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-   -   McKnight Lowlander--Final Pictures! (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=534826)

GaultierRedon14 01-16-2019 12:59 PM

McKnight Lowlander--Final Pictures!
 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Fn...A=w576-h768-no...and so begins the accumulation of the next sawdust pile in the McKnight Guitars workshop!

Hello AGFers, Tim began just a day or two ago, and I received the first batch of pictures, so I thought I'd get a thread started to share the details of this unique build.
There are a number of McKnight builds in the AGF archives, but I don't believe there's been a build thread of a McKnight Lowlander before, so that'll be something new for you McKnight fans!

So first, what exactly is this Lowlander model? Well, it's shape is based on the general contours of an 000. The Lowlander, however, is larger than an 000 in every dimension, I'd say it's roughly halfway between the size of an 000 and a slope dreadnaught, in fact.

I chose this model because it's body dimensions and 12 fret configuration seem like a perfect size for a modern fingerstyle guitar, but at the same time, it's "vintage" body shape would allow me to give it some matching vintage details that I might not otherwise want to include on a more "modern"-shaped body.

I had the good fortune to visit Tim and Mary on a rainy Tuesday (I think it was a Tuesday, I was so jetlagged, I can't remember) in late August where, after a marathon-length day of talking, tapping, chatting, and other related activities, I made a tentative choice of the woods and model for this guitar. By Thanksgiving, we had pretty much settled on all the details, except a last-minute change of fretwire dimensions.

So on to the details of the Lowlander model:


Body dimensions:
Lower Bout: 15.375"
Waist: 9.265"
Upper Bout: 11.25"
Body Length: 20.25
Depth at the Tail: 4.5" (this is my spec, Tim is willing to adjust body depth to your preference)

Scale length: 25.4"
Nut width: 1 13/16"
Bridge spacing: 2 5/16"


Tonewoods: Pretty much every piece of wood on this guitar was selected first for tone, not appearance--lightweight, unrivaled tap tone, stiffness, low-dampening, etc.

Soundboard: McKnight-certified "Tone King" Grade German Spruce
That's my designation, anyways--selected strictly for stiffness and tap tone--I was able to see it and hear it for myself, as well as directly compare it to other very fine spruce tone wood sets from Tim's diverse and carefully-curated collection. Along with Tim's personal recommendation, it was an obvious choice.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Wy...=w1024-h768-no





Back/Sides: Brazilian Pernambuco
--Quartersawn, very beautiful, high quality set. Unfortunately, there aren't many sets of this quality-or ANY quality--to be had now, and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to get an instrument with this prized wood, built by someone of Tim's skill and reputation.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/T_...M=w576-h768-no



Additional Specs:

Honduran Mahogany neck

Pernambuco body binding with Ebony and African Blackwood purflings

African Blackwood fretboard (originally Pernambuco, but changed later!)

Pernambuco Pyramid bridge

Slotted headstock with Gabon Ebony veneer

Rodgers tuning machines

Florentine cutaway

Luckenbooth soundport

EVO gold jumbo frets with hemispherical fret end treatment

AST Titanium bridge pins

GaultierRedon14 01-16-2019 01:03 PM

Ok, obviously I don't know how to post pictures here anymore! I tried flickr, but they didn't load. I'll get it figured out later and edit the previous post to include pictures....:confused:

fitness1 01-16-2019 03:58 PM

I hope that's 2 5/16 saddle!!:D

You're going to love the experience of the build with two of my favorite people

Tim McKnight 01-16-2019 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitness1 (Post 5950474)
I hope that's 2 5/16 saddle!!:D

I certainly hope so too since I cut the fret board today with a 2-5/16" 12th fret width :eek:

GaultierRedon14 01-16-2019 08:10 PM

Yes, I flubbed that detail! Correction made...bridge spacing is 2 5/16"

Still working on the photos...hopefully tomorrow...

Tim McKnight 01-16-2019 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaultierRedon14 (Post 5950722)
Yes, I flubbed that detail! Correction made...bridge spacing is 2 5/16"

Still working on the photos...hopefully tomorrow...

Check your PM inbox.

GaultierRedon14 01-16-2019 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fitness1 (Post 5950474)
I hope that's 2 5/16 saddle!!:D

You're going to love the experience of the build with two of my favorite people

Thank you, fitness 1. Indeed, they are a class act.
I figured out the picture posting , so a few pictures are now included in the first post.

Thanks for the instructions, Tim!

GaultierRedon14 01-17-2019 01:56 AM

Cutting and bending the Florentine cutaway
 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...=w1024-h768-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JI...=w1024-h768-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6S...8=w876-h657-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Qw...c=w576-h768-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Yv...=w1024-h768-no

GaultierRedon14 01-17-2019 02:08 AM

Bending the sides
 
Double sides of Pernambuco and Cherry wood

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/h2...=w1024-h768-no



Sides are spritzed with water and ready to go...


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dE...=w1024-h768-no

[IMG]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Xo...=w1024-h768-no[/IMG]

Nemoman 01-17-2019 03:37 PM

Looks like some killer woods on this one!

Looking forward to following along...

printer2 01-17-2019 09:45 PM

Well what the heck? Another McKnight build when the other guitar barely had strings put on it? Don't tell me, you quit your day job? ;)

GaultierRedon14 01-17-2019 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemoman (Post 5951517)
Looks like some killer woods on this one!

Looking forward to following along...

Thank you, Nemoman! Definitely killer woods all around this one! More to come on that. I'd like to think that we have some killer details to bring it all together into a very unique and classy instrument.
My goal was to give it a "19th century meets 21st century" aesthetic, so that's the direction it's headed as the build unfolds. I love the vintage details of the old gut string classical and parlor guitars of the 19th century, and their somewhat Victorian more formal appearance. I took a lot of inspiration from researching pictures of instruments from this time period. Overall, I think it will be quite understated, but quite unique, nonetheless.
Certainly no one will mistake this guitar for a vintage instrument, considering it will have a Florentine cutaway and a soundport, among other things.



Here is a picture of a Lowlander model from the McKnight Guitars website:

http://www.mcknightguitars.com/wp-co...Lander-top.jpg


...and here is a rough computer sketch Tim made a while ago that will give some idea of what we have planned:

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL89.../414117121.jpg

cigarfan 01-18-2019 05:44 PM

This looks to be quite a special build. I'm intrigued.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the build with us.

GaultierRedon14 01-19-2019 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cigarfan (Post 5952732)
This looks to be quite a special build. I'm intrigued.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the build with us.

Thank you, cigar fan. I'm equally intrigued to see your Kostal come along. I love those burl back inlays!

GaultierRedon14 01-19-2019 03:32 AM

Florentine Cutaway double sides being glued together
 
Spreading the glue to adhere the inner and outer sides

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4E...o=w876-h657-no


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/80...M=w876-h657-no



adding a piece of foam to each side and placing the cutaway back in the mold.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-B...A=w493-h657-no


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PX...g=w876-h657-no

Finished. Sort of.


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