VIDEO: Promo for Wingspan™ 6 small batch limited guitars designed by Rick Toone. Inspired by Steve Sjuggerud. Beginning in September 2024 these instruments will be built by manufacturing partners Bare Knuckle Pickups (UK) and Aluminati Guitar Company (USA).
WINGSPAN FEATURES
IMAGE: Fretboard Flare™ on the treble side of Element™ neck featuring the unique curvature for string bends in upper registers. Headless + single billet aluminum neck is what sets the Wingspan™ design apart from all other instruments. Clarity, sustain, warmth, unsurpassed frequency response.IMAGE: Element™ headless component system machined from stainless steel and aircraft aluminum. Exceptionally reliable tour-proven three bolt system. Multiple patents apply, and pending.IMAGE: Perfect balance. Perfect ergonomics, right leg, left leg classical, and standing.
WINGSPAN DESIGN
DRAWING: Wingspan™ 6 is designed for professional travel. Compact 31.64″ (803.65mm) fits perfectly in overhead.
RICK TOONE — design and engineering BARE KNUCKLE PICKUPS (UK) — pickups, electronics, and wiring ALUMINATI GUITAR COMPANY (USA) — machining, assembly, set-up, and shipping
• LENGTH: 31.6″ [803.65mm] • WIDTH: 12.14″ [308.37mm] • DEPTH: 2.57″ [65.17mm] • WEIGHT: Less than 6 lbs depending on wood • BODY: Solid body Paulownia, Swamp Ash option (upcharge) • BODY FINISH: Customer specified (solid or burst modern poly) • COMPONENT SET: Element™ headless including knobs + output jack • COMPONENT FINISH: Black anodize • NECK: Element™ single billet aircraft aluminum 3-bolt system • SCALE: 25.625″ [650.88mm] low E and 24.625″ [625.48mm] high E • FRETS: Dunlap stainless steel • NUT: Stainless steel • BRIDGE: Intonation Cantilever™ aircraft aluminum and stainless steel • PICKGUARD: Carbon fiber • PICKUPS: Bare Knuckle Pickups custom humbuckers (Tim Mills/Nolly Getgood) • SWITCH: Freeway 10-way switching (single coil + humbucker) • ELECTRONICS: Traditional volume + tone + oil-in-paper cap • CASE: Gator Headless TSA flight
IMAGE: Focused attention to detail. Extensive documentation, drawings, and CAD models provided to manufacturing partners Bare Knuckle Pickups (UK) and Aluminati Guitar Company (USA). More than a decade of R&D testing invested into Wingspan™ platform.IMAGE: Patented and patent pending Intonation Cantilever™ bridge tuner system precision machined from stainless steel and aircraft aluminum. This bridge system is integral to the incredible sustain and string-to-string note clarity of Wingspan™ guitar.
WINGSPAN COLORS
IMAGES: Wingspan™ 6 is a build to order guitar. Color can be anything you imagine. Options above will help you visualize some possibilities.
VIDEO: Rick Toone tests volume knob roll off and 10-way switching of the custom Bare Knuckle Pickups electronics. Pickups designed by Tim Mills and Adam “Nolly” Getgood. Hand wound in the UK. Boutique single coil spank to full throated humbucker roar at your beckon. (June, 2024)
VIDEO: The Surrealist playing a draft version of the music for Wingspan™ 6 promo. Wingspan™ 8 guitar built by Rick Toone. (July, 2021)
VIDEO: Perfect pair. Roopam Garg (left) plays Wingspan™ 8 guitar built by Rick Toone. Chris Buono (right) plays the iconic Sketch™ 7-string guitar that began this odyssey. (June, 2021)
VIDEO: The late Ede Wright eight string master class on Wingspan™ 8 built by Rick Toone. (August, 2020)
VIDEO: Ancient Viking Space Relic. Brewer and Powermad guitarist Todd Haug takes delivery of Ghost™ 8-string guitar designed and built for him by Rick Toone. Video captures Todd testing then playing live at a festival the next day. (July, 2017)
VIDEO: Chris Buono performs his gorgeous original composition “Their Majesty” on Fathom™ 7-string extended range guitar designed and built by Rick Toone. The composition was written specifically for this guitar as you will see from his clever and necessary use of two handed technique as well as the extended range neck. (November, 2017)
VIDEO: Fathom™ 7-string hand built guitar in the hands of (then student) Roopam Garg, Berkelee School of Music. Fathom™ was one of the first guitars to feature the new Intonation Cantilever™ bridge tuner. This guitar is in the collection of Jim Jannard. (December, 2017)
VIDEO: Trippy live studio black & white footage during recording in Athens, Georgia. Jazz fusion new-age bassist Michael Manring joins Killick Hinds and Jamie DeRevere. Killick plays “Walrus” 6-string guitar designed and built for him by Rick Toone. (October, 2016)
VIDEO: Steve Sjuggurud makes it look so easy on this solo guitar adaptation of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” with this wild bespoke guitar built for him by Rick Toone. The instrument is equipped with Antares Auto-Tune technology which makes instant alternate tunings possible. Filmed at NAMM. (January, 2015)
VIDEO: Gabriel Levi at Animals As Leaders Camp playing a prototype S2™ guitar built by Rick Toone. (December, 2013)
VIDEO: The very first hand built Rick Toone Element™ aircraft aluminum neck guitar. Rare early footage backstage of Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes (Animals As Leaders). Followed by additional footage of Chris Buono performing live with Rodney Holmes (Lithium Tree). Note the patented early tuning system and 3D control surface. (May, 2012)
Guitar is in the collection of Steve Sjuggerud. Steve was the first person to truly understand the importance of this breakout design. Steve, thank you for your encouragement and support over the years.
