TOONE & TOWNSEND

NAMM 2012 | 1219 Exhibit Hall E

TOONE & TOWNSEND precision tuning systems will debut at NAMM 2012 in Anaheim, California, USA.

Visit us @ 1219 Exhibit Hall E.

T2 'Buckskin' | Live Performance Notes

T2 'Buckskin' 6-string headless guitar was conceived as a test platform for TOONE & TOWNSEND hardware, a chance to evaluate performance within a very traditional body design.

The tuning system integrates perfectly, even including multi-scale (fanned-fret) scale lengths. The 25" treble E string sweetens the mix but keeps the twang.

We have Al Shaffer's first impressions of T2. But, how does the guitar perform in a live context, especially when run through vintage kit?

"I was able to take T2 out to the country where she could really roar through both a Pete Cage modded/blackfaced early '70's Princeton (20+ watts) with a 12" Weber Alnico Blue Dog installed and a Retro Channel RR1 into a G12H30 in a single 1X12 cab.

"(I would have preferred 2X12 with the RR1, but just didn't feel like hauling the other cab).

"The guitar is capable of pretty much anything from very sweet jazz chords, classic rock, blues, and country.

"Great harmonics and Roy Buchanan squeal from the Fralins with all sorts of overtones floating above in the ether.

"It can sound very rude when you want it to and I really like that.

"It stayed in tune very well.

"I had the Soloway Gosling and the Grosh HollowTron there so it was in some pretty tough company...and all three guitars got equal time, and I think that is a huge compliment to all three builders.

"Thanks to Rick, Jim, and Don, not to mention Pete and Lance."

— Al Shaffer

Imagine what would Leo Fender have done if he had access to this headless technology when he built the first Telecaster. Or...is this a long-lost prototype from 1948?

Hardware as shown includes aged black finish, in keeping with an instrument that has seen sixty+ years of hard use. Despite the appearance, all mechanicals (frets & hardware) are pristine spec new and precise.

Lowland Guitars

TOONE & TOWNSEND guitar bridges enroute to luthier Henk Vlaar of Lowland Guitars for pending instruments. Henk hand builds guitars and basses in the Netherlands. Check out his work.

"The bridges have arrived. Today I admired them over a cup of coffee. They are little pieces of art itself. :)"

Henk Vlaar
Lowland Guitars

Thermal Expansion of Neck Core

One topic several folks have written about is coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the TOONE & TOWNSEND Neck Core:

"I am going to start building a 6 string electric and recently stumbled across your website.

"I was curious if you could shed some light on how your neck core reacts to temperature changes.

"I am aware that the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum is generally greater than that of hardwoods so I was wondering how your necks with the aluminum neck core reacted to mild and moderate temperature changes in regards to flex and relief."

Curious myself, I have tested neck core CTE extensively, subjecting cores to extended time in the freezer then the oven, to measure movement.

From below 0 Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius) to about 220 Fahrenheit (105 Celsius) there is zero measurable difference using a ruler and viewing with human eye.

Dimensional stability is unchanged.

PLEASE NOTE: 220 Fahrenheit is above the boiling point of water, and almost 100 degrees hotter than the inside of a car parked in the sun.

At 400 Fahrenheit, an 18" neck core will extend by almost 1/16" (1.6 mm) in length. However, wood will easily flex that much, without any concern. Just watch trees moving and bending in a wind storm.

Of course, if your guitar has heated to 400 Fahrenheit then the guitar is probably the least of your worries. Because at 400 Fahrenheit, the plastic in your guitar, case, car, and clothing will have melted, leaving you with a gooey mess. You could cook a beef roast at those temperatures.

Instruments I've built with neck cores always surprise me because — unlike a conventional truss rod — I often remove the guitar from a case months later and discover it still plays perfectly in tune. Seasonal changes do not affect the neck.

7-String Headless Guitar Hardware

TOONE & TOWNSEND tuning hardware fully controls string vibration and intonation. The integrated system anchors both ends of the string in precision components machined from anodized aircraft grade aluminum, bearing bronze, stainless steel, and titanium.

As photographed here, strings pass through the bridge to the body mounted tuner. This provides warm, woody, acoustic vibration, saturated with the tone wood characteristics of the body. Sustain is enhanced and solid, due to the mass of the tuner.

"Sketch is one of the most well built, well conceived instruments I've ever owned or played."

Tosin Abasi
Animals As Leaders

Interlocking tuning knobs feature neoprene O-rings provide non-slip grip, even under sweat inducing stage lights and performance conditions.

The nut provides fully adjustable intonation and string height control. Any string gauge, scale length, or string material (nylon, bronze, steel). Installation is simple.

Intonation can be dialed in by the musician for specific preferences, from piano-like clarity to traditional guitar dissonance. 7-string version pictured here anchors ball end strings.

This patent pending system is available for licensing. For more information about this 7-string guitar by luthier Rick Toone:

• Fretboard — Math behind this multi-scale fretboard
• 7-String Headless Multi-Scale Guitar — Build photos in progress
• Sketch | 7-String Headless Guitar — Photos of completed guitar

Little Guitar Works

Jerome Little, Little Guitar Works, Austin, Texas (USA) built this beautiful blue burst Torzal Standard 5-string bass. Maple/wenge neck, wenge fingerboard, swamp ash back & figured myrtle top.

The bass also features TOONE & TOWNSEND bridges. Note these are prototype bridges, fully anodized aluminum, from our beta test program. Jerome liked them so much he asked if they could be used on a client's instrument:

"These bridges sound great, and the look and function is all totally solid, as expected...I've built enough similar basses to immediately recognize what I would characterize as a very pure, clear, open tone, quick response, long sustain." (Jerome Little)

Jerome has contributed significantly to our test program, and you will see his suggestions on the production bass bridge, most notably as a string slot for drop-in string loads.

Bass bridges are now available. Shipping in approximately two weeks. Contact us for details and pricing.