Killick | Alfred University

Killick Hinds performs live with Walrus 6-string guitar at Alfred University on February 24, 2020. Many of his unusual and innovative techniques are on display: playing behind fretting hand, neck contact mic, external friction devices, string damping, combined with foot-controlled software and organic tube amplification via his custom Schroeder.

This was part of a Sound Design seminar on February 24th, 2020 at Alfred University in Alfred, upstate NY. I also have video of my performance with the Ergo bowed instrument and all the class discussion as well. For some reason the video soundtrack features a non-stop hip-hop drum loop instead of what transpired. (This is inexplicable, although I’m going to sample the loop for a new piece.) I had my field recorder running and that’s what you hear on the Walrus section. The Ergo speaker was too close to the field recorder so that sound isn’t usable, and the class discussion is nearly inaudible at times. The good ones always get away!

It was a delight presenting my craft and artist practice experiences with the students and instructors…I learn a ton through such interactions. With the Walrus I was running the humbucker output and a contact mic each through volume pedals and then directly into the computer to occasionally add some 8-bit sounds via MIDI Guitar 2. The guitar sounds and chipsounds were summed to mono and broadcast through amp and speaker. At the beginning I’m using my fretted and fretless wedges—based on Hans Reichel’s dax—and then at the end I’m indeed using a full sized stripper pole. (Killick Hinds)

www.chrisbuono.com

Chris Buono is a good personal friend as well as one of my best test pilots. For the last decade he has fearlessly played anything I’ve built — often sight unseen…and before a live audience. The only exception I can think of is the Harp Guitar (but we are also in the midst of a pandemic).

With the possible exception of Steve Sjuggerud, Chris has certainly played the greatest range of instruments I’ve built, which makes him uniquely qualified to make comparisons and discuss preferences. If you ever want an objective opinion about my work from a working professional…contact Chris.

I’ve never (ever) asked any of my artists to be exclusive to the guitars I’ve gifted or sold them. I believe in free markets and free association. If an instrument is a good match, it will naturally become an honest favorite. Chris owns a Goshawk™ which seems to appear on a high percentage of his work since it arrived to him.

A good sign.

Chris is a master teacher. Hit him up to take your playing to next level.

chris buono
IMAGE: Newly revised: www.chrisbuono.com
toone ensemble
IMAGE: Magnets & Wire album is featured on his discography. Love these guys!

Fabio Mittino | Live

Fabio Mittino emailed me from Milan, Italy. He will be performing live on his S2 guitar this afternoon at 2 PM. Fabio is astutely utilizing Eventbrite technology to broadcast live to the world from his home, despite quarantine. See you there…

HOW IT WORKS: RSVP by selecting REGISTER. You will receive an email with a link for the concert. Tune in at the concert time. The artist will provide you information to support them through an online donation via a service like PayPal or Venmo. Donations for house concerts typically range from $10-20, more for ensembles.There is NO PAYWALL.

In this challenging time we’re all going through, we are working to connect people in isolation, support working musicians, but also be sensitive that many people are taking a huge financial hit. This may not be a good time for you to contribute. We still invite you to join us. We’re all in this together.

Fabio Mittino started his musical journey at the age of 13 with classical guitar. Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft expanded those horizons and led to various bands, session work and collaborations with Bert Lams of California Guitar Trio. Precision with delicacy marks his style, Fabio moves effortlessly between acoustic and electric guitars and sensitive to powerful approach to his instruments. He plays original music on electric guitar with his own solo project, “Simple Music For Difficult People” and with Bert Lams of California Guitar Trio, playing the music of Gurdjieff/De Hartmann arranged for guitars.

fabio mittino
IMAGE: Eventbrite live concert featuring Fabio Mittino. Sunday, March 29, 2020 @ 2 PM EDT.

Harp Guitar

Windows open, cool early spring air offsetting the warmth of sunlight on the building. Trees just beginning to bud, Robins and Red Wing Blackbirds in lively song all around us. My dog, Lena, content to lie in the grass and wait for our run.

I set up the Apple laptop, Apogee converter on my workbench. Direct into Logic, with one channel each for guitar and sub-bass. Capture the sound of this instrument as accurately as possible.

All twelve strings tuned: EGABCD sub-bass, EADGBE guitar.

Pause. What will I play?

I slowly breathed. Let the thoughts fade, emotions replacing them. I asked myself: “What are you feeling?”

“Waiting.”

All of humanity feels what’s coming. Storms just beyond the horizon. There is a weight to this moment. If ever there was a time to take out Skynet and eradicate the fucking filters, this would be now. While we can still connect as a species, person to person, beyond the systems of corporate and government power. Communicate necessary truths peer-to-peer across geographic and political borders.

I picked up my guitar pick and clicked record.

“This thing looks incredible.” (Tosin Abasi)

“Gorgeous all around! I just listened on the big speakers. The lows are excellent. Those basses sound beautiful!” (Killick Hinds)

“Hope it won’t offend you to say the first thing I noticed was the excellence of your photography. Might have been a different career path in another life. What to say about the guitar? It’s another of your creations that could easily be displayed in a museum. More practically, I’d love to hear a player with a classical background try it. Wonder what some of the teachers at Berklee would make of it?” (Steve Blucher)

Wow Rick…I feel like I have just glimpsed decades into the future! This must be the ‘poly-metal alloy’ construction…I enjoyed your commentary too, very poignant. (Alasdair Bryce)

harp guitar
PHOTO: Compact, ergonomic, headless. Perfectly balanced and weighing only 10.5 lbs. despite full 34” sub-bass. Sarah Connor’s weapon of choice.
stainless steel and aircraft aluminum sub-bass
PHOTO: Stainless steel and aircraft aluminum sub-bass.
double neck guitar
PHOTO: Mahogany solid body. Carbon fiber. Patented Intonation Cantilever™ bridges, Positional Constant String Pitch Control System™ bass bridge. Element™ 6-string guitar neck precision machined from single billet aircraft aluminum.
rick toone
PHOTO: Proprietary DiMarzio™ pickups.

Fine Art

Hi Rick,

Your Goshawk™ guitar and Anthology™ case against a piece of furniture of 1774 (Jean-Francois Leleu). The piece of furniture is really unique in this world…as is your guitar. The drawing is a self-portrait from Frank Auerbach, he is one of the best living artists from the London school (a good friend of Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud).

I started again to play acoustic for a couple of days, difficult to re-adapt. My (French) guitar teacher played your guitar, he went crazy! Your guitar is Fantastic, more than I ever could expect.

A thousand thanks for all this.

Adam (Paris, France)

goshawk guitar