you’re so close to the string that you’re
actually intercepting the vibration
before it gets to the guitar. One of
the reasons that the piezo sound is
so in-your-face is because the highs
are coming at you too fast. So one
reason we went to digital modeling
was to selectively slow down different
frequencies based on these complex
algorithms. You can get all theoretical about it and say, ‘Oh, the theory
about it is wrong,’ but all I care about
is my ears. I like the theory to understand what my ears are hearing, but I
don’t want to study the theory to tell
my ears what to hear.”
Turner on the State of
the Boutique Family
With five decades of guitar building under his belt, Turner naturally
has opinions about the state and
future of boutique guitar makers. He expects to see faster price
increases from instruments made
in Asia—especially China, where
there’s a burgeoning middle class
that will probably start competing
for the worldwide demand. Of
North American makers, Turner
gives Jean Larrivée, Santa Cruz
Guitars’ Richard Hoover, and Bob
Taylor credit for being on the
“God bless him, but I
think Dave Matthews
sounds like shit! That
ultra-quacky piezo
sound is not something I like.”
ground floor of boutique guitar
construction. “I just hope that
American guitar makers can hold
on through the economy.”
Turner is encouraged by the
fact that electric players seem to
be looking beyond Les Pauls and
Strats—though he is thinking about
coming out with his own take on
the Stratocaster. Given that his
Model 1 is basically his take on the
Les Paul, there is little doubt his
interpretation of the Strat would be
anything less than inventive, unique,
and wholly playable. Only one thing
gives him pause on the matter: “The
dizzying array of Strats coming out
of Fender these days is . . . I mean,
who can keep track?”
While many Turner fans look
upon his instruments as works of
Lindsey Buckingham—who purchased the first Rick Turner Model 1 guitar and now owns six of them—wraps up a
fiery solo onstage at a May 3, 2009, gig at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo by J. Chris Johnston
art, to Rick Turner they are simply
tools. “I certainly know guitar mak-
ers that think of themselves primar-
ily as artists, but I don’t. The musi-
cian is the artist. On the best of
evenings, the instrument disappears
and the mind, soul, and heart of
the musician communicate directly
with the audience. My job is to stay
the hell out of the way. And part
of that is making instruments that
play well and that allow a musician
to develop his or her own signature
sound. You don’t want to make
characterless instruments, but you
don’t want to impose the character
of the instrument too severely on
the musician.”
