Video
Live Show: Chris Buono with Karsh Kale (January 14, 2024)
IMAGE: Chris Buono will reprise his role with Karsh Kale for a one time show at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC. Expect to see him onstage with his bespoke fretless and RICK TOONE ’67 guitars. GlobalFEST on January 14, 2024.
Reunion
This week exactly marks one full year of Chris Buono’s residency at Triumph Brewing Company, Redbank, NJ. I am really enjoying watching his metamorphosis up close in real time.
December 6, 2022, we headed into rehearsal together, Chris to focus his band, and me to document the start of something new and potentially great. Nervous tension and excitement in the practice space as Chris prepared to return to live performance after an extended hiatus.
December 8, 2022 was the first Triumph performance.
Fast forward one year. Chris accepted a bi-weekly residency at Triumph Brewing Company, alternating his two lineups plus a rotation of guests. He looks fully at home onstage, and the bands are completely dialed in. He has a massive trove of archived live recordings from the experience.
November 30, 2023 — the plan to fly Gabriel Levi in for a day of video shooting in my studio. He was arriving from ATL to get pre-flighted on the new RICK TOONE ’67 as he steps into tremolo. Unbeknownst to me, the two of them were conspiring.
Recording the Magnets & Wire documentary/album together in November, 2019 sparked a group friendship continuing today and growing deeper over time. Last week was the first in four years Chris and Gabriel met again in person. Their conspiracy succeeded.
Listening on my laptop now, a week later, watching cardinals and blue jays at the feeder outside in the season’s first snow flurries, I’m grateful for the recording of my two friends sharing moments on stage together. Gabriel has become a serious student of the Blues during the last six months, and it shows. His already exceptional touch on the guitar is growing into a new depth of expressive musical emotion. Chris continues his role as master musician and now mentor, as he graciously shared the stage, pivoting his cB3 trio into a supporting role.
More, please.
A Few Years On
It’s magical to hear from clients who have been playing these guitars for a few years. I sometimes feel overwhelmed with gratitude having been able to walk this path in life, connecting with kind, thoughtful, amazing people from around the globe. I deeply appreciate your letters and notes…
Hi Rick,
I just wanted to say hello send a quick note in appreciation of the wonderful instrument you made for me four years ago.
I have quite a sizable guitar collection, and as I was going through the inventory in search of a downsize, I evaluated all my «babies» and compared them side by side. I play a lot of different styles all from classic finger style, fusion, prog-rock, ballads, C&W, R&B. I don’t use a pick, thus the instruments pick-up sensitivity and capacity of modulating sound frequency is important to me.
The Goshawk is a Chameleon. There is virtually no sound drop-off in coil splitting. The tone knob is extremely versatile. And the volume knob is really a gain knob instead of increasing overall volume (that would not be desirable) it just adds more grit. I love that balance point just before it breaks up. I want the tooth to come out, but with a bit of delicious pain first.
The bird you made stands out in the crowd, and as I played through the bunch of pretty high end guitars made by some of the best luthiers on the planet, I plugged the Goshawk back in time and time again, just to find that it could replicate and surpass pretty much any other guitar, it be a tele, a strat, a whatever. Adding on superb ergonomics and playability, I am pretty sure this ranks as one of the most desirable guitars on the planet from a player’s perspective. And it made me think, what will I do if anything happens to it?
You’re a living Picasso Luthier, Rick.
I can picture my self in old age, hair and muscles all gone, skin dry and wrinkled, just sitting in the still of the night, noodling on my Goshawk. This bird is not going anywhere without me.
All the best to you and kind regards,
Carl (Norway)
From the snowy forests of Norway to the lush soils of Hawaii — speaking of: Dave Anderson sent me a care package recently including some locally grown single source estate coffee from Kauai. I am enjoying a cup now, which explains why autocorrect is getting a morning workout. Dave also filmed this pretty spectacular review demo of his American Girl Goshawk…
Hey Rick,
I just did this video demo’ing American Girl. Please tell me what you think and if you dislike anything about it I’ll yank it in a Jersey second. The video realm is totally new turf for me, so don’t hold back.
I’m finally getting around to finished wiring of studio things as time allows, then I intend to post some “super-sonic” demos in full audio bandwith, using studio guys that’ll hopefully knock some socks off.
I hope you’re doing well. I LOVE American Girl. Thanks again Paisano!
Aloha,
Dave (Hawaii)