THE AUTHOR OF TONE ™

Our Story


David Wilson

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, replaced by the band’s earnings with a ’67 Gibson ES335, 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 based in Atlanta.


In the beginning of 1999 while serving as a corporate executive in newsletter publishing and on his personal quest for tone, he casually posted a review article on an amplifier and received an avalanche of responses from around the world, apparently had struck a nerve with the fellow guitarist. And from this simple review, The ToneQuest Report was conceived and launched in November 1999 —the player’s guide to ultimate tone.
Twenty-three years later TQR 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 in the Quest for tone unless we believe it is so.


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 lifelong legacy revealed the freedom of his childlike spirit, his natural inclination for the truth, and his relentless desire in pursuit of the beautiful —perfect tone. He helped us to see the world of guitars and music in a more meaningful way than it appears to be. He created a unique author’s tone for us conveyed in his straightforward, intelligent, informative, entertaining, colorful, sensory language, and sometimes grammatically incorrect sentences and dialogue. He encouraged the mutual participation of all music entities to work towards a shared goal. For David, his culminating tone was one of trust, friendship, and family.


Although he may calm our restless quest for tone with “technical truths” of how to obtain one’s ultimate tone, each answer generates a desire for more truth, more answers… So, we keep mining, deeper, wider, and longer and we Quest forth together.


In conclusion, “Mining for tone surely requires a miner’s heart.”  –David Wilson, The Author of Tone Emeritus

Liz Medley, Publisher

David Wilson Stage Door
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