About Don “Toneman” Butler
Overview
Veteran working tour and session guitarist Don “Toneman” Butler is an experienced tech who specializes in servicing and/or restoring JMI-Jera and modding Korg era Vox valve (tube) amps to vintage specs. In addition to servicing & upgrading any '62-'89 era valve Marshall amps Toneman also services most other Golden Era British valve amps like HiWatt, Selmer, Orange, Laney's and Sound City's as well as all the Tweed, Blonde, Brown and Blackface era Fender amps from across the pond.
He is equally at home working on Gibson Historics and standard production guitars, Fender guitars, Rickenbacker, and, of course, Gretsch Guitars. This applies to both vintage models and current production guitars be they electric, acoustic or a combination of the two. Anything from re-frets & fret dressing, rewiring, etc. to adjustments and setups are all in a day’s work.
Toneman’s customers include Robin Trower, John Fogerty, Elliot Easton, Daniel Lanois, Derek Trucks, Peter Stroud just to name a few…
In terms of Don’s musicianship, his professional career started when he was 19 in L.A & Hollywood when Don joined guitarist Rick Vito and bassist Bob Glaub in a great band called "Reverend Boogie.” In the `70's & `80's Don fit a lot of session work, including three albums for Freddy Fender and a number of major Spanish artists, etc. while he played and toured with MCA recording artist Sam Neely.
Over the years Don has appeared with and played with many great musicians such as Jimmy Vivino, Coco Montoya, the Yardbirds, Gordon Waller (of Peter & Gordon), Chris Montez (who toured with The Beatles in 1962), Spencer Davis, Govt. Mule, Joe Houston, Smokey Wilson, Gregg Allman, Warren Hayes, Allen Woody, Matt Abts, Jamio, John Popper, Mark Karan, Simon Phillips, Plas Johnson, Butch Trucks, Joe Scherme, Floyd Sneed, Delaney Bramlett, Hook Herrea, Doug Hamblin, Bruce Willis, Johnny Rivers, Bonnie Bramlett, Don Poncher, Berry Oakley Jr., Duane Betts, Brophy Dale, Finis Tasby, Don Preston, Seymour Duncan, Cesar Rojas, Randy Weeks, Michael Murphy, Keith Allison and Johnny Echols to name just a few.
Don is on the Editorial Board for "The Tonequest Report" magazine and has been a longtime contributor to Vintage Guitar magazine.
Chronology
1973: Tech at the Acoustic Control Amp Company and West L.A. Music's Service Dept.
1975-1987: Texas, guitar and amp repairs for small companies and performing until a recording contract with MCA made touring full-time.
1987-1988: Back in Los Angeles, working at Soundcraft.
1989-1998: Head production tech and customer service manager at SWR Engineering.
1995: Don becomes the first dealer for Pyramid Strings, and is ‘instrumental’ in convincing them to reintroduce strings reminiscent of the strings from the '50's & '60's before most manufacturers went to Hex cores and smaller wrap wires.
1997-Present: Toneman was born and flourished.