Boy I'd love to have one of these someday....

[Lewguitar]

Rick Turner Renaissance Steel model. Wouldn't have to be fancy like this. But I love the sound and the look. One like Hal Ketchum's would be just fine.

 

[Mincer]

Beautiful instrument! I wonder how it sounds through a PA system...hopefully as good as it looks. Price on this?

 

[Lewguitar]

Beautiful instrument! I wonder how it sounds through a PA system...hopefully as good as it looks. Price on this?

They vary depending on wood and how they're appointed. But around $3000.

Rick Turner makes the nicest guitars I've ever played, but I've only played the Model 1. The model Lindsey Buckingham plays. He also plays the Renaissance.

You know who Rick is. Designed the Grateful Dead's huge PA, co-founded Alembic, worked with Seymour too and had a hand in the Mama Bear and the Solstice preamps and EQ's Duncan used to offer.

Cool guy!

 

[beaubrummels]

Always nice woods on Turners. There’s a Turner slide guitar with a really killer bridge that flips to open E, open G and open D by throwing a couple levers. Cool stuff.

 

[Lewguitar]

Always nice woods on Turners. There’s a Turner slide guitar with a really killer bridge that flips to open E, open G and open D by throwing a couple levers. Cool stuff.

Huh! Haven't see that one. But I like this one. Rick calls it the Model T. Uses a pickup based on the Rickenbacher Horseshoe pickup you see on their lap steels from the 30's.

 

[Artie]

I've wanted one of these ever since I first saw them. For quite some time Michael Kelly offered an inexpensive version of the N7 and S7, (nylon and steel respectively), for around $700, but I don't see them on the web page anymore. They were listed as Rick Turner guitars.

 

[Mincer]

I will watch some videos of them today. I wonder how he has the pickup system in there- a straight piezo probably wouldn't sound that great, so hopefully he has more going on.

 

[Lewguitar]

I will watch some videos of them today. I wonder how he has the pickup system in there- a straight piezo probably wouldn't sound that great, so hopefully he has more going on.

I'm sure there's a preamp too. Rick's Model 1 has two 9 volt batteries under the cover behind the bridge.

Those Model 1's are terrific guitars. Between the piezo and the active humbucker you can get just about any sound and they all sound great.

You can blend in a little of an acoustic sound to the neck humbucker and vice versa.

You can dial in a more overdriven sound with the preamp, and even sweep through the midrange frequencies to find the "sweet spot" you want to boost.
They're not a heavy metal guitar but who cares about that? :wall:

 

[Lewguitar]

The Model 1 Lightweight. It's chambered and sounds mindblowingly good!

 

[jeremy]

i think i mentioned it before but i have a baritone model t. that pup is fantastic and is what made me want to get one. i got a baritone since i dont have one and i have a lower vocal range so i use it for my solo gigs. ive used it with a band too. so clear but with a ton of output. the bottom end from that low b 70 gauge string is something to feel

 

[Artie]

That's a helluva lotta controls for a 1-pup guitar! What in the world do they all do?

 

[beaubrummels]

Huh! Haven't see that one. But I like this one. Rick calls it the Model T. Uses a pickup based on the Rickenbacher Horseshoe pickup you see on their lap steels from the 30's.

This one. It’s a Model T with a special bridge.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/361215872227

 

[Artie]

One of the things that I love about that guitar, (besides its quirky design), is that it looks like you could lay your palm right on the pup to pick. I bet that thing is comfortable to play leads.

 

[Lewguitar]

This one. It’s a Model T with a special bridge.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/361215872227

Cool! Never seen one like that. I'm going to ask Rick about it.

 

[Lewguitar]

Doesn't have the fingerboard extension on the treble side that I'm used to seeing on a Model T. I'm going to ask Rick about it. I wonder if it's a real Turner?

 

[Lewguitar]

Doesn't have the fingerboard extension on the treble side that I'm used to seeing on a Model T. I'm going to ask Rick about it. I wonder if it's a real Turner?

So that's a Hipshot tailpiece probably installed by Turner Guitars for the original owner. Looks to be the real deal!

 

[Lewguitar]

Just got a reply from from Rick Turner and he says it's real! And an old one! He got a kick out of seeing it again.

 

[jeremy]

That's a helluva lotta controls for a 1-pup guitar! What in the world do they all do?

volume and tone, piezo volume, and active mid eq

 

[Artie]

volume and tone, piezo volume, and active mid eq

Ah. I missed the piezo part. Still, a lot of controls.

 

[Lewguitar]

volume and tone, piezo volume, and active mid eq

Yep. The EQ has two controls. One selects the frequency you want to boost. The other is the degree of boost. The mini switch turns the EQ on or off and a little red LED lights up when its on. Very cool for going from clean chord tones to a boosted sound for solos.

The piezo blend is the knob up on top where the pickup selector switch would be on a Les Paul.

Turning it all the way "up" is humbucker only. All the way "down" is piezo only.

Any setting in-between blends them together.

Adding piezo to the humbucker makes it start sounding like a bridge pickup because the piezo is in the bridge.

Also adds breath and more of an acoustic tone.

It has a lot of range and works beautifully!

Personally, I think they're the most versatile guitar I've ever played.