JGT First Look: Rick Toone Goshawk Electric Guitar

Atlanta guitarist Ede Wright and JGT editor Bob Bakert take a ‘First Look’ at the Rick Toone Goshawk electric guitar.

Both players provide some candid insight into this new guitar from luthier Rick Toone.

Part 1 – Checking out the Goshawk

Part 2 – Checking out the Tones

Goshawk specs and comments as provided by Ede Wright:

1. Neck Profile — This trademarked Rick Toone proprietary profile is named “Advantage Neck Profile™” because it offers the hand a natural mechanical advantage to make fretting efficient. The back contour provides a solid stable thumb rest surface, with a smooth transition to thumb-over playing styles. The bottom contour allows the fingers deeper reach across the fretboard for vibrato and string bend techniques.

2. Pickups — DiMarzio pickups designed exclusively for my guitars by Steve Blucher (pronounced: “bloosher“) who is head of R&D for DiMarzio. 5-way switching, with hum-cancelling in all positions. Notice how the volume pot is useful through the full range…you can instantly clean up an overdriven amp by rolling off the volume.

3. Volume & Tone Knobs — Rick Toone design, precision machined from aircraft aluminum and anodized. Military-grade rubber O-rings provide secure grip even when you’re sweating onstage.

4. Pickguard — Carbon fiber rejects 60-cycle hum electrical interference, so your guitar is quiet onstage and in the studio. Carbon fiber feels smooth and fast to your fingertips on your picking hand. Incredibly stiff and light weight, the pickguard is held to the body via three stainless steel screws. This makes access to the electronics super simple for maintenance or repairs…you can remove the entire pickguard easily without taking the strings or the neck off the instrument. Designed to make guitar techs happy! This guitar is built for extended touring!

5. Neck Joint — Precision machined stainless steel neck mount plate. Oversized military-grade stainless steel neck attachment screws. This joint is solid and stable…and you can hear it in the bass response and also sustain.

6. Bridges — Patented Intonation Cantilever™ individual bridges are precision machined from solid stainless steel. The design directly couples string vibration to the top of your guitar…like a violin bridge. The result is high-fidelity frequency capture, with incredible string-to-string separation and dynamic sensitivity.

7. Ergonomics — The body is lightweight and balanced, both seated and standing. Effortless access to upper frets. The guitar is designed to shift your body closer to the headstock when you are in playing position…removing tension from your left wrist because you don’t have to stretch your arm out so far to form chords. Compare it to a Strat or Tele and notice your reach to the 3rd and 5th frets is much less.

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