ToneQuest®. The Author of Tone®.

September 21, 1952 – March 19, 2022

David Wilson had been playing the guitar since 1965. His first instrument was a no-name acoustic, soon followed by a cherry red National Glenwood electric paired with a ’65 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. The National eventually succumbed to a headstock break and was replaced, with the band’s earnings, by a ’67 Gibson ES-335. And so the quest continued for decades, as a variety of guitars and amps came and went while he hit the road playing rock & roll out of Atlanta.

In early 1999, while pursuing his personal quest for tone, he casually posted a review of an amplifier and received an avalanche of responses from around the world. He had apparently struck a nerve with his fellow guitarists. From this simple review, The ToneQuest Report was conceived and launched in November 1999—The Player’s Guide to Ultimate Tone.

Over twenty-five years later, ToneQuest ® continues to inspire and entertain guitarists chasing the perfect note.

“Just when we think we’ve heard it all—every possible seductive sound and desirable tone has been discovered, considered, and digested—something new comes along to remind us that there is no end to the Quest for tone unless we believe it is so.”

—David Wilson

Consider the possibilities… Where do we begin? Simply seek what is good, true, and beautiful—it is written on all our hearts.

David lived a good life with a good heart. His legacy revealed the freedom of his childlike spirit, his natural inclination toward the truth, and his relentless pursuit of the beautiful. He helped us see the world of guitars and music in a more meaningful way than it might otherwise appear.

He created a unique author’s tone for us, conveyed through his straightforward, intelligent, informative, entertaining, colorful, sensory language—and sometimes grammatically incorrect sentences and dialogue. His real-life stories gave deeper meaning to the pursuit of that perfect sound, connecting the instruments, the people, and the experiences that made the quest worth pursuing. He encouraged players, builders, craftsmen, and others in music to work toward a shared goal. For David, it ultimately became about trust, friendship, and family.

Although he could calm our restless quest with the “technical truths” of how to achieve the sound we seek, each answer generated a desire for more truth, more answers… So, we keep mining deeper, wider, and longer, and we Quest forth together.

“Mining for tone surely requires a miner’s heart.” —David Wilson

Liz Medley Wilson, Editor and Publisher