Oh wow…that doesn’t really encapsulate it, but oh wow…
The neck that you picked for this is perfect – it has amazing figuring in the wood and the dot inlays perfectly compliment the body.
I love that you ran with my story about Alan and his Pewter Clapton Strat being a huge inspiration for me. You absolutely knocked it out of the park. I really really like the finish scheme that you created for this! You nailed the depth of tone that was so important to me with your use of silvers, pewters, and blacks. On some glances it looks a bit like marble and on others it looks a lot like a well-worn metal surface. The blue carved line is a wonderful compliment and resonates with some of the color that I get from the inlays (and ties into another of my color themes!).
It is just stunning. I can’t thank you enough.
I’d like to take a moment to appreciate your trem design. It is really really clever! Regardless of the engineer in me wanting to nerd out over the design, I have to say that it is the smoothest trem that I’ve ever had the pleasure to try.
I’ve only spent a few minutes tuning and playing, but I have to say that it feels like home. When I play 6 string, I’ve been playing the purple goshawk and this feels so much like that, but sounds so very different! I can’t wait to spend more time with it.
Thank you again. This has been a wonderful experience. (Jason)
PHOTO: Patent-pending Rick Toone tremolo precision machined from aerospace materials. DiMarzio noiseless single coil pickups designed by Steve Blucher. 10-way switching.
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…
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)
VIDEO: Dave Anderson reviews and demos his “American Girl” Goshawk.
