R.I.P.-TuckerRE (Bob Tucker)

Steve Kinnaird · #1 11-17-2018, 07:06 PM

With real sadness I share the news that we have lost a dear friend and a man I consider a business partner, Bob Tucker. You might remember him from his handle, TuckerRE. He passed this week from complications due to heart failure. Both Ryan and I realize that the success of our micro-company is due in no small part to Bob's continued encouragement and unstinting support at critical junctures.

I first met Bob in early college years, and we formed a quick friendship around common interests. High on that list was the guitar. We would swap licks and trade songs, and he eventually steered me toward the old Martins. A trip to Nazareth with Bob remains one of my fondest memories.

But the measure of the man is not defined by musical instruments, but rather his faith, his giving nature and his amiable personality. Bob was a lot of fun, and easy to be friends with. He was one of the rare ones who demand nothing from you, but always seem to be thinking what they can do for you. One does not easily lose such a friend, because this type is so rare.

He asked his wife to tell us to post some pics of his favorite guitars on the forum. I'd like to start with this one--where Ryan and I flank Bob at our table at the GAL convention in 2014.
Every guitar on our table was ordered by and built for Bob:

IMG_0951.jpg

Goodbye old friend, until we meet again.

Halcyon/Tinker · #2 11-17-2018, 07:11 PM

Sorry to hear that, Stephen.

Nemoman · #3 11-17-2018, 07:19 PM

That is sad news indeed. I've always enjoyed reading Bob's posts and hearing about his love for your guitars.

R.I.P., Bob--play with the angels now...

TomB'sox · #4 11-17-2018, 07:44 PM

This is a great loss to his family, his friends like Steve and Ryan, and to the AGF family. Bob was a true ambassador to music, to Kinnaird guitars, and to humanity. Although Bob and I never met, we did an awful lot of emailing and PMs, and facebook interaction and I feel like I knew the man he was. I have been thinking about him from when I first learned he was in the hospital clinging to life and waiting for a miracle which just did not happen for him as well as since he has gone.

I have been told he had a Kinnaird by his hospital bed and was playing whenever he had the strength to do so.

We will miss Bob and as I told Steve, we at least know one thing for sure, there is a Kinnaird guitar with Bob wherever he is now.

SJ VanSandt · #5 11-17-2018, 07:47 PM

I am so sorry to hear that, Steve - I was looking forward to meeting him in person next year. I suspected something was up: his last Facebook post was that he was in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant! Rest in peace, Bob.

Stevied63 · #6 11-17-2018, 08:17 PM

Coming on the heels of losing my father last month, this was sad news indeed.

Let me tell you my Bob Tucker story. Bob and I first met in 2008 - I was an executive with a renewable energy company, and we had acquired a number of assets, including some geothermal assets, from a company that Bob had previously worked for. Bob was a great engineer, and one of the foremost experts on geothermal power. Bob and I would get together occasionally - sometimes I would see him in Colorado; other times in Nevada where we had several assets. He did some work for us as a consultant, and then he became an executive at a geothermal company that was a quasi competitor to us. I always enjoyed spending time with Bob - super nice guy; very knowledgeable; always fun to be with. In all that time, neither of us mentioned our interest in guitars.

On the AGF, I of course knew TuckerRE - alway quick with a quip or encouraging word - and of course, his love of Kinnaird guitars. But I never made the connection that TuckerRE was Bob Tucker - and he never made the connection that StevieD63 was Steve Doyon. One day, I saw a post with a picture of TuckerRE - and realized TuckerRE was Bob Tucker! Haha! I emailed him and told him I was StevieD63 - we had a great laugh about that one! He was one of the folks that encouraged me to consider a guitar from Steve Kinnaird when I was looking for my next custom build.

The world is a lesser place without Bob - he will be greatly missed.

Steve

TomB'sox · #7 11-17-2018, 08:20 PM

I am sure Steve will post some pictures of Bob's favorite guitars as he requested in his last hours on this earth, but I would like to post this one from his facebook page. He traveled the world making it a better place for those in need, at one point he commented that this may be his favorite picture and I can see why!

I love this shot taken of Bob in Indonesia:

bob tucker.jpg

I hope that Steve does not mind that I posted this. Rest well Bob!

StringMeUp · #8 11-17-2018, 08:31 PM

So sad! I am sorry for your loss Steve. I know how close you guys were.

mikealpine · #9 11-17-2018, 09:32 PM

Sad to read about the loss of your friend, Steve. I didn’t know him, but wish I had, based on what I am reading here. Sending wishes for warm memories and peace.

vpolineni · #10 11-17-2018, 09:42 PM

My heartfelt condolences to Bob's family, the kinnaird family, and all of us at agf. I had not met Bob but like a lot of us had exchanged pm's with him, talking about the great work from steve and ryan and guitars in general. R.I.P Bob-you will be missed.

nacluth · #11 11-17-2018, 09:54 PM

(Bob performing at the 2nd Kinnaird Guitars Reunion - 2010)

As Steve mentioned, we got a message from Bob through his son just a few hours before his passing that he would like us to post a thread of some of his favorite guitars. So it's our great pleasure to show off some of his instruments, but it's also with great sadness that "St. Bob" won't be able to talk about his favorite things about each one. He was a very dear friend. He is sorely missed.

When Steve hired me in 2007, he wisely did not let me work on ordered instruments right away. The first custom guitar that I did any work on was Bob's second Kinnaird Guitar - a Sitka/African Blackwood SJ. I got to put the tuners on. I'm not saying I did the best job in the world, but Bob did choose to use this picture as his Facebook profile picture.

I met Bob shortly after when he flew in to come pick up his guitar personally. He immediately adopted me as part of the group - as he did so generously with almost everyone he met. From then on, he would text me the next guitar ideas or ask about my family or my sports teams or whatever reminded him of me. I was not special in this regard. Bob considered many people his friends and he treated them all in that way. If you AGF reader ever made a comment on his guitar build threads (or he on yours), then he probably followed up with us to see what you were like and what would make you happy. This was just Bob.

(Steve and Bob at the 2010 Miami-Newport Guitar Festival)

That crappy picture above is the first picture I ever took with a phone that had a camera. Of course, Bob was in it. Whether it was Miami or Healdsburg or GAL Conventions in Tacoma or Memphis, he would somehow make time to be there. At the latest count, Bob leads all customers with 11 of our instruments, but he's got a couple more on order. We're going to get to them...

I know the casual reader is thinking, "Where's the guitar pics?" Well, I guess, here they come.

justonwo · #12 11-17-2018, 09:57 PM

Really sorry to hear that guys. Sounds like a lovely guy.

Steve Kinnaird · #13 11-17-2018, 10:03 PM

Thank you all for your kindness! So, in keeping with Bob's wish for his guitars to hit the stage one last time, here is a shot of that rosette Larry Robinson did on Bob's "RenOvation". It is a portion of the M.C. Escher drawing, Metamorphose II, bent into a circle and inlaid as only Larry can do:

IMG_0910.jpg

This project was a re-top on an Ovation classical. The black ebony/white mother of pearl theme is meant to harken back to the original rosette. Larry got close, didn't he?

nacluth · #14 11-17-2018, 10:16 PM

Bob's first guitar was a new model for Steve. Bob wanted a 12 fret fingerstyle model. Our forms still have "BT model" written on them even though it was later given the exciting nomenclature FS model. Bob's was Sitka/Koa with some of the finest Koa ever made by nature. I wish I had a picture of the neck because the all Koa neck is one of the prettiest I have ever seen. It was Steve's 10th guitar. Here's a shot of fellow luthier Matt Jacobs playing it while Bob chats about his next great guitar idea.

As mention in the previous post, Bob's second guitar was the Sitka/African Blackwood SJ. I don't have any shots of it currently besides the profile pic above. I'll keep looking.

His third order was an interesting request. Bob loves playing 12 string - especially with his church group, but he always capos up the neck. He asked if we could build a 14 fret CS model without the first two frets. You know to make it a 12 fret. He would then tune the 12 string up to F#. Sure Bob, we'll do that for you.

Here's a look at his Lutz/Oregon Myrtle "7/8ths" 12 string CS.

Might as well hear it as well as played by the man himself...

One of my favorite sounding instruments. Bob could make it sound like a chorus of bells chiming.

nacluth · #15 11-17-2018, 10:35 PM

Bob would time to time decide to get one of our guitars that we built for a show instead of always going custom. We built this Lutz/Tiger Myrtle SJ for a show at an art gallery. Later, it was exhibited at the 2009 Healdsburg Festival. Bob fell in love with it, purchased it, and then left it on permanent loan at our shop. He wanted any customer to drop in to be able to demo it. It's logged some miles over the years, but it still sounds warm.