Rick Turner Model T Sunburst

Just arrived and boy is it beautiful!  The Rick Turner Model T is available now at Heartbreaker Guitars.  Rick only makes a limited run of these every year and we got a good one!  

The Turner "Model T" is a blues and bottle-neck player's dream.  Declared "Best of Show" for retro guitars at the 1996 NAMM show by Tom Wheeler of Guitar Player Magazine, the Model T is becoming a new/old voice for players as diverse as Martin Simpson and Henry Kaiser. The heart of the Model T sound is the Turner "Rick" double horseshoe pickup, a modern version of the original early 1930's Rickenbacker pickup used on the "frying pan" and "bakelite" lap steels which proved the commercial viability of electric guitars.  After several years of research into what made the original pickups sound so unique Turner discovered how to get that vintage sound but made their pickups much more reliable and rugged using modern magnetic materials, precision coil winding equipment, and more advanced wire designs.

Turner's electronics consist of a passive volume and tone control with a push/pull volume knob which switches the pickup direct to the jack, bypassing all controls and giving maximum output signal to your amp. The Model T body design is a nod to the 1928 Kay Kraft guitars and mandolins, and Turner's  use of  Formica laminate for top and back conjures up images of an old diner.

The body core is made of genuine Honduras mahogany for sustain and warmth of tone.  For those wanting a more conventional appearance, Turner custom makes Model T's with natural wood finishes, and fancy maple or walnut top laminates also available;.  The neck is made of hard rock maple with two graphite bars in addition to an adjustable truss rod.  Fingerboards are Formica or rosewood. Hardware includes "Kluson" style tuners, Schaller Roll-a-matic bridge, and either a Turner stop tailpiece or the Hipshot "Trilogy" multiple tunings tailpiece for those who want to be able to switch in and out of standard and open tunings.  All hardware is nickel or chrome plated.