ToneQuest Report: November 2025 – Vol. 27, No. 1

The Inside:

The Pursuit Of Tone Through Design And Discipline.

The pursuit of tone meets the precision of craft as builders, players, and engineers push the boundaries of design and feel. Bill Nash shares the evolution of his Nautilus Neck—a study in playability and resonance—while Valco explores the delicate art of voltage, bias, and feel. Nostalgic Guitars’ Taylor Speers and Scott Ulrichs reveal how small parts shape big sound. And Jon Butcher reminds us that tone—equal parts spirit, touch, and discipline—remains the truest voice of the player.

ARTICLE SUMMARIES:

The Nash Equation – The Nautilus Neck: The Pursuit of Perfect Playability
Scott Ulrichs
Bill Nash outlines the geometry and inspiration behind his Nautilus Neck, engineered for supreme hand comfort and resonance. By shaping compound radii and precise fretboard transitions, Nash achieves greater sustain, smoother action, and effortless feel. The result bridges vintage sensibility with modern precision—each curve and contour a lesson in how guitars should truly play.

Review – Nashguitars Nautilus Neck: Mission Accomplished
Scott Ulrichs
Testing Nash’s Nautilus Neck confirmed its promise: improved string alignment, stability, and a livelier response across the fretboard. The new geometry eliminates fatigue and heightens articulation, especially with single-coil clarity and PAF warmth. Nash’s design proves that playability is both an art and a science—where engineering meets intuition, and tone begins in the player’s hands.

Valco on Voltages and Vacuum Tubes – Exploration In Setting Bias
Scott Ulrichs
Valco examines how millivolts, cathode currents, and plate dissipation define feel and harmonic structure in tube amps. From 6V6 push-pulls to EL84 cathode bias, he demonstrates how subtle bias shifts alter touch sensitivity and breakup. It’s an education in heat, current, and voltage—the living dialogue that turns amplifiers into breathing tone machines.

Interview with Taylor Speers from Nostalgic Guitars – Deep Dive on Potentiometers and Capacitors
Scott Ulrichs
Taylor Speers explains how pot tolerance, cap material, and wiring design transform a circuit’s voice. From vintage paper-in-oil capacitors to modern 500K CTS audio taper pots, every component choice shapes frequency sweep and player control. His insight confirms what tone chasers know instinctively—real tone lives in the details hiding under the control plate.

Nostalgic Guitars Harness Review – The Proof Is In The Playing. Just Try It.
Scott Ulrichs
Installed in both Strat and Les Paul test platforms, Nostalgic’s harness exhibited exceptional transparency, taper, and dynamic feel. Treble retention remained musical through every volume range, opening the guitar’s voice with more presence and harmonic air. Built from matched CTS pots, Luxe caps, and cloth wiring—it delivers vintage accuracy with modern reliability.

Feature Artist – Jon Butcher: The Axis of Sound
Tom Guerra
Jon Butcher’s creative compass orbits tone and truth. Running Strat-style guitars through vintage Marshalls, a Vibro-King, and select analog pedals, he proves expression begins with hands and heart. His phrasing, sustain, and note intent channel Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, and the eternal groove—reminding us that tone reveals itself through soul, intent, and the discipline to listen.