Element™ component set. Custom Bare Knuckle pickups with 10-way switching.
VIDEO: Chris Buono plays Wingspan™ 8-string guitar. Two minutes of atmospheric improvisation through Fender Deluxe amp (Normal 2 channel with 12″ Jensen speaker) recorded via SM57 into Logic. Noble Bass DI blended in slightly to achieve stereo. Listen on studio monitors or good headphones to appreciate the clarity and depth.
Your work of art arrived at my doorstep this morning!
Although I’ve only had a few hours to get to know it, here are a few things I can say right away, in the order they came to me:
This is not a guitar, this is a sculpture, a work of art — visually it is stunning, and it felt right away comfortable to hold and play.
The neck is extremely comfortable — it is quite impressive how playing the low strings is much easier than with my other 8-strings.
I’ve never experienced such precision of the note attack and clean sustain — the best way I can describe them is piano- or bell-like, with excellent consistency between fretted and open strings.
Thank you so much for creating such a beautiful instrument!! (Jorge)
PHOTO: Adam J. Wilson plays his fretless Spearfish™ 6-string guitar. Chris Buono is also fretless in the background.
Saturday, I hosted Chris Buono and Adam J. Wilson for a focus group session. Our mission was to evaluate two current areas of research: multi-scale fretless design, and Pisces™ tremolo performance.
We tested both of Adam’s fretless Spearfish™ guitars plus Pisces™ prototype through an extensive array of tube and solid state amps plus modeling: Roland Jazz Chorus, Carr, Fender ’64 Deluxe, AxeFx II.
Not many people in the world play fretless guitar, let alone exceptionally well, nor do many people build fretless guitars, let alone exceptionally well. Today, I got to hang with both varieties. With all that’s going on in the world, this was a welcome respite. (Adam J. Wilson)
In addition to intensive discussion, I was treated to several hours of duets and solo improvisation. You are already well familiar with Chris Buono and his mastery of the instrument. Adam is similarly gifted, employing a fascinating two handed fretless tap technique. He makes fretless shredding look absolutely effortless…micro-tones, scales, harmonies: eight fingertips on the fingerboard is just so fast.
A meeting of like-minded fretless freaks is a rare thing. This was an immensely important day for me on many fronts and will surely change how I approach fretless guitar going forward. (Chris Buono)
I have some new ideas for how to improve fretless design. Fretless is a tiny niche market of players who are super skilled and super dedicated to the almost limitless possibilities of a life without speed bumps.
Imagine the virtuosity of a solo violinist yet with the added capability of harmony.
Glorious day of exploration and learning. Most importantly…it was so good to see old friends in person. Magic happens when we share a space and music together.
Absolutely wonderful email last evening. My clients tend to be deeply kind and thoughtful human beings. I am very fortunate to have the privilege of sharing this bond of music with them. Thank you, Carl.
Rick —
Happy New Year! It has been 6 months since I picked up ‘Declaration’ Spearfish. I have held off on writing this letter, as every time I began writing, I realized that I was still learning more about the guitar’s character. The full impact of this guitar has finally hit me.
Craftsmanship: The word that comes to mind is precision. Although the artistry of your guitars is what drew me in, what blew me away was the precision. The care you put into the build, and the perfection you strived to attain are clearly evident in every part of the guitar. As a hip and knee replacement surgeon with some experience in design, I especially appreciate the design/stability of the unique neck/body interface. This thing feels like it should be a part of a high-end military aircraft!
Ergonomics: My 10-year-old’s first response when I let him play the guitar was “why does this feel so easy to play?” This also sums up my feelings. The unconventional shapes and materials in this guitar hide the quite substantial considerations to size, weight, balance, and texture. Simply put, the result is an instrument which doesn’t get in the way of playing music. I find myself playing for longer periods of time, with less fatigue. The choices you have made with respect to neck shape, materials, and body shape constitute an unquestionably discernible advance in the ease and comfort of playing.
Versatility: An unexpected surprise, which took me a very long time to fully appreciate, was the breadth of sounds that could be created with ‘Declaration’ Spearfish. I have found myself playing less with pedals, now focusing more on the guitar’s native controls. Whatever magic you injected into the electronics and wiring, I love it.
Art: The art is what drew me to your guitars. Not sure if you remember, but when I asked you to take this guitar to wherever your imagination leads you, I suggested the words: elegant, industrial, strong, depth, and striking. You nailed it. Declaration is a stunning work of art. It is the clear expression of imagination, emotion, and freedom that art inspires.
So, in case you cannot tell, I love this guitar. It is extremely special to me, and I am very grateful that you have created it for me. Thank you, and keep pushing the limits!
Carl
VIDEO: Chris Buono tests Declaration Spearfish™ before I shipped the guitar to Carl (July 2020). Relaxed six minute improvisational loop as he explores pickup settings and tone control using clean Fender Deluxe amp setting via Strymon Iridium direct into Logic. Listen for dynamics and sustain.
PHOTOS: Fretless Spearfish™ 6-string guitar. Patent-pending Element™ single billet machined aircraft aluminum neck with engraved position markers. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ bridges. Proprietary all passive DiMarzio™ pickups with 10-way switching. Swamp ash solid body in modern poly sunburst.
With the multi-scale Element™ aluminum neck I’m playing fretless now in ways I didn’t think I could…ways I didn’t even know were an option. With the multi-scale I am able to play more harmony. I can play fingerings that are simply impossible on parallel frets. (Chris Buono)
VIDEO: Chris Buono tears through 50 seconds of finger-twisting fretless improvisation. Signal chain is Noble DI > Strymon Iridium > Logic so you can hear exactly how good this guitar sounds.
VIDEO: Roopam Garg on Wingspan™ 8-string and Chris Buono on Fretless Spearfish™ 6-string. Live one-take improvisation in the guitar shop where both instruments were built.
