This Wingspan™ 6-string guitar is inspired by the textures and colors of the Great Barrier Reef and the lovely Australian sapphires mounted in the Element™ aircraft aluminum neck. Bare Knuckle signature custom pickups from Nolly Getgood and Misha Mansoor combined with 10-way switching. Carbon fiber pickguard. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ headless tuning bridges precision machined from stainless steel, bearing bronze.
“She is here and she is beautiful! I can’t compliment you enough mate… Not only for this beautiful guitar but also for just being an absolute pleasure to deal with and a top bloke in general. I’ve really enjoyed the journey and hope we can do it all again one day.
The only bad thing about this guitar is it really makes my Goshawk look very plain in comparison haha not an easy feat but it does just that with apparent ease!
Thanks again Rick, I really hope you can get down here one day so I can repay some of your kindness!” (Mic)
PHOTOS: Increasingly, Ares steps forth. Bare Knuckle Pickups. 10-way switching. Element™ component system. Carbon fiber, alder. Some moments with the paints under studio lights.
PHOTO: Killick Hinds & Adam Wilson — so good to see these friends in person. Thank you both for wonderful conversation and music…let’s do it again soon!
Have a listen to the recording above.
That’s the unedited raw audio, exactly how it sounded to us in my studio, as Killick and Adam played live. Think of it like a documentary. No EQ or compression. FM9 + Noble DI > Logic = as heard through NS-10s.
Duet guitars are Wingspan 6 and my personal Strat equipped with a prototype RICK TOONE ’67 tremolo.
The playing is extraordinary. Completely unrehearsed live improvisation for five and a half minutes, exchanging guitars halfway through the session, giving each a turn with both instruments. The performance is so compelling, as they listen and respond to one another.
A gathering of friends under sunny skies. We hit record and talked and laughed and marveled. Adam and I got to try on new guitars and new timbres like tailored crystalline cloth. From undifferentiated exploration these precious snippets fell into the grand cosmic lap, a glimpse into insight and telepathic conversation on the subtlest of levels. A very inspiring and elucidating day! (Killick Hinds)
VIDEO: Killick Hinds coaxes out harmonics not found in the textbook.
Perfect indulgence for a guitarist: spending an afternoon with Rick Toone and Killick Hinds, doing nothing but talking about and playing guitars. Highlight for me was getting to play “Wingspan” — three things stood out about the instrument: (1) the unparalleled harmonic richness of the instrument (meaning natural harmonics can be played in places on the neck that only produce dead thunks on most other instruments…plus the strength of the upper partials when plucking strings is equally remarkable), (2) the immense timbral palette afforded by the electronics, and (3) the incredible ergonomic design, particularly the balance of the guitar. Having played many of Rick’s guitars, and being lucky enough to own a couple of them, I see the elements that he’s been refining for years finding their culmination in this machine. Devoid of any hyperbole, Wingspan is the finest guitar I have played. (Adam Wilson)
VIDEO: 53 seconds testing volume roll-off with the Bare Knuckle neck and bridge humbuckers.
“Hey Rick, hope you’re doing well. I’m just checking in to say that Wingspan is doing great. It never seems to go out of tune and I have yet to break a string. And since I usually play until I break a string before I change them I still have the original strings on it. Hahaha…
At first, the thin neck threw me a bit, but now it doesn’t seem to bother me at all. Same with the fanned frets. As the Zero fret is in the center of the neck, the fanned frets don’t bother me at all.
The neck is amazing and, thank God, it has never budged even in this high humidity environment that I live in. Most of my guitars go through some kind of metamorphosis every time the humidity goes up and down.
The body cuts are deep and perfect – super comfortable to play.
Actually, I usually play unplugged late at night. The acoustic tone is really unique and I like it. But I have recorded it and it sounds great.
Really happy with Wingspan. Keep up the great work. I wouldn’t mind picking up another one of your guitars someday.” (Mark)
PHOTOS: Ergonomic, compact, light weight. Balanced. Supremely resonant. Organic woody warmth, clarity and depth. Patented & patent pending Element™ headless component set. Custom hand wound Bare Knuckle pickups with 10-way switching for a stunning range of humbucking and single coil tones.
VIDEO: Chris Buono with some inspired jazz improv.
