The Black Dove by Rick Toone

You'd be hard pressed to find a luthier as inventive as Rick Toone. He's the poster-child for rethinking the guitar making craft. Just in is 'The Black Dove', an incredible creation that is as beautiful/useful as it is brilliant (and unique!). Don't forget to check out the video below.

THE BLACK DOVE BY RICK TOONE:
Rick Toone's Dove body shape takes on a dark and dirty side! There's absolutely nothing innocent about this machine - you can expect late nights in jazz & blues clubs. Yes, the tone is that good. Warm. Deep. Clear. Alive and vibrant.

Collectors might want to take note. This guitar is one of the last ones Rick will build using ebony. Also, the bridges are actually very rare 'Patent Applied For' prototypes that pre-date award of Rick's utility patent.

PHOTO: Laura Masi shows us how Black Dove is supposed to fit. Alternately, the guitar is wickedly comfortable in classical position. Curved to ride the thigh. Full access to every fret.

ABOUT RICK TOONE'S GUITARS:
"Each instrument I create is hand built to meet your specific needs as a musician. This is a time and labor intensive process, performed by me to the limit of my art. An instrument will only leave the shop after I am fully confident it is an integrated, functional organism." - Rick Toone

Here is a quick survey of some of  Rick Toone's innovations:

Trapezoid Neck Profile™ and Intersecting Neck Profile™
These innovations are both radical departures from conventional neck shapes, created to maximize biomechanical leverage in the human hand. Both The Trapezoidal Neck Profile™ and the Intersecting Neck Profile™ are divided into distinct plane surfaces, which provide broad support areas for your thumb. In contrast to a conventional rounded profile, your thumb is highly stable, and leverage improved. The Intersecting Neck Profile™ is designed for musicians with specific hand shapes or leverage needs. This profile is variable and can help you compensate for your style of play.

Neutral Tension Bridge™
This system eliminates string tension on acoustic instrument soundboards, allowing reduced bracing to capture and transmit full string vibration.

Intonation Adjustable Nut™ and Intonation Cantilever Bridge™
The Intonation Adjustable Nut™ is capable of accurately setting intonation and string height per individual string and works in conjunction with Toone's Intonation Cantilever Bridge™ and precise body-mounted tuning mechanisms. As a combined system, this integrated hardware fully controls tuning and intonation over the entire length of the string.

Rick Toone's instruments frequently utilize headless tuning and fan fret systems.