McKnight "Diamond"-One More Review...better late than never...

[Feste]

I had the pleasure of playing Tim and Mary McKnight’s creation The Diamond for a few days a couple of weeks ago and I have finally got caught up with all my projects and have been in one place long enough to suit down and share my thoughts about this guitar. So much has been said already about this guitar I will try to keep my comments brief. Apologies aside for my tardiness (I know Todd-Fitness One posted his review a few days ago) here we go:

First Impressions out of the box:
This guitar grabs your attention with a large sonic footprint!! In other words this guitar is loud guitar... REALLY loud. I’ll bet this would be an ideal stage guitar.
It is very easy to overplay the guitar. I am used to medium strings on the bass side and the Diamond is set up with light gauge strings which would account for some of my over playing. I am backing off and trying a gentler approach
This guitar also has some natural airiness which I like ... much like the Simon Fay prototype I owned

Day Two: Getting to Know the Diamond:
I love the overall feel and shape of the guitar. I have NEVER heard a small guitar with this much sonic capability!
After I backed off a bit and lightened my touch she responded wonderfully... a very responsive guitar to say the least (I have a rather unorthodox style that varies from light to very percussive slapping and general digging in). The top is very impressive to me, with a liveliness I really crave. I am a cedar fan and had forsaken any spruce because of the lack of liveliness generally found in spruce, at least in comparison to cedar, but I'll be darned if "The Diamond" hasn't changed my mind!!! The double top seems to be a real winner in my book if it results in this kind of liveliness from Spruce, Italian or otherwise... impressive!
The airiness I mentioned before really works for my ears, at least in DADGAD, which is how I played her today.
Aesthetically, of course, this is an exceptional guitar as many have indicated before. Suffice it to say this is guitar has a classy sort of beauty that speaks of quality and character not gaudiness and showboat glitter. I have always been a sucker for diamonds, on a guitar that is, particularly the Diamond inlay on the fretboard and Mary has taken this idea to another level entirely... very cool!
Sonically speaking, well... I must say, I am smitten at this moment. I don't know this guitar that well but for a first date... Wow... let's just say I asked for her phone number and my heart has skipped a beat!
I fooled round with a tune I have been working on for couple of years and here are the results(mics used were a Gefell M-300 & a AKG C-414B XLS)

Foamfollower

Day Three:
The lack of tension in the light strings makes it tough to drop down to LowC or Open C tuning in my opinion. Again, I think it is more an issue of my playing style than the guitar’s performance or capabilities. I’d love to hear this guitar in Jim Tozier’s hands.
I may be crazy but I swear I can hear a faint echo coming out of the Diamond at times. I don't hear it when I listen to recordings but I sure thought I did a couple of times while playing. It was more of a slight reverb or delay. Has anyone else noticed this? I would sure like to try a Mcknight mini-mac with a double back and a standard top of say cedar.
I might be way off base but at times. This guitar is fun too play all the way around. I realize that I am infatuated at the moment but the action and feel of the neck are simply wonderful. I played around in Open G a bit with another tune that dates back a few years. Here is the clip. Same mics as the last track.

Portia’s complaint

In the finally analysis the Diamond is an exceptionally fun guitar to play with a very comfortable neck. I didn't even mind the larger nut ( I'm use to 1 & 11/16ths). The volume is a big surprise for such a small guitar. Tim is really onto something here. A friend of mine will take delivery on a new build from Tim this month and I am anxious to play his guitar so that I can compare it with the Diamond.
Honestly, I really have been looking for a rosewood guitar that has the sort of dark overtones but I haven't been able to find a guitar with the right top yet... that might have changed. It is too bad I would have to turn to a life of crime to afford this guitar. I almost feel as if I have done something illegal just to be playing her now.

The Diamond definitely leaned toward the treble side to my ears. Perhaps a bit too much at times. Medium gauge strings might temper this a bit. Otherwise I can’t find fault with this guitar. At Healdsburg I really felt that Tim’s guitars (as well as Matt Mustapick’s guitars) were the best sounding and playing guitars at the show and everything about the Diamond confirms that in my mind.

Hats off to Tim for allowing me to play around with this wonderful instrument. Your generous and trusting nature as well as your craftsmanship and artistry are truly appreciated. Should you find the Diamond sitting around for an extended period of time I would love to have her back

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by Feste

Medium gauge strings might temper this a bit.

One might want to check with Tim, first, though, before switching to mediums, just to be sure it can handle them. He builds some of his guitars fairly light.

[ljguitar]

Hi James...
Well detailed report, thanks for taking the time to explain yourself.

I spent some time with that guitar, and the speed of the response and the full-acceleration to full volume is surprising the first few time. I found myself more aware of technique and the need to throttle back and adapt my style.

It was like driving a very powerful car with a lot under the hood. What a wonderful guitar with some great - and useful - innovations.

[Brent Hutto]

I enjoyed your Foamfollower recording. I guess it does exhibit what some people might consider a slight treble emphasis but for my part that's almost exactly the balance I find most pleasing. And you certainly seemed to dig into some of the treble notes with no harshness on the attack so it's hard to hear anything to complain about up top.

I think Portia's Complaint was far from treble-heavy and for my taste more low-mid boom that would be ideal. I think overall the bass has more attack than sustaining rumble compared to recordings I've heard of guitars with a really, truly amazing rosewood-y character. Or maybe it's just more fundamental and less overtone. My ear isn't that able to distinguish bass overtones from bass sustain.

[Feste]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

It was like driving a very powerful car with a lot under the hood. What a wonderful guitar with some great - and useful - innovations.

Exactly... You nailed it!

[Tim McKnight]

Hi James,
Thanks so much for your well written review. The sound clips were just awesome and I especially like Portia's complaint. I felt the sense of playfullness in the song but I have to ask, who won the discussion when she complained?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

who won the discussion when she complained?

Does a man every really 'win' a discussion with a woman???? - LOL

[TBman]

Sounds good! I've been listening to your Borderline Normal CD alot lately. Good stuff!

[Feste]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Hi James,
Thanks so much for your well written review. The sound clips were just awesome and I especially like Portia's complaint. I felt the sense of playfullness in the song but I have to ask, who won the discussion when she complained?

Thanks for the kind words Tim!

Well, since you've asked.... Portia of "Portia's Complaint" is a character from the play The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare). Her complaint is aimed at men in general, but more specifically at the patriarchal customs, rules, laws and societal limitations that take liberty and freedom of thought, act and intention away from the female gender. Of course in the play Portia pulls the wool over the eyes of the male characters and the rug out from under their feet, so to speak, and in the process show show a woman can control her environment without the outward show of such power, which of course way the only way it could be done in the 16th century.

Well, you asked....

[Feste]

Originally Posted by TBman

Sounds good! I've been listening to your Borderline Normal CD alot lately. Good stuff!

Much appreciated Barry!

[oldrocker]

Beautiful sounding guitar and I enjoyed your songs. I love the concept behind that double top and it sure sounds good. Maybe one day...