ARTISTS

Rick Turner

HERCULES Stands is proud to announce the addition of US guitar maker Rick Turner to its family of endorsers.

With more than 35 years of experience, Rick Turner has built a solid reputation among musicians worldwide as an accomplished guitar designer and builder.

Rick says, "Gear like guitar stands integrate with our production as a vital, daily element in our production, yet one we luthiers tend to take for granted. It's often only when we try a distinct and superior tool that we recognize something better is available.

"We went shopping for display guitar stands on our own for NAMM, Winter 2004. Our General Manager brought back an interesting and eye pleasing guitar stand [GS414B] from a local shop made by HERCULES. We found the tripod base is quite secure and stable. The metal components are well made and finished, too. The real "Trick Pony", however, is the effective yoke system which holds the instrument securely by it's own downward force of weight. A quick lift and the guitar or bass is at hand. This is a fine design and the engineering is spectacular.

"In our small and hardworking shop, we can not take risk with instruments falling or dropping from stands. The HERCULES Stands are the very best we have ever used. For shop work, trade show or retail display, and for performance, these stands have the collective features that separate them from all other brands we've used. We converted to an inventory of all HERCULES Stands for our shop, where the Model 1's, Electroline Basses, Model T's, and the Acoustic-Electric Renaissance line of guitars and basses are designed and built here in Santa Cruz.

"Thank you for providing such a great, reliable and facile tool for our industry."

Rick co-founded Alembic® in 1970 and designed the classic Series 1 and Series 2 basses. He founded Rick Turner Guitars in 1979 and joined Gibson® in 1988 where he served as president of Gibson Labs West Coast R&D Division.

Rick left Gibson in 1992 and ran a guitar repair shop at Westwood Music in Los Angeles where he developed piezo pickups designs, working with Jackson Browne, David Crosby and others. He later co-founded Highlander™ Musical Audio, manufacturer of piezo pickups for acoustic guitars. He continues to design and build guitars for many professional players such as Lindsey Buckingham, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, David Crosby and Andy Summers. He is also a regular columnist for Acoustic Guitar and a former columnist for Bass Player, Frets and Guitar Player magazines.

For more information go to www.renaissanceguitars.com.