Turner acoustic

[MMiller]

Anyone have any experience with the Rick Turner acoustic (well I guess you could kind of call it acoustic). Local shop has a used one in....could use some setup work but the price seems right.

[PB Wilson]

Do you mean one of his Renaissance guitars or his custom acoustics?

Like this:

http://www.mandoweb.com/88-2418.jpg

Or like this:

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Museum/Guitar/Modern/TurnerKaiser/TurnerKaiserViews/turnerkaiser01.jpg

The first pic, a Renaissance, is a fantastic acoustic/electric. The last pic, is a custom job and are pretty rare. I don't think Rick makes too many of them. What I do know is that they have some really cool internal bracing schemes that include a good deal of carbon fiber reinforcements and a floating fingerboard extension that doesn't touch the face of the guitar.

[MMiller]

The one at the local strore is a Renaissance. However, it doesn't have the bolt on neck as show in the pictures. The shop let me take the guitar home, restring it and adjust the truss rod (ya, I spend way to much $ there so they let me try before I buy). The guitar plays fantastic and the amplified acoustic sound is great. Could probably pick it up for $900...does that sound like a reasonable price.

[hawkeyeinexile]

The one at the local strore is a Renaissance. However, it doesn't have the bolt on neck as show in the pictures. The shop let me take the guitar home, restring it and adjust the truss rod (ya, I spend way to much $ there so they let me try before I buy). The guitar plays fantastic and the amplified acoustic sound is great. Could probably pick it up for $900...does that sound like a reasonable price.

the RN-6(?) here looks like it's in fine condition & is worth well more (IMHO) than $950. the RS-6 i had was wonderful, sells for >$2100 (it had $200 upcharge purfling). new ones are in the mid-$2K range, i've heard.

the acoustic above looks like one Rick showed me a couple-few years ago that he was building for Henry Kaiser. he built one for his son, too. it was spectacular in a non-flashy way. said he builds one occasionally just to keep his hand in.

:cool:

[PB Wilson]

That acoustic is the one he built for Henry to take to Antarctica. Here's a link to some more pics of his recent acoustics.

http://www.blue-g.com/rick_turner_acoustic.html

[hawkeyeinexile]

That acoustic is the one he built for Henry to take to Antarctica. Here's a link to some more pics of his recent acoustics.

http://www.blue-g.com/rick_turner_acoustic.html

then that's the one he showed me. knocked me out.

:cool:

[PB Wilson]

His acoustics, while relatively conventional-looking, have some cool details. The neck block has carbon fiber rods that run from the top of the neck block near the soundboard to the waist at the back to counter any pull-up from string tension. The fingerboard extension has carbon fiber rods supporting the full length and floats above the face of the guitar so it can be braced more lightly. The back braces are topped with carbon fiber for strength and the top braces are scalloped on the sides so they are like an I-beam in profile which gives more strength with less weight. The neck is removeable and adjustable and even swappable. I read that Rick was thinking of supplying a baritone neck to a client (maybe he did this already). Pretty cool stuff!

[tonedaddy]

His acoustics, while relatively conventional-looking, have some cool details. The neck block has carbon fiber rods that run from the top of the neck block near the soundboard to the waist at the back to counter any pull-up from string tension. The fingerboard extension has carbon fiber rods supporting the full length and floats above the face of the guitar so it can be braced more lightly. The back braces are topped with carbon fiber for strength and the top braces are scalloped on the sides so they are like an I-beam in profile which gives more strength with less weight. The neck is removeable and adjustable and even swappable. I read that Rick was thinking of supplying a baritone neck to a client (maybe he did this already). Pretty cool stuff!
At the neck/body interface, there appears to be 2 rods from the neck entering the body with no wood/wood contact. Are those rods screwed/locked in?
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Museum/Guitar/Modern/TurnerKaiser/TurnerKaiserViews/turnerkaiser01.jpg

[Flyin' Brian]

Pat Simmons of The Doobie Brothers has a couple of them (pictures). I had a chance to try one of them.....plays really nice and the acoustic sound (amplified) is great.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/brian329/th_Bri_Pat.jpg (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/brian329/Bri_Pat.jpg)
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/brian329/th_PatsGuitars1.jpg (http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h159/brian329/PatsGuitars1.jpg)

[PB Wilson]

There's a screw that goes through the heel into the neck block that holds the neck onto the guitar. It's the large allen screw below.

http://www.blue-g.com/photo_img/00080_p14.jpg

There are also three adjustable screws that allow the neck angle to be changed and intonation be adjusted. There is one at the bottom of the heel (the smaller allen screw) and the circular wheels closer to the fretboard on either side below.

http://www.blue-g.com/photo_img/00080_p13.jpg

These adjustable screws don't go into the guitar body, but are more like pins that meet a small metal depression that is part of the guitar body. There's a great article in an older issue of American Luthiery (the quarterly journal of the Guild of American Luthiers) that explains it all.

[tonedaddy]

There's a screw that goes through the heel into the neck block that holds the neck onto the guitar. It's the large allen screw below.


There are also three adjustable screws that allow the neck angle to be changed and intonation be adjusted. There is one at the bottom of the heel (the smaller allen screw) and the circular wheels closer to the fretboard on either side below.


These adjustable screws don't go into the guitar body, but are more like pins that meet a small metal depression that is part of the guitar body. There's a great article in an older issue of American Luthiery (the quarterly journal of the Guild of American Luthiers) that explains it all.
Thanks for the great, detailed pics, PB!
That's one of the most uniquely engineered neck/body connections I've seen.

[PB Wilson]

No problem. They're all pics I found on the web.

Here's a shot of the inside of the body. The rods from the neck block to the waist counteract the pull of the strings. The back braces are each topped with carbon fiber for strength.

http://www.renaissanceguitars.com/Gallery/albums/userpics/10006/normal_P6140110.JPG

Here's a shot of the top bracing. Because the fingerboard extension doesn't touch the top and the neck block is braced by the carbon fiber rods, the area above the soundhole can be lightened up to vibrate instead of having heavy reinforcing bars. The X-brace looks conventional, but instead of scalloping the top, like on a Martin, the sides are carved away giving it an I-beam profile. Lots of stiffness, with less weight. Too bad you can't see it in the pic.

http://www.renaissanceguitars.com/Gallery/albums/userpics/10006/normal_Cutaway%20Acoustic-Takeshi%20001.jpg