Rick Toone ’67

Which Exit?

VIDEO: “Which Exit?” live studio improvisation. Chris Buono slots Wildcat ’67 guitar into tight crosstown traffic with snap and spank via noiseless custom single coil pickups designed by Steve Blucher (DiMarzio). Patented & patent pending Rick Toone™ tremolo. Watch his fingers. Then watch his feet on the pedalboard.

If you’ve ever lived in Jersey you’ll get it.

Turnpike
Parkway
Expressway
78
80
287
195
295

Bumpers locked tighter than NASCAR but turns in both directions. Don’t blink. Don’t brake.

Here’s a survival tip…

Draft a semi. Find a skilled pro and shadow him. He will run interference through traffic because he is higher than you, can see farther than you. And he stops much slower than you — so if things pile up you’ve got an offensive lineman.

How do you know he’s skilled?

Owner/operator with a clean truck. Consistently above the speed limit. When he passes he glues the driver side wheels to the left lane line and moves decisively, never lingering alongside another semi.

PHOTO: Killick shows how deep exit identity goes. After three decades in Athens, GA, he will always know the way home. (photo courtesy: Snorri)

’67 Wildcat

PHOTOS: Checked Olympic white nitro over Alder. Quartersawn maple with rosewood. Reverse headstock. Noiseless custom DiMarzio pickups designed by Steve Blucher. Precision machined components including the awesome trem (patented, patents pending).

“Outside in the cold distance
a wildcat did growl
two riders were approaching
and the wind begin to howl.”
(Dylan/Hendrix)

Aquamarine Porpoise Avenue

VIDEO: Chris Buono swims boldly through tremolo waters with Lawrence Haber on upright and Dave Moore thumping skins. ’67 guitar nicknamed “Pole Position” into dual Fender Deluxe amps. I really enjoyed recording these guys. Magic afternoon in the studio.
PHOTO: Pedals.

’67 Blackguard

PHOTO: Polished stainless steel frets with quartersawn maple.
PHOTOS: Patented and patent pending RICK TOONE™ tremolo precision machined from aircraft aluminum and stainless steel. Shown here in black anodize to match the neck mount plate.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing, this one.

From the RICK TOONE™ tremolo, to the advanced electronics, to the body wood, nothing screams tradition. Except that it does. Nitro butterscotch relic finish. (In)famous black pick guard.

“It is the greatest leap in Strat trems since the Floyd…but it is easier and is way more fun to play.” (Steve Sjuggerud)

My first time working with Paulownia species. An invasive, put to good use in surfboard construction. Delightfully light, with the entire guitar coming in at 5 lbs. Astonishing because it seems to weigh almost nothing.

The tone, however, says otherwise. Ingeniously designed Steve Blucher DiMarzio™ pickups — combined with 6-way switching plus the wood combination — will give vintage original guitars a run for their money.

Machine Gun

VIDEO: Joe Cirotti works out the Rick Toone ’67 trem on Jimi’s Machine Gun. Caleb Estey on drums. Wayne Lyle, bass. February 7, 2025 @ Bernie’s Hillside Lounge, Chester, NJ. (video courtesy of John Barless Pellichero)

“Dude I used the ’67 guitar for a Hendrix show. Fucking thing absolutely decimated. 14 and a half minutes that song was. Wailing on the trem. By the end it was still in tune. Crazy!” (Joe Cirotti)