Rick Toone is an innovative guitar builder with a firm belief in ergonomic design. He holds patents for the Trapezoid Neck Profile and the Intersecting Neck Profile, created to maximize biomechanical leverage in the human hand. Rick also holds additional patents on intonation and tuning hardware, including the Intonation Adjustable Nut, Intonation Cantilever Bridge and Positional Constant String Pitch Control System. He also holds a patent for the Neutral Tension Bridge which eliminates string tension on acoustic instrument soundboards, allowing reduced bracing to capture and transmit full string vibration.

Rick personally hand builds all instruments. During the commissioning of an instrument, Rick works closely with his customers exploring their posture, playing technique and any muscolo-skeletal problems to tailor the instrument to their body, musical style, and amplification system.