Surf Madonna | Pair

PHOTOS: Artist Jim Woodring created the beautiful “Surf Madonna” ink drawing laser engraved on the fretboards and pickguards. Matched pair of Spearfish™ 6-string guitars.

American cartoon artist Jim Woodring has such a uniquely awesome visual style. Awesome, in the truest sense of the word: inspiring awe. Hieronymus Bosch discovers psychedelics and is visited by those inter-dimensional elves who playfully transport his spirit to our current century.

I knew incorporating Jim’s art would be both honor and challenge. I knew also, that simply imitating his artistic style on the guitars themselves would not be enough…to merge two artists’ personalities would require each of us to enter one another’s domain.

Visual and metaphorical playfulness abounds.

The original idea was to take Jim Woodring’s personal view of my music and apply it to the Spearfish guitars, which are the perfect fit for me, allowing me to totally express myself through the instruments. Everything about the instruments is perfect. The way that the etching is incorporated into the guitar and the impeccable execution of the build are truly inspirational.

Thank you for taking this ethereal concept and making it a reality. Jim Woodring and his art are very personal to me and he even included me in the dedication section of one of his books. Combining that with your innovative and artistic philosophy of building has created truly inspirational functional works of art. You have given me something very special. The instruments have what Buddhists call the Given Power, an aggregate power that in all cases transcends the individuals.

My most sincere thank you.

Brotherly Blessings and Peace All-Ways,
Bob Gore

PHOTOS: Element™ single billet machined aircraft aluminum neck. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ individual string bridges. Exclusive DiMarzio™ pickups.

Daffodils | Killick Hinds & Rick Toone | Duet

VIDEO: Spring duet featuring Killick Hinds & Rick Toone. Three instruments invented by Rick Toone: 8-string fretless guitar, Symbiote 8-string passive resonator, 6-string Spearfish™ guitar equipped with prototype Pisces™ tremolo. Killick on 8-string fretless and Symbiote. Rick on 6-string tremolo guitar. Listen on headphones or monitors.

What did fine arts painting look like at the moment of Picasso?

Killick Hinds has a significant history of recording with some of the most interesting artists. Players who are pushing limits and exploring boundaries.

Yesterday, I asked him if he wanted to record something together. I truly don’t believe you can fully understand Killick’s genius until you actually work with him.

The interplay of Killick’s 8-string you built and the great range of the tremolo is very exciting. Your playing is exciting, love diving the vibrato at the end of a phrase — reminds me of cutting the power on a tape machine. Reminds me of Xenakis textural language. Excited to hear more of it and see how that thing is working!” (Andy Pitcher, StringJoy)

Moria | Spearfish 24

PHOTOS: Spearfish 24-fret “Moria” featuring patent-pending Element™ neck machined from single billet aircraft grade aluminum. Swamp Ash, carbon fiber. Moria was set up and used on drop D tuning songs throughout the album, due to be released in spring of 2021.
PHOTOS: Daniela Villarreal played Spearfish “Moria” extensively during the recording of The Warning band’s third studio album. Produced by David Bendeth and recorded primarily in Sound On Sound studio, Montclair, New Jersey, September-November, 2020. (photos: Rudy Joffroy, The Warning Manager)
PHOTOS: Bare Knuckle Silo neck pickup with Ragnarok bridge pickup. 10-position switching. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ solo string bridges machined from stainless steel.
PHOTO & VIDEO: Signal chain used in the video Noble Bass DI > Strymon Iridium > Logic Audio. No channel switching was used to achieve the overdrive tones.

Bleached Bone | Spearfish 22

Bleached Bone Spearfish Guitar
Spearfish Guitar
PHOTO: Spearfish™ component set with patented Intonation Cantilever™ bridges and patent-pending Element™ neck precision machined from single billet aircraft aluminum.

Rick,

The bleached bone finish is beautiful and definitely unique! The aluminum neck is the thinnest and most comfortable neck I have ever played on (and is cool looking too). The pick-ups sound incredible, and I love the 10-way pick-up selector switch! This guitar will make me a better player!

I mostly play blues based music direct into an amp (recently Mesa TC50).

I gave Chris Buono a quick peek Monday night during our skype guitar lesson session (he had his Goshawk sitting out). I think he was totally shocked!!

Thank you again!!

Sean Kendrick

Rick Toone Guitar
PHOTO: Bleached bone finish on Swamp Ash. Carbon fiber pick guard. Proprietary DiMarzio pickups with 10-way switching.

Daniela Villareal | David Bendeth

Daniela Villarreal Rick Toone
PHOTO: Daniela Villarreal and Rick Toone in the rehearsal space, September 19, 2020.

Rudy Joffroy met me in the hallway of the rehearsal studio and together we walked into the practice space. Long hair, flashing eyes, even a mask couldn’t hide Daniela’s excitement. She is pure energy, ready to ROCK.

I’m not sure if the guitar case even touched the floor before she had her new Spearfish™ 22-fret plugged into the Marshall.

A few months ago, when Luis Villerreal texted to say The Warning had been signed to Lava Records and would be recording in New Jersey, we made plans to meet. I suggested to him it would be good for Daniela to have one of the new Spearfish™ 22-fret guitars for recording, as well as touring once that is possible again.

The Spearfish™ now weighs in at a very comfortable 7 lbs. Perfectly balanced, entirely new neck ergonomic geometry. Killer machine.

I chose Bare Knuckle Nailbomb™ pickups for this guitar…a radically different tone from her DiMarzio-equipped bleached bone Spearfish™ 24-fret. The Nailbombs have a really raw, organic, dynamic bite that is tremendously responsive in the hands of a skilled player.

Together in the studio the two guitars will track massively, with complementary voicings.

The Warning chose British producer David Bendeth for this third studio album. David is a guitar player himself, and brings a wealth of experience recording guitar. This should be a powerful artistic pairing. Expect trend-setting rock guitar sounds.

IMAGE: Daniela Villarreal with her Spearfish™ 22-fret into the Marshall.