Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Dave Mason, Teams Up with World-Renowned Designer to Launch RKS

New company delivers revolutionary line of first-ever, open-ended, hollow body electric guitars and basses

January 20, 2005 - NAMM Show - Anaheim, CA, Booth #3240, Hall D (Hohner/HSS) -- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Dave Mason and world-renowned industrial designer, Ravi Sawhney, today announced the end result of a unique 3-year collaboration by officially launching their company, RKS. The new company's line of electric guitars and basses, which introduce the concept of the "open architecture" instrument, are designed to appeal to the music enthusiast and professional musician alike. The coupling of a legendary performer and a state-of-the-art design team has RKS poised to become a driving force in revolutionizing the guitar industry.

"I've been involved with the design team from the start and I'm known around the design studio as the 'not yet' guy. That means, they keep bringing it to me and I go, 'it's cool, but...not yet. Take it back and do this,'" said Dave Mason, co-founder of RKS. "In short, my job is to take the designs and actually make them sound, work, and feel the way a guitar should feel and sound to a professional musician."

"The collaboration between the RKS design team and Dave Mason has been highly synergistic. By switching roles with my design team as the musician and with Dave as the designer, we've had a chance to see things from the other person's point of view and the end results have been truly magical," said Ravi Sawhney, CEO and co-founder of RKS.

The new guitars and basses from RKS all utilize a "neck through body" construction, aluminum or wood ribs, and molded polymer or wood body shells, creating a revolutionary approach to the look and function of the electric guitar. These instruments combine the best attributes from both designs...they possess the sex appeal and durability of a solid body design and the sound, resonance, and subtle qualities of a hollow body design.

The design solution approached the idea of a guitar or bass as a traditional form, with a central structure to support the strings, ribs to transmit the string vibrations to the body, and a fluid body shape. The designs evolved through a series of full-scale mockups to include a central core, aluminum or wood ribs, and an open body structure that allows body shells and ribs to be changed, whether to merely change the color, underlying materials, or finish of the body, or to completely change the shape of the body. Another unique feature is a removable pick guard that provides easy access to the pick-ups and internal electronics of the instruments so that they can be changed to suit the specific needs of the musician.

Listen to a sample of an RKS bass guitar at: http://www.rksguitars.com/audio/eb/Bass_clip1.wma

-Or-

View the RKS guitar line at http://www.rksguitars.com/products.php

RKS is in the process of establishing its domestic and international dealer networks. The RKS web site will have a dealer locator capability in the very near future. Additionally, RKS is currently working on direct to consumer options by installing online shopping capabilities. Until then, orders for all models can be placed by phone (805-370-5858) or by email info@rksguitars.com. Hohner, Inc./HSS is the exclusive U.S. distributor of the RKS electric guitars and basses.

Three of the many instruments offered by RKS:

About RKS

Launched in 2005, RKS fuses world-class quality with innovative design. Co-founded by world-renowned industrial designer Ravi Sawhney and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Mason, the RKS line of guitars are ergonomically designed, handcrafted instruments tailored to enhance each player's performance. Each RKS guitar guarantees a tonality that is unique to its signature line of open-architecture guitars. Delivering on unsurpassed innovation makes RKS a driving force in revolutionizing the guitar industry. For more information on our products, please visit our web site at www.rksguitars.com.