Toulon Carbonetti Brooklyn Small Batch Story

The journey for our Toulon Carbonetti Brooklyn putter started well before any of our previous Small Batch releases. How long has this one been in the works, you ask? Since 1870. That’s when the European Elm tree used in the creation of this putter was planted in Brooklyn’s famed Prospect Park. In its 145-year lifespan, this European Elm grew to 80 feet tall and 7 feet in diameter. When the tree had to be cut down, Jimmy Carbonetti made arrangements to acquire it. Each Toulon Carbonetti Brooklyn sole plate and the Carbonetti Toulon guitar were created by Jimmy Carbonetti from this same European Elm from Prospect Park.

Before designing Central Park in 1876, Frederick Law Olmstead designed and opened Prospect Park; since then it has held a special place in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. As a New York City native, luthier and musician Jimmy Carbonetti has fond memories of spending time as a kid in the park, and still spends time there today. “Prospect Park is a great place to go in Brooklyn. It is just so inspiring to walk around and get lost in there. It’s so rich with the history of the City. It’s wild to think that there were still dirt roads when this tree started growing. Amazing to think of all the stories it could tell...“

”This European Elm has a grain pattern that really gives each putter its own personality and fingerprint. Each guitar that I make is a one-off custom – so I love the feeling that these putters all have their own story, each with its own personality.”

Jimmy opened The Guitar Shop NYC in 2015 with Eric Cocco/La Bella Strings family, a city institution and staple of New York’s thriving music community. The shop is just down the street (less than two miles) from Prospect Park. The Guitar Shop consists of the operations for Carbonetti Guitars, Olinto Bass Guitars, & La Bella Strings, as well as a custom shop for some of the most acclaimed guitars and rock ‘n’ rollers you can think of (see below for a list of Carbonetti instrumentalists).

Jimmy also started New York City rock band Caveman with friends Matt Iwanusa and Jeff Berrall in 2009 (all of whom record and tour with Carbonetti Guitars). Over the years Caveman has played Coachella, Austin City Limits, Outside Lands, and Bonnaroo, amongst many others. They have shared stages with bands like Weezer, The War on Drugs, and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) along the way. This past September, Caveman opened for Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famers Duran Duran at The Hollywood Bowl.

Aside from loving both music and creating incredible guitars, Jimmy has a love for the game of golf. ”My great grandparents and my grandparents were all great golfers. My grandfather was a scratch golfer, and it’s one of my goals in life to be as good as him. He was also a very talented woodworker, so I guess golf and woodworking is in my blood; I just added guitars to the picture. My grandmother taught me the game by caddying for her, and learning about the rules and etiquette before I started playing the game.“

Jimmy goes on to say that “After meeting with the Toulons, it became clear that the love, care, and craftsmanship that goes into making a Toulon Design putter was the same as what went into one of my guitars. Working together to create something special, especially from a part of the world – Brooklyn – that is so much a part of my life, it makes me very happy and proud.”

The Toulon Carbonetti putter is based on our Atlanta model. It’s a beautifully simple mid-mallet that has been used by many touring professionals; it has recorded wins all over the world. This Small Batch putter uses the old European Elm wood from the Prospect Park tree, which Jimmy crafted as the sole plate. The head features a mill pattern on the face that was inspired by the suspension cables used on the Brooklyn Bridge, and is also mimicked on the vintage New York City MTA subway coins that we have included as a ball marker. Adorned in our bright Rose Gold finish, with a black steel shaft and Rose Gold grip, this year’s Carbonetti collaboration is essentially a highly functional piece of art.

Our one-off matching Carbonetti Toulon Brooklyn guitar uses the wood from the same European Elm tree that we used on the Brooklyn putters; it makes it a very rich sounding hollow body guitar. The sides are Mahogany, with Rose Gold lacquer to match the finish of the putter. The neck is Mahogany, with a Rosewood fingerboard, and it features inlays crafted from Brass and Elm. Custom Carbonetti humbucking pick ups combine with Jimmy’s handmade Rosewood/Maple bone floating bride, with an Elm/Rosewood tail piece. The finished piece is simply stunning.

“I was inspired to build this instrument with the same European Elm as our Brooklyn putters to show the parallels of guitars and putters. They both are very personal and special tools that are made by us to give the player full confidence while in a high pressure moment, either on stage playing a big festival, or standing over a putt to win a big match.”

The La Bella strings included with our putter are from their original 1950’s electric guitar string formula. La Bella Strings have been made in New York for over 100 years. Jimmy designed the string package, with an original image of Prospect Park in 1860 before it was transformed into a park.

Carbonetti instrumentalists include:

Richard Fortus

guitarist; Guns ‘N’ Roses, Psychedelic Furs

Matt Sweeney

guitarist and producer; Iggy Pop, Josh Homme – Desart Sessions, Neil Diamond, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Tinariwen, Zwan

Andrew Watt

guitarist and producer; 2021 Grammy Award Producer of the Year. Produced albums for Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop, Justin Bieber, and Miley Cyrus; lead guitarist for Eddie Vedder and the Earthlings

Gavin Rossdale

Bush

Chris Traynor

Bush, Orange 9mm, Helmet

Willie Weeks

bass guitarist; studio and touring musician for a wide range of artists, including Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Doobie Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Billy Joel, B.B. King, David Lee Roth, Randy Newman, and Leon Russell

Pat Carney

drummer; The Black Keys

Dan Iead: guitarist; Norah Jones

Pete Francis

guitarist; Dispatch