Stephen Kinnaird '16 (Sitka/Oregon Myrtle OM)
 

Well, we're going to join the rest of the cool kids and start a shop thread. We've got a lot on our plates coming up (who doesn't?) and we thought it might be easier to have a consolidated thread for a while.

First off, we would like to thank everyone who has wished us well lately. March has been a particularly hard month for the Kinnaird Guitars family, and the support we've received from our AGF family members has been dear to us. So thanks again.

At the end of 2015, Steve and I had several customers come by the shop looking to potentially purchase instruments that were available right then. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it), we have rarely had any spec guitars on hand. We have decided to rectify that by including in this year's production one guitar of each of our 5 models to have in the shop. These spec guitars may make the trip to Santa Barbara later this year, but the idea is to have something people can play if they make it to the wilds of East Texas! Also, we've been blessed with a fair amount of forthcoming custom builds - plenty from patrons of this here forum. Let me just give a partial list of some the known upcoming projects:

Sitka/Bubinga CS (final pics on page 4 or buy it here)
Redwood/East Indian FS (Final Pics or Buy it here)
Engelmann/English Brown Oak Parlor (TAMCO thread & Final Pics or Buy it here)
Italian/Panamanian Rosewood OM (build pics starts here and Final Pics)
Italian/Black & White Ebony Parlor (build pics start here and soundclips)
Sitka/Oregon Myrtle OM (build pics start here and Final Pics)
Bearclaw Sitka/Quilted Maple OM
Bearclaw Sitka/Amazon Rosewood OM
Lutz/SE Asian OM
Sitka/Spanish Cedar 00
Adirondack/Guatemalan Rosewood SJ
Sitka/Madagascar Rosewood OM
Indonesian Rosewood 00

and a couple more when the wood guys (you know who you are) get their minds made up. :)

The idea is to chronicle a little the constant work product of our small shop and share it with you. I will try to keep this first post updated as kind of an index for this year's work. I hope you enjoy the process.

To get things started, the first "shop" guitar that we started was an Sitka Spruce CS with Bubinga back and sides. The CS has been a great sounding guitar in the auditorium size range loosely based off of on old Larrivee model. It's a 14 fretter with classical sensibilities that provides a very even sound. Perfect for those looking for clean playing. :)

Here's what we started with -

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8jboft9u.jpg

We paired the top and back with Guatemalan Rosewood accents for the rosette and bindings - giving it a woody feel with all the reds and browns.


http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...pshxla9yng.jpg

The plates put together start to give you a feel of what the composition is going to look like.


http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psuklehtdi.jpg

The 5 piece neck with stringers of Wenge and a nice Bubinga core help to draw the whole piece together.

I'll share more tomorrow, but thanks for getting started with us.

Stephen Kinnaird '16
 

I'm thrilled to be seeing this thread, and the variety of woods and models being planned is ridiculously awesome!

Thanks! I realized that I didn't even mention that we're adding a new model this year - the 00. We've had a couple pre-ordered so I should add an Indonesian Rosewood 00 and a South East Asian Rosewood 00 to the list as well.

Looks like a good 2016.

This will be fun to watch

This will be a fun thread I am sure. You have so many builds coming up for AGF members, this will be a fun way to follow them all. I am in the mix somewhere there with the SE Asian Rosewood FS, we don't know what kind of top yet, but I am down the list quite a ways so we have not begun to talk about anything other than the back and side woods.

I am so glad to see you posting again Ryan, which I will take as a sign things are solidifying well at home!!!!!

I have a feeling this thread may go off on a few tangents once in a while too as you have some followers who may like a little humor once in a while. ;)

Best to you guys and get busy, looks like you have a lot of work to do!!!!

Tom

Looking forward to this and I still need to drive over to see y'all - maybe soon.

I look forward to seeing these come together. Especially now that you're running with the cool kids!

Mark

Ryan and Steve,

This will be fun to follow!

Pat

It's about time Ryan and Steve! :up:

Especially looking forward to the Sitka/Madagascar Rosewood OM!

Awesome! We're pretty lucky to follow such terrific work this closely.
Glad to hear things are looking up after a rough month of March.

Thanks for all the encouraging responses. We'll try our best to make it fun!

Sorry Tom, in my mind I had you as a 00, but FS's are my faves though we don't sell too many. It's a great all-a-rounder even if it leans more toward finger style sensibilities. 12 frets seem to shy people away.


Come one down! I thought we were all primed for some good Louisianan food, but family health problems slowed us down. We'll meet up soon I hope.


Yeah, we consider ourselves rebels, but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. ;)

Continuing on with some build pics...I realize now that this shot looks a lot like a previous pic, but the top has been braced and the rims have been glued to the back. Also, you can see the bent bindings/purflings.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0iwyzqya.jpg


Here is the obligatory picture of the guitar being devoured by clamps as the box is closed.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2ijlrnnb.jpg


Then it starts to look something like a guitar you might want to play.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8iuxbiys.jpg


A look at the tail wedge...

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...pscdxldhhw.jpg


And a pretty nice set of Bubinga. Not as dramatic as some waterfall sets, but this one is popping! under finish.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psndqabyuj.jpg


There's plenty more to come...stay tuned.

Yeah...what Ryan said. We really appreciate the kind thoughts.
I should show all this to my almost-bed-fast dad, who thought that guitars would surely lead me away to the Dark Side. As it so happened, the guitar has produced an incredibly open and kind community. I turned out poorly, but you guys are great. Thanks so much.
Now, some more pics?

Steve

Nice photos! How and where did you do that?

Thanks John. I think you saw the black cloth stand on the desk in the office. They were taken there with my iPhone. The trick was to get the exposure where the black cloth looks black. The back looks lighter than reality in the pics, but the first two are pretty close. Still learning.

Man, Ryan. I was sure you were going to say it was the back of your SUV. (with shielded indirect lighting of course)...

C'mon Chris. You know I had to trade in the SUV for a minivan. I'm ashamed to say how comfy it is. Anyway, with three girls, there's too much glitter to take good pics in my car anymore.

I'll take the blame...
 

I'll take the blame...well some of it at any rate (and looks like Tom's is an FS not a '00' so no competition yet...)

I'm the Indonesian Rosewood order and delighted Steve and Ryan have agreed to build a '00'! Steve and I go way back on 00's since before he started building and not sure we can tell all our stories, but it's a fun and historic model (both in the history of acoustic guitars and our history together...starting with an old 00-21 I purchased circa '74) *.

I feel like I've been a pest over this model for a long time and hope they aren't building it just to shut me up, but it might accomplish that as well.

I hope, like the FS, it's become a mainstay in their lineup. So far we're still sorting out pieces of Indonesia Rosewood (my bad on that score), but I will totally relish this build, to be sure!

* - I can't say whether its in the will for Steve, cuz he might bump me off!

Cool man,

Glad things are looking up.

Prayers.

I would like to conceive this build as ALL USA. I don't know why it matters, but it does.

We'll talk.

Chris

This will be a fun thread!
 

Very glad y'all are back in the saddle! I am sure we all continue to send good thoughts/vibes/prayers for you folks and your families...

Also glad to see you have plenty of fine guitars ordered! Good work is appreciated!!! And yours certainly is fine.

We will enjoy watching the progress!

Cheers

Paul

Well hey Bob,

I just can't keep up with you. I told Steve that I wanted an FS to pay homage to the co-designer, AKA Robert Tucker himself, the all time number one, numero uno, outstanding, super premium, top of the heap, unmatched, world class, lifetime designee top Kinnaird owner extraordinaire, and all around Steve Kinnaird expert and some day autobiographer, and then here you go making them build another new model just for you. Does that mean I have an OO in the future too? God help me.

:roll::roll::roll:

Overstated...
 

Steve is way too generous in his sharing credit on the 'FS'...while I do assume a cheerleading role, I do NOT DO ANYTHING. I come up with random ideas...Steve and Ryan nix the manifold bad ones and somehow I get credit for something that remains. Just because of their generousity, I can assure you!

Oh my goodness. Do I sense a revolution here?? ;) That is...GREAT guitar builders with oceans of experience now becoming talented photographers?? NICE!!As I have perused the threads in this custom area, I've noticed a whole bunch of just the opposite recently. I think it is time that the audiences out there get their senses tickled a bit to the reality of working with super talented people who build amazing guitars and...by the way...can also take great photos.

Phones take "OK" pictures. Ryan, your pictures look GREAT and the lighting is superb. And for many photos, these included phones work fine. However, despite pixel counts, their lenses are limited. So, if you really want your photos to be smokin' good with even more clarity, a touch more money (investment) will be required :).

So, if I were asked (and yes I realize I haven't been lol), the only thing I would add to this is a great camera with a great lens. I think Nikon is the ticket. The digital SLR with 8 or more pixels and a nice big zoom lens. Clarity at it's best. You can pick up a good one on the bay and not have to mortgage the house to get it. It's like adding the sixth man on your basketball team.

Lighting...angles...and add a great camera. It's taking the talent of making a picture as good as those you've shown...add an SLR and...voila...now you have a masterpiece. You'll get back the cost of your investment in a camera with the additional $$ you'll get from your current and future builds. Take nothing away from some of them, but some of the young builders out there have proven all of this to be true ;).

I just realized I may have hijacked your thread...or did John?? Let's blame John ha!

This ends badly....:halo:

Yeah we know...but some of us like to be luthiers just for the fact that we can be old coots and get away with it. :) Steve and I both have good cameras, but we both have that feeling like nice cameras are to be treated with kid gloves. Something about our dusty shop makes us leery of bringing the good stuff out. We're slowly working on it. But, until then, enjoy some more iPhone pics.


We got the body back from our finisher today...here's a peek at the front with a little side port action.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psjec7luar.jpg


Next a shot of the back side. You get some of the beautiful deep red and figure of this Bubinga. It is unbelievable in person.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psthuale9t.jpg


A look at the tail wedge with the Guatemalan Rosewood bindings.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7lffqghm.jpg


And another look at the top and rosette dead on.

http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/...psfbharhrs.jpg


We're putting the final touches on the finish for the neck (pics coming soon!) and then we'll put this guy together.

Thanks for the interest...and business advice. ;)

Looking good!

Here's an idea: everyone who likes realllllly great photographs, should pool their funds, and buy the luthier(s) of their choice good photographic equipment!
The camera is a fine place to start, but we will need lenses, backdrops, lighting, tripods, filters, difusers, defibrillators, Coke machines, extra bathrooms, another computer, new coffee pot, dedicated phone line, office staff, and a new room to put all this stuff. The defibrillator is obvious, right?
So what say? Any contributors?

:D

Ryan, Steve,

Looks really nice!

Pentax to the rescue! There's a piece of the market in DSLRs called the enthusiast niche, where Pentax has a weather-resistant camera. Dust/moisture seals on the camera and their WR lenses keeps out dust and moisture, though they're not waterproof. The family tree starts with the K20D, then the K7, K5 and the current K3. I brought my old K7 out to live in the shop; no problems - yet!

Pat