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-   -   A build for Paul Nichols...maple Round Peak (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=491678)

j. Kinnaird 12-03-2017 09:11 PM

A build for Paul Nichols...maple Round Peak
 
This guitar shape is named for a mountain and a style of music developed by a community of folk who live reclusively on that mountain in western North Carolina, not too far from my shop. If you mention Round Peak banjo or guitar to musicians around here most of them know you are talking about a style of playing. Anyway, I picked the name just to give some local flavor to guitar shape that i make that has rounded shoulders and this long explanation is because outside of these hills few know that the name actually has musical relevance.

So, Paul wants another one. This time in maple. He suggested that we use all USA woods, so the binding will be Claro walnut, sycamore and dyed poplar purfling lines, a western red cedar top, and a Texas ebony bridge and fingerboard.

The sides are in a terribly ugly stage so I don't have any pictures of them but will as soon as they get cleaned up. Right now I'm gluing in lining which is quite extensive on the players side because Paul is fond of big bevels top and bottom.
Here is a look at the back with a walnut center strip.https://photos.smugmug.com/Pauls-map..._190853-XL.jpg

LouieAtienza 12-03-2017 09:21 PM

I do like the notion of all-USA woods, and they sure are pretty!

Steve Kinnaird 12-03-2017 10:21 PM

Hey brother, that is some fine looking maple.
I'm always happy to see it pop up in custom builds.
Slowly but steadily the lutherie community is chipping away at the misconception that maple cannot produce a beautiful sound.
Keep chipping!

Steve

Guitars44me 12-03-2017 11:48 PM

Hooray
 
I will be glued to this thread! Haha. Unfortunately the pics of my two earlier Round Peaks were hijacked by Photobucket, along with so many here! Sigh...

Folks, John is much too humble to toot his own horn much at all. Consequently here is a list of some of his STANDARD features:

Adirondack braces, hand scalloped for each instruments max tone.

Hide glue on all the parts that make a difference in tone.

Super strong and rigid laminated neck with serious carbon fiber reinforcement from end to end.

Headstock backstrap and ducktail volute.

Super hard Jescar Gold Color EVO frets

Superthin and resonant finish by a serious master finish specialist! Thank You Tony!!!

Lovely smelling super light cedar linings. No moths in your axe...

Some kind of SPECIAL PIXIE DUST that enhances tone and volume.

Well, not sure about the pixie dust.

And one of my fave things about John is he is not interested in re-doing the same thing. Not even on headstocks or bridges. He is always aiming for just a bit better tone, ergonomics and playability. That works for me!

Thanks John! You are a fun guy too!

Cheers

Paul

j. Kinnaird 12-04-2017 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza (Post 5557102)
I do like the notion of all-USA woods, and they sure are pretty!

It does make for an interesting project and there are a lot of options.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird (Post 5557146)
Hey brother, that is some fine looking maple.
I'm always happy to see it pop up in custom builds.
Slowly but steadily the lutherie community is chipping away at the misconception that maple cannot produce a beautiful sound.
Keep chipping!

It has plenty of devotees in the bowed string instrument world and in the arch top world but like y ou say it's s low catching on with the flat top crowd. Hopefully this guitar won't confirm t hose prejudices.
Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guitars44me (Post 5557205)
I will be glued to this thread! Haha. Unfortunately the pics of my two former Round Peaks were hijacked by Photobucket, along with so many here! Sigh...

Folks, John is much too humble to toot his own horn much at all. Consequently here is a list of some of his STANDARD features:

Adirondack braces, hand scalloped for each instruments max tone.

Hide glue on all the parts that make a difference in tone.

Super strong and rigid laminated neck with serious carbon fiber reinforcement from end to end.

Headstock backstrap and ducktail volute.

Superthin and resonant finish by a serious master finish specialist!

Lovely smelling super light cedar linings. No moths in your axe...

Some kind of SPECIAL PIXIE DUST that enhances tone and volume.

Well, not sure about the pixie dust.

And one of my fave things about John is he is not interested in doing the same thing. Not even on headstocks or bridges. He is always aiming for just a bit better tone, ergonomics and playability. That works for me!

Thanks John! You are a fun guy too!

Cheers

Paul

Thanks for all the positive comments Paul. Another feature on this guitar you forgot to mention is t he elevated fingerboard and the carbon fiber struts. Frees up the upper bout it does. No flames!

Guitars44me 12-04-2017 10:56 AM

My PLEASURE!
 
My pleasure to sing John's praises

Folks, I was listing John Kinnaird's STANDARD FEATURES, which at many companies would be UPGRADES.

I asked for the elevated fretboard extension and the CF struts on last year's BROWN BOMB Round Peak Mahogany/Cedar 12 fret cutaway with BIG BEVELS, and a port. (#135) "I like big bevels and I can not lie!"

The Brown Bomb has raised the bar! I am convinced the freely moving top and super rigid neck and sides really make a big improvement in the already spectacular tone and volume. (#128 is very similar minus the elevated FB extension and Cf struts.)

Judging by the response of a couple well known AGFers who played her at John's shop when first strung up, I am not alone in this assessment! I was lucky to not have her bought out from under me! Haha

I also have had JK do custom neck carves for my old small beat up left hand. The first was very similar to his neck on #99 which I got from Mike/Woody. I liked that neck so much I sent the axe back to JK to almost copy. But I asked for a slight asymmetrical carve as well, which then became my FAVE!

Ya just can't get this stuff from the big guitar companies or even many small shops or individual builders.

It makes my many hour long troubadour gigs a lot easier on my left hand and shoulder.

My goal is to retire when I am dead... far far in the future!

Happy picking

Paul

Jamiejoon 12-04-2017 11:04 AM

Beautiful maple! Excited to watch this guitar come together.

LaFaro 12-04-2017 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird (Post 5557435)
It does make for an interesting project and there are a lot of options.




Thanks for all the positive comments Paul. Another feature on this guitar you forgot to mention is t he elevated fingerboard and the carbon fiber struts. Frees up the upper bout it does. No flames!

of course it does.. as I can confirm from my own experience with Miss Maple...and even more with a negative neckangle.... ;)
apart from that I am a great fan of Maple Guitars and I will follow this build with lots of interest and curiosity..:) hte back is already deeply impressive...:)

cigarfan 12-04-2017 02:30 PM

Gorgeous piece of Maple guys. Looks to be another special JK build.

Bill Kraus 12-04-2017 08:42 PM

Texas ebony, is that persimmon?, and have you found a good source for it?

invguy921 12-04-2017 08:56 PM

Paul, This is going to be yet another in the LONG line of very cool and tonally awesome John Kinnaird guitars. Apparently for you and me and a few others, they are like Lays potato chips...can't eat/have just one ;).

Steve Kinnaird 12-04-2017 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Kraus (Post 5558162)
Texas ebony, is that persimmon?, and have you found a good source for it?

No, it is not a true ebony, like the persimmon tree is.
It was called Pithicellobium flexicaule, but Arizona State University is calling it Ebenopsis ebano .
We once had a local source, which carried two different timbers, both called "Texas Ebony", both incredibly dense, both impossibly hard, but both quite different from each other. One was reddish-black, the other greenish-brown.
Either would work admirably in this application.
Bro, which one do you have?

j. Kinnaird 12-04-2017 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird (Post 5558178)
No, it is not a true ebony, like the persimmon tree is.
It was called Pithicellobium flexicaule, but Arizona State University is calling it Ebenopsis ebano .
We once had a local source, which carried two different timbers, both called "Texas Ebony", both incredibly dense, both impossibly hard, but both quite different from each other. One was reddish-black, the other greenish-brown.
Either would work admirably in this application.
Bro, which one do you have?

This timber is reddish brown. Its the plank I picked up near nacogdoches (did I spell that right) when we were wood prospecting at that little hardwood store with the enormous dogs

justonwo 12-04-2017 10:09 PM

You’re clearly off to a good start with that maple!

Guitars44me 12-05-2017 01:24 AM

Good luck stopping...
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by invguy921 (Post 5558177)
Paul, This is going to be yet another in the LONG line of very cool and tonally awesome John Kinnaird guitars. Apparently for you and me and a few others, they are like Lays potato chips...can't eat/have just one ;).

True indeed, Mike. And this one will have the biggest bevels yet! Haha

Apparently 3 is not enough yet!!!

I think we have a winner in this Round Peak 12 fret cut shape. I am pleased I was able to help with the design in a small way...

Play on gang

Paul


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