Sunday, April 24, 2022

Rick Turner - Founder of Rick Turner Guitars Passes Away At Age 79

 

Rick Turner Model 1
Warwick Lancelot Armstrong "Rick" Turner III was born on July 30th, 1943. and passed away recenly on April 17th of 2022. Though his guitars may not have been as well known as Fender and Gibson, many players such as Jesse Colin Young, John Entwistle, and especially Lindsey Buckingham all relied on his unique instruments. 

Rick Turner (recent photo)
Turner grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts and started helping to make and repair musical instruments when young soon after was given his first guitar at the age of 11. He attended boarding school in Rhode Island before starting at Boston University in 1962. It was there where Turner started going to folk clubs and coffeehouses, and began repairing guitars at a store in Cambridge. 

He also began playing in a band called Banana and the Bunch, with Lowell "Banana" Levinger and Michael Kane, who later played with The Youngbloods. 

In 1964, the three musicians opened a music store in Martha's Vineyard. The next year Turner was invited to play guitar on tour with Ian & Sylvia. He also played on the duo's 1966 album, Play One More. 

Early Days In A Band
Following this tour Turner moved to New York City in 1966. He was a founding member of the psychedelic band Autosalvage, which released a self-titled album on RCA in 1968. He continued to work a second job repairing guitars, 

His band, Autosalvage,  eventually split up and Turner moved to Point Reyes, California. 

Then in 1970 Rick Turner, Ampex audio engineer, Ron Wickersham, Bob Matthews, a recording engineer, became three equal shareholders of Alembic Incorporated. Alembic was founded by Owsley Stanley in 1968, and was involved in the design and construction of the Alembic instruments. 

The initial purpose of Stanley's company was formed to support and supply The Grateful Dead. After the sale Alembic  went on to build exceptionally fine guitars and basses. 

In 1979 Turner founded Rick Turner Guitars, the business he ran for the remainder of his life. 

Turner joined Gibson in 1988 where he served as president of Gibson Labs West Coast R&D Division. 





1992 Gibson Chet Atkins SST
Four years later, he left Gibson in 1992 and ran a guitar repair shop at Westwood Music in Los Angeles where he developed piezo pickup designs, while working with Jackson Browne, David Crosby, and others. He later co-founded Highlander Musical Audio, manufacturer of piezo pickups for acoustic guitars. 

Rick Turner

Through Rick Turner Guitars he continued to design and build guitars for many professional players including Lindsey Buckingham, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and Andy Summers. He was also a regular columnist for Acoustic Guitar magazine and was a columnist for Bass Player, Frets and Guitar Player magazines. 





D-Tar Pickup-Mic System
He partnered with Seymour W. Duncan to form D-TAR Multisource Pickup-Mic System. He used this in his most well-know instrument The Turner Model 1 electric which Turner designed in 1979 for use by Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham Buckingham continues to use the Model 1 to this day. 


The Turner Model 1 pioneered the use of curved plates on the front and back in order to reduce standing wave hysteresis loss and the use of 18 volt preamps in an attempt to tame the 'quack' sound commonly associated with piezoelectric acoustic guitar pickups. 



Rick Turner also held the patent on the graphite guitar neck, which he developed in 1976 with Geoff Gould. Gould used this neck as the basis for his guitar/bass replacement neck company; Modulus Graphite. 




Rick Turner was generous with his time and taught mandolin-building courses in the US and Australia and was extremely active on a wide range of musical instrument Internet forums and social media groups. 

Turner died from congestive heart failure and a stroke on April 17, 2022, at the age of 78. 


“Rick Turner was a gifted guitar maker, an innovator, and a special soul,” wrote Smith. “At the beginning of my career, he selflessly helped my company through a review in Guitar Player magazine. His honesty and willingness to help another instrument maker left a lifelong, very positive impression on me. I send my very best to his family and friends.” Rick Turner guitars, basses, and ukuleles are exquisite instruments. 

Turner Model 1 and
Model 1 Featherweight

The guitars include two versions of The Model 1; The Model 1 and the Model 1 Featherweight.. Both versions of this guitar comes in 3 models; Deluxe, Standard, and Special.  

These instruments include the Timerline Piezo pickup with the built-in D-TAR 18 volt preamp.


Turner also offers four versions of his Renaissance model guitars.







In addition to the company's guitar line, Rick Turner Guitars also offers three models of bass guitars.  





The Pretzel

Rick Turner built a couple of very interesting guitars in the 1970's. One of them, known as The Pretzel. 

This instrument was built without using hand tools, other that a Sear electric drill and a drill press. 

It was housed in the New York City Museum of Art and Design, the later moved to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  

The other guitar is the Turner Model T. The design was based on the shape of vintage Kay Kraft guitars from the 1920's, and a Double Horseshoe magnetic pickup based on Rickenbacker guitars of the 1930's,  In addition to the horseshoe pickup, the electronics include an "all controls bypass switch, which provides a direct load-free signal to the output jack.

Click on the links below the pictures for sources. Click on links in text for further information.
©UniqueGuitar Publications  2022 (text only)








21 comments:

zabdart said...

Thanks for this. I always associated Rick Turner with his work for the Grateful Dead.
I had no idea that there was so much more to him.

hi said...

This is the first & best article to make me satisfied by presenting good content. I feel so happy and delighted. Thank you so much for this article.
best c online course
online oracle
c course
cheap website design in chennai
big data training online

John Hardy said...

Such an excellent blog. I love music instrument. This informative is very helpful for music lover. Thanks for sharing this blog and good information of music. Now it's time to avail african gowns for ladies for more information.

Shnookylangston said...

Miss your posts, Marcus.

Famous Movies said...


The Japanese landscape is untamed because mountains cover more than 45% of the entire nation. Japan Travel Guide, There are both dormant and active volcanoes, including Mount Fuji (Fuji-san), the tallest mountain in Japan at 12,388 feet (3,776 metres) above sea level.

prediksi togel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
prediksi togel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
syair sdy223344 said...

Syair Sgp
Syair Sdy
Syair Sdy
Syair Hk
Data Taiwan
Data Cambodia
Data China

Unknown said...

kulpulan syair hari ini Syair Sydney Hari ini
Syair Singpura Hari ini
Syair Hongkong Malam ini pasti jos

tafsir mimpi said...

LIVE DRAW HK
LIVE DRAW SYDNEY
LIVE DRAW SGP
LIVE DRAW MACAU

SOLO Music Gear said...

Too good information that you shared. It would be so useful post for those are searching for Best Guitar Kits.

Jonny Dave said...

I'm searching on internet some interesting blog. I reached on your site. You are provide such a amazing knowledge on your site. I really like it. Now it's time to avail taxi milwaukee for more information.

Motorchanel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shaun James said...

Rick Turner was born on July 30th, 1943. And passed away recently on April 17th of 2022. He was a great person. I am a big fan of Rick Turner. Now its time to avail Sign and Blind Services in Eastbourne for more information.

theglobalhues said...

Witness Healing Buddha's revival of holistic wellness, rekindling ancient healing wisdom to resonate with the modern world's pursuit of well-being.

healingbuddha

theglobalhues said...

Join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of visionary entrepreneurs, executives, and leaders from around the world. Through insightful interviews and captivating stories, The Global Hues showcases their journeys, strategies, and the impact they've made in their respective industries. Discover the inspiring narratives that are shaping the future of business and leadership.

theglobalhues

Juara Skor said...

Good your post

syair sdy

syair sgp

syair hk

riley said...

Rick Turner, founder of Rick Turner Guitars, passed away at 79. He was a pioneering luthier known for his innovative designs and shaped the sound of iconic musicians like Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac.General Reckless Driving Virginia

Addere1986 said...

Saddened by the news of Rick Turner's passing. His legacy in crafting exceptional guitars is immeasurable. According to Best Assignment Writers A true artisan and innovator, Turner's influence in the music world will endure. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the musical community. May he rest in peace, leaving behind a harmonious legacy.

Syair Toto said...

Syair Hk
Syair Sgp
Syair Sdy

R3_international said...

Rick Turner, the founder of Rick Turner Guitars, was a highly respected luthier and pioneer in the world of electric guitars and basses. His contributions to the music industry are significant, particularly in the realm of instrument craftsmanship and innovation. While I cannot confirm specific details about Rick Turner's passing or his age at the time, if such an event occurred, it would undoubtedly be a loss felt by many in the music community. Turner's guitars are renowned for their quality, tone, and distinctive design, and his legacy continues through the instruments he created and the influence he had on the craft. iget pro