Rick Turner: The Artisan of Innovation

Anyone who has seen a photo of Lindsey Buckingham with a guitar has seen a Rick Turner.  

I was also aware that Turner made a "Rick" horeshoe pickup, and due to that Rickenbacker connection, watched his work over the years.  I wasn't aware of his Model T, but picked one up when I saw it - a modern Combo 800...  I fell in love with it and soon after picked up a Model 1.

Rick Turner’s guitars are not just instruments; they are works of art. His dedication to pushing the boundaries of guitar design has resulted in instruments that offer unique sounds and unparalleled playability. Whether it’s the groundbreaking Model 1 or the versatile Model T, Turner guitars are built for musicians who demand the best in both performance and aesthetics.

Turner’s innovative spirit and commitment to excellence have solidified his reputation as one of the foremost luthiers in the world. His instruments are highly sought after by professional musicians and collectors alike, each one representing a perfect blend of form, function, and beauty.

Rick Turner guitars are renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship, innovative designs, and distinctive sound. With a career that spans decades, Rick Turner established himself as a master luthier, blending traditional techniques with modern technology to create guitars that are both visually stunning and sonically superior. Turner’s work has been celebrated by musicians and collectors alike, with each instrument reflecting his dedication to quality and innovation.

Model 1: The Signature Masterpiece

The Model 1 is perhaps the most iconic of Rick Turner’s creations. Designed initially for Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, the Model 1 combines the best of acoustic and electric guitar elements, offering unparalleled versatility and tone. Its unique design features include a semi-hollow body, a rotating pickup system for varying tonal options, and advanced electronics that provide a wide range of sounds from warm, resonant tones to sharp, biting leads.

The Model 1 is crafted with the finest materials, including a mahogany body, a maple top, and an ebony fingerboard. The rotating pickup system allows players to dial in their perfect sound, making it an incredibly versatile instrument suitable for any musical style. Its ergonomic design ensures comfort during extended playing sessions, and its aesthetic beauty makes it a standout piece in any collection.

ID'ing a Model 1:

It's somewhat hard to tell "what's what" on a Model 1, because they're so many custom ones made, but in general:

There's a 'classic' series, which is mostly mahogany, and in general these weigh 7-8lbs:

• the 'Special', which in general doesn't have binding, and has a open-pore finish, usually satin.

• the 'Standard', which in general has top binding, but not back binding, and generally has a bound headstock.  The finish is usually gloss.

• the "Deluxe", which in general has top/back binding. Finish is usually gloss, and it usually has the 5 piece maple/purple-heart neck.

There's a 'featherweight' series, which has different wood and body construction, but the same electronics, they usually weigh 5-6lbs:

• the "Special", which is usually gloss in finish, and usually has no binding.

• the "Deluxe", which usually had front/back binding. And usually has the 5-piece neck.

Most of the featherweights seem to be custom deluxe's, so they have all sorts of unique features...

And there's lots of electronics options:

• "A" - passive humbucker

• "B" - active humbucker

• "C" - active humbucker + EQ

• "BP" - active humbucker + piezo

• "CP" - active humbucker + EQ + piezo

The "C" is the Lindsey Buckingham electronics (even though he apparently doesn't ever use the EQ), the "B" is the John Mayer electronics.  In practice most all of the Models 1's have the C or the CP electronics.  Sometime's there's 2 pickups, which technically makes it a Model 2 I suppose...

Some have Rick's signature on the back of the headstock, some don't.  Sometimes the signature is a label, sometimes it's a real signature.  :)

Again, there's so many custom Model 1's that there's no hard and fast rules here....  Other than they're all really good. 

From a sound perspective, there's a lot going on, for example on the CP:

• you can rotate the pickup to get slight variations in tone

• there's a push-pull to put the pickup in a single-coil mode

• there's a pre-amp with a parametric EQ

• you can blend the piezo however you want

It's a lot. :).   The amount of unique sounds you can get out of this guitar is truely insane!

The Model 1 is a serious boutique guatr by a serious boutique builder!

Model T: The Modern Classic

The Model T is another standout instrument in Rick Turner’s lineup. It is designed with a nod to classic guitar shapes but incorporates Turner’s signature innovations to enhance playability and tone. The Model T features a solid body design, a set neck construction, and custom-wound pickups that deliver a powerful, articulate sound.

One of the Model T’s defining features is its Turner “Rick” double-horseshoe pickup delivers accurate vintage lead tones and an “all controls bypass” switch serves up a direct, load-free signal to the output jack.

I'm not sure if they make the Model T anymore, and i think the "Deluxe" had two pickups, and the "Standard" just had the horseshoe...

More info from the Web:

Rick Turner Guitars

Video of Rick Turner explaining how the Model 1 C controls work