Dove Electric Guitar
Rick Toone has been one busy guitar builder. The Orchid bass is complete, the Headless Monster 5 String Bass Guitar is moving along and now he’s also working on the Dove electric guitar – a sculpted design with a number of interesting features.
Hip Hole
Yes that’s right – the hip hole is a functional element on the Dove electrical guitar. In his article Hip Hole, Rick points out how many guitars hit the pelvis at the Illiac crest – a spot which is even more pronounced on a woman’s anatomy. To accommodate this, Rick created a cavity in the back and then continued it through the front of the body and thus made it an aesthetic feature as well.
Rick also reports an added benefit of the hip hole in that “it’s more comfortable for the strum/pluck hand as the hole floats the wristbone while still offering support and guidance.”
Alumitone Pickups
The Dove is slated to use Alumitone pickups with a single coil in the neck position and a humbucker in the bridge position. These caught my interest a while ago when I heard they are dramatically lighter than conventional pickups. No word yet on how they sound but Rick confirms that they are indeed light weight.
Trapezoidal Guitar Neck
The Dove will be the first guitar to include the trapezoidal profile neck first seen on the Orchid bass. It’s an inventive approach and Rick covers the concept in detail in the following articles:
More to Come
Other interesting elements of the Dove include fanned frets and a sustainable approach to materials and finish. More details to come as the Dove evolves.
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Judging by the photo, not everyone is as excited about the nuances of guitar building as we are…
😉
I noted the expression on her face too. I just chose to interpret it differently. 🙂
Could just as easily be a primal scream in exasperated reaction to sleeping with a guitar AGAIN in lieu of her beloved spouse… poor thing!
Looks great so far Rick, I think the picture should be titled- “Waking up in a dream in a world of unusual guitars” Looking forward to it`s completion…;)
Thanks, Rick.
I guess this is the end result of asking my wife to model. She’s forced to live with my incessant rambling about “balance points” vs. “scale lengths” — topics that would make any luthier delight.
(of course)
At least she got dinner and a massage out of the deal.
ASIDE: Hey, Robert…caption contest?
I think we should keep our wives from comparing notes… 😉
Wha…?
Are you trying to say you can talk to your wife about guitars without PAYING her to listen?!
(smacks forehead)
Rick,
What do you have in mind for the headstock? That shape looks to begging for something unique on the top. Headless would even be pretty cool (although don’t know how that effects balance).
Kevin
Kevin, thanks for asking.
Dove’s getting an asymmetrical slotted headstock with engraved bronze (& stainless steel) Waverly tuners. The asymmetry is an experiment to attempt a straight-line string pull across the nut. The geometry is incredibly complicated, and I don’t yet know if it will work.
(living dangerously)
The Waverlys will be matched by an engraved bronze and titanium bridge, for both light weight and musical tone. The bridge too is (excessively) complicated due to the multiple scale lengths used on the guitar: 25.5″ bass vs. 25″ treble. I’ll post construction details as I get photographs.
Folks who are interested in Dove might want to check out the YouTube video I stuck together in iMovie (great app, btw) yesterday: “Dove’s Hip Hole”
Cheers,
Rick
Link: http://toone.typepad.com/tooneguitars/2008/06/explosive-susta.html