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Rick Toone, Luthier

ricktoone.com

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Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#41

Post by beat »

TylerE wrote: post #40
beat wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modeling suffers a lot from bad interface design. It's not the digital that's the problem, it's the interface. I recently picked up a Boss SY-300 guitar synth. It sounds great, but I hate it. It's almost impossible to manipulate its behavior in realtime. It really needs a computer plugged in, and a lot of clicking around with a mouse. It's completely outside my music-brain. I don't have these problems with a traditio…

The Line 6 Helix UI is pretty great. That's the unit I'm running. Everything easily tweakable from the unit, or connect it to a PC via USB and use the their software which is even easier since you have a mouse, drag and drop, etc. Way way better than, say, Fractal. This video shows what the UI on the unit itself is like... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-i_i1nrRy0&t=295

A bandmate of mine was using a Helix (with an electric cello). He replaced it with a board full of cheap Chinese mini-pedals and analog amp sims. It definitely sounded better than anything else of its ilk I've heard, though.

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#42

Post by Splendor »

I love to see people pushing the design of musical instruments. In the guitar world I've been really interested in some of the newer pickup designs like the Fishman Fluence[0] and Lace Alumitone[1].

[0]: https://www.fishman.com/products/series/fluence/

[1]: http://www.lacemusic.com/alumitone_humbucker.php

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#43

Post by TylerE »

beat wrote: post #41
TylerE wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Line 6 Helix UI is pretty great. That's the unit I'm running. Everything easily tweakable from the unit, or connect it to a PC via USB and use the their software which is even easier since you have a mouse, drag and drop, etc. Way way better than, say, Fractal. This video shows what the UI on the unit itself is like... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-i_i1nrRy0&t=295

A bandmate of mine was using a Helix (with an electric cello). He replaced it with a board full of cheap Chinese mini-pedals and analog amp sims. It definitely sounded better than anything else of its ilk I've heard, though.

THe thing I really like it not having to deal with a board full of pedals, and all the cabling, power supplies, etc.

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#44

Post by cushychicken »

robotmay wrote: post #6

It's a little strange for me to see this here, in that I live in a world of instrument makers and luthiers, being a folk musician in the UK, and therefore interesting luthiers are pretty much my normal exposure to instrument makers. I even go to what is technically a festival of luthiers in France, which is fun! Instrument making is very interesting, in that automation and export of production to China isn't really h…

There are more than a few houses in the US leveraging the Eastern, mass-produced model for acoustic instrument components, and using assembly/setup in the US by qualified techs as the value add.

Eastman is a big brand doing that with violins, guitars, and other acoustic instruments. See a lot of those as intro models in the folk/bluegrass scene.

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#46

Post by beat »

TylerE wrote: post #43
beat wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A bandmate of mine was using a Helix (with an electric cello). He replaced it with a board full of cheap Chinese mini-pedals and analog amp sims. It definitely sounded better than anything else of its ilk I've heard, though.

THe thing I really like it not having to deal with a board full of pedals, and all the cabling, power supplies, etc.

I wish I could be there. But I'm too fussy about the tone of my drive systems (amp and pedals), and too into knob-level manipulation of delay and reverb pedals.

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#47

Post by gpvos »

afandian wrote: post #15
robotmay wrote: post #6

It's a little strange for me to see this here, in that I live in a world of instrument makers and luthiers, being a folk musician in the UK, and therefore interesting luthiers are pretty much my normal exposure to instrument makers. I even go to what is technically a festival of luthiers in France, which is fun! Instrument making is very interesting, in that automation and export of production to China isn't really h…

Another annual visitor to of Le Son Continu and its predecessor (I'm guessing that's what you were alluding to) checking in. There are, indeed, dozens of us.

I'll see you all there then (although I'm more of a dancer than a musician).

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#48

Post by TylerE »

beat wrote: post #46
TylerE wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

THe thing I really like it not having to deal with a board full of pedals, and all the cabling, power supplies, etc.

I wish I could be there. But I'm too fussy about the tone of my drive systems (amp and pedals), and too into knob-level manipulation of delay and reverb pedals.

Actually for knob-fiddling the helix is great... you can have up to 3 expression pedals, and ANY parameter can be mapped to them - so you could have say delay time on one pedal (with user definable bottom and top range), and a wet/dry blend on another.

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#49

Post by hoosieree »

Splendor wrote: post #42

I love to see people pushing the design of musical instruments. In the guitar world I've been really interested in some of the newer pickup designs like the Fishman Fluence[0] and Lace Alumitone[1]. [0]: https://www.fishman.com/products/series/fluence/ [1]: http://www.lacemusic.com/alumitone_humbucker.php

My favorite low-impedance pickup forum thread (which has been going on for almost 10 years!)

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t5447-8/

Re: Rick Toone, Luthier

#50

Post by adw »

beat wrote: post #36

Guitar players, as a whole, are a very conservative bunch when it comes to their instruments. Most luthiers are simply building very careful copies of designs that have existed for over 50 years. This is true from both a visual and a mechanical/electrical perspective. We're inspired by our heroes, and want to play what they played. I have a custom made guitar myself - an acoustic by Running Dog Guitars (now defunct,…

Unorthodox guitars are being made, though. Have a look at Yuri Landman's instruments, Electrical Guitar Company, etc.
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