Testimonials

To Russia With Love

PHOTO: Wingspan™ 8-string guitar.

Hello, Rick!

I’m writing to you about the possibility of buying the Wingspan™ 8-String guitar. I’ve found out it is available for purchase on your website. As a person who has made the instrument you must know exactly its future owner, the one you can entrust your guitar. My newest musical project may help you learn more about me: https://scarasaton.bandcamp.com/releases/

I care about ethnic music in modern arrangements, and your guitars combine in them all the essential elements – from esthetic till technical ones.

It’s going to be a great inspiration and happiness for me to play your instrument. I’m a great fan of your guitars. I remember how impressed I was by the guitar for Tosin Abasi – it’s something incredible.

I’ll be waiting for your reply.
With respect,
Kseniia

I love her music. Heavy and powerful, with touches of incredible lightness and speed. I am honored Kseniia is choosing to play this build.

Hi Rick!

Thank you very much! I got a guitar!

I am overwhelmed with emotions! Unfortunately my English is not good enough to convey all my happiness!

It was passed exclusively from hand to hand, only as hand luggage. It is hundreds of times better than I imagined! It exceeded all expectations. The instrument with incredible energy, inspirational and soulful. Amazingly packed with all the screwdrivers, extra strings, bolts. This is the most comfortable guitar I have ever held in my hands. Very comfortable and slim neck, amazing lock system. Its sound covers all the necessary ranges. The tree itself is excellent, beautiful texture and color.

Once again I want to thank you for this incredible communication experience and ease of cooperation. Thank you for entrusting your creation to me. I want to wish you new creative ideas, inspiration, grateful and happy owners.

Happy Kseniia

IMAGE: Instrumental shred metal from the pink universe. Released March 19, 2021. Music by ScaraSaton. Art by BORUNOV ART.

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.

Misha Mansoor | Reptile Spearfish

Misha Mansoor
IMAGE: Periphery Reptile text message that started it all…
VIDEO: Chris Buono takes Reptile Spearfish™ for a test flight.
VIDEO: Misha Mansoor shows a different side of his guitar playing with Reptile Spearfish™ 6-string guitar. (video by Ekaterina Gorbacheva)
PHOTO: Patent pending Element™ single billet machined aircraft aluminum neck. Misha Mansoor Bare Knuckle Juggernaut™ signature pickups.
PHOTO: Reptile Spearfish™ 22-fret guitar built for Misha Mansoor of Periphery.

A Portrait of the Artist

IMAGE: Eight string fretless multi-scale guitar portrait of Killick Hinds. Swamp Ash, carbon fiber, aircraft aluminum.

This was a new experience for me. I’ve never done a portrait of another human being using guitar as mixed media. Why not, though?

Killick Hinds and I have been friends for almost a decade. One of the first things he sent when we met was his autobiography of sorts, perhaps a proto-biography. As I read, I thought: “Here is an honest soul.”

Many thoughts and visits exchanged since then, and my love for him as a person only continues to grow. For those of you who are new…within fifteen minutes of meeting Killick in person I stopped noticing his skin is a mosaic of artwork. Again, over time, I appreciate his commitment to his singular path as an artist.

VIDEO: Killick Hinds and Rick Toone on Blood Mountain after recording “Magnets & Wires” album/documentary in November, 2019. Friends!

In building this guitar for Killick, I wanted to generate a glimpse of him in tangible, material form. We discussed the technical attributes extensively, however the aesthetics were left entirely to me and delivered to him as a total surprise.

I do believe it works.

It’s not even a guitar…it’s something totally new. The resonances/overtones are unfamiliar to my sensibilities. Bowing with the Pickaso yields entirely new textures & audible rhythms in addition to the fundamental/overtones. It’s instantly rewarding and challenging. This instrument is a perfect ergonomic fit and is truly the electric guitar’s metamorphosis. It’s a surreal time to welcome beauty and homework into the world. Thank you completely! (Killick Hinds)

IMAGE: Listen to “Shifting In Reverse”
IMAGE: Listen to “Seagreengrass Walk”
IMAGE: Listen to “Lake Nonlinear”