Welcome, Mr. Rick Turner!

seeso · Aug 5, 2009

I am humbled, honored and proud to call Mr. Rick Turner a member of the Ukulele Underground.

Among Rick Turner's many accomplishments - co-founder of Alembic (1970), founder of Rick Turner Guitars (1979), former President of West Coast R&D at Gibson, inventor of the graphite neck, builder of Compass Rose Ukuleles.

Mr. Turner is probably best known for helping to design the first true active electronics to be installed in musical instruments. His first customers included members of the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

He is a true pioneer in the guitar industry, and loves the 'ukulele.

Please join me in welcoming Rick to the Underground!

ukeshale · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome! :shaka:

AnnaUK · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome Mr Turner

ukulelearp · Aug 5, 2009

Sounds like a cool person. Welcome!

bbycrts · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome, Rick! I'd love to take the uke building course, but I'd be afraid Ahnko Honu would haunt my house to get my pineapple after I was done!

cashew · Aug 5, 2009

Yay Rick! Great to meet you, I look forward to learning all sorts of Uke-y goodness from you

Link · Aug 5, 2009

cashew said:
Yay Rick! Great to meet you, I look forward to learning all sorts of Uke-y goodness from you

Wow! Pimpnesssss!

Ahnko Honu · Aug 5, 2009

E komo mai, Rick. Come to Hawai'i and let's make a Tasmanian Blackwood pineapple. :shaka:

mrUKETOBER · Aug 5, 2009

can you have my babies ?

oh i mean uhh .. WELCOME !

BBcakes · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome Mr. Turner! :bowdown:

ukeyermind · Aug 5, 2009

Alembic is legend! You're talking about Owsley Stanley (Bear!), Rick Wishersham, Betty Cantor-Jackson, Dan Healy and Rick Turner.

I read once that The Who would send a guy to Alembic and pour out a bag of guitars that had been busted up onstage and they'd put 'em back together.

so nice to have you among us, Rick.

Rick Turner · Aug 5, 2009

Well, it wasn't quite that bad with the Who. I've actually had more damage from Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac...who does own an undamaged Compass Rose uke. A couple of tours ago it got so "out" with LB, that John and Mick started holding up score cards on his guitar tosses. I've got three pegheads from guitars we made that got replaced. Might have to put them up on EBay... Lindsey started playing as a kid on a baritone uke.

One little funny one re. the Who: They would register at hotels under assumed names. John Entwistle went by "Mr. Fitzperfectly." He also traveled with a small road case that was a portable bar. They sure were incredible live...

Glad to have been there doing that and not be doing it anymore. Had my fun, though!

KC8AFW · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome Rick. The Underground is a very caring and close-knit community that I'm sure you will enjoy being a part of. I have seen random acts of kindness and generousity here that I have not seen anywhere else...online or otherwise.

Rick Turner · Aug 5, 2009

And I do thank you all for the welcome! I'm enjoying the international uke community as much as I've every liked any music scene I've been a part of. I joined the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz several years ago...that was hard (all you have to do is show up!)...and I've not looked back yet!

Tassie blackwood...acacia melanoxylon...very nice stuff, and we actually have it growing here in California. It was brought over about 130 years ago and planted as an ornamental in Southern California. Like a good transportee, it escaped and has worked it's way up the coast. I have build guitars with the local stuff, and will build ukes as well. It tends not to be as figured as you get in Tassie, but it's harder and more rosewood-like than koa. Kind of a best of two worlds wood.

Playscool39 · Aug 5, 2009

Also a great and warm welcome from Holland!

generem · Aug 5, 2009

Wow.. Welcome to the Board Mr. Turner

Skrik · Aug 5, 2009

seeso said:
Mr. Turner is probably best known for helping to design the first true active electronics to be installed in musical instruments.

That is reason enough to ban him. (I kid, but I don't like active electronics in guitars).

From one n00b to another, welcome Mr Turner.

UkuleleHill · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome! Great to have you!

Pippin · Aug 5, 2009

Rick Turner said:
And I do thank you all for the welcome! I'm enjoying the international uke community as much as I've every liked any music scene I've been a part of. I joined the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz several years ago...that was hard (all you have to do is show up!)...and I've not looked back yet!

Tassie blackwood...acacia melanoxylon...very nice stuff, and we actually have it growing here in California. It was brought over about 130 years ago and planted as an ornamental in Southern California. Like a good transportee, it escaped and has worked it's way up the coast. I have build guitars with the local stuff, and will build ukes as well. It tends not to be as figured as you get in Tassie, but it's harder and more rosewood-like than koa. Kind of a best of two worlds wood.

Welcome to the forum. I'd love the opportunity to interview you for Ukulele Player Magazine's Luthier Spotlight.

pithaya9 · Aug 5, 2009

Welcome to the Underground Rick.

Welcome, Mr. Rick Turner!

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