Awesome Cocobolo and stunning Tunnel 14--I predict an astounding success!

Avoid The Flat Cut Back, Hanter
 

Aloha Hanter,

Sorry to interject this suggestion amongst all the mirth of wood selection which is quite exciting during this phase of having a guitar made by a master luthier.

But Hanter, you should reconsider your choice of flat-sawn Cocobolo back as shown & even the sides. Ask John Kinnaird to tell you the reasons why more quarter-sawn woods are the traditional & a much better choice for musical instruments that travel & are under 250 lbs. of pressure per square inch. Also, put a meter on both the Cocobolo & Redwood you've chosen to check for moisture content. It should be well under 10%, preferrably 6-8% moisture content.

Flat-cut is always more striking looking, but also more problematic down the line (unless the guitar is kept in a humidity controlled vault constantly & isn't played out much). Quarter-sawn guitar wood is about longevity & better handling the seasonal changes & indoor heating variations. As a Central American rosewood, Cocobolo, especially flat-cut, tends to crack over time & hates seasonal change (moisture loss) & even light dings.

Information is valuable, & of course, it's your choice. That is a very nice looking back. But as a former luthier & travelling musician, I would never have used it on a guitar if I had quarter-sawn choices. And of course the scarcity of rosewoods globally provides luthiers with fewer choices.

Enjoy the build, Hanter.

alohachris

While I also prefer quartersawn wood, I highly doubt that the moisture content of either set is an issue. John said that the cocobolo has been in his workshop for years and the tunnel 14 top... well let's just say it's seasoned!

If that Tunnel 14 is not seasoned then nothing on this planet is seasoned.

Aloha alohachris,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

Call me naive but I believe most luthiers would like to firstly build instruments that are pleasing to the ear rather than pleasing to the eye. I also believe that 99 out of 100 people who decide on custom builds would prioritize sound and stability over aesthetics. If it turns out looking nice, it becomes a real bonus.

When I approached John I told him that tone, sonic properties and structural stability would always hold priority over everything else as we consider other elements during the build. So I definitely do not belong to that 1%. John went about recommending sets from his stash that had been aged and seasoned for over more than a decade of dry, Blue Ridge Mountain winters. He told me to choose what I liked best in terms of looks because he was so assured of the quality of the pieces he recommended. So the thunderbolt hit me and I chose this set on my first glance but he went on to explain to me that he grades his woods first on structural stability (& sonic potential) then on looks, and this was ... too his favorite set of Cocobolo because it had everything. He also tapped the set and compared it to other notable woods, some of it quarter-sawn, and found that it was very comparable. Finally, John told me that it would take someone very special to distinguish between (his) slab-sawn and quarter-sawn Cocobolo in a blind listening test.

So really I wouldn't be too concerned as the due diligence had been done.

The recurring theme here also is trust (if you have seen some of my earlier comments and responses), and I think I trust John to bring all his skills to bear to build me the best sounding and most stable guitar he could.

On aesthetics though, I'd like to point out that most luthiers are highly artistic beings who enjoy scratching the artisan's itch on every guitar that comes into creation, so its not without coincidence that instruments being built turn out looking nicer and nicer over time. Some of course are being done at customers' requests, but for some luthiers, even if you asked them to build a simple, plain and ugly looking guitar, they couldn't.

And John Kinnaird definitely falls into that category.

John made this 000-12 from plank sawn (I think) Honduran Rosewood Attachment 38458Attachment 38459

I got it almost six years ago, and played hundreds of gigs with it. Finally sold it so I could afford my Fourth JK Custom. Then bought it back! Then sold it again to help pay for the next one... such is GAS.

Never a problem, no matter the humidity or travel or shipping. It has been around!

Though I DO take care to avoid drying out my instruments.

I would not be concerned. if John says it it fine, it is FINE. And yes it will be BEAUTIFUL. He can't help himself.... hahahaha

Cheers

Paul

Have to say Hanter, you (and John) have picked some gorgeous woods. Cocobolo is in a world of it's own. And that Tunnel Redwood looks awesome. I have a Tunnel 13 Redwood topped guitar that is nothing short of stupendous. With the woods chosen and John's skills you are in for a treat! Congrats!

Thanks for the affirmation cigarfan! Silently I have been a fan of your build threads (Kostal, Sexauer, S. Kinnaird etc) over the years, you have an impressive arsenal! Enjoy the butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling as your McKnight arrives!

The rim closed
Coco on the outside and Spanish cedar inside in case you have cigars that need humidification
https://photos.smugmug.com/Han/i-nqj..._144315-XL.jpg

Nice way to start the weekend, thanks John!

One of these days someone is gonna ask you to build a guitar that has a secret compartment to hold a couple of cigars...

And an extra large sound hole so we could get in there to retrieve them! ;)

Ah! Who else but cigarfan!

John taught science, so it could be well within his wheelhouse to design an automatic cigar dispensing button on the outside... no need for extra large soundhole!

Great idea!
 

How about a soundport/cigar holder???

Cheers

Paul

Laminated linings out of Spanish cedar install.
I laminate these using the sides propped in the mold as a form. Packing tape is on the inside of the sides so I can remove the linings once they have set up. Then the profile is sanded onto the inside edge and they are finally glued to the side of the guitar.
In the lower bout the linings are wider than in the upper bout because there will be an arm rest bevel there.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Han/i-nqj..._130209-XL.jpg

Another great example of how to do it. Between you and your brothers ideas/pics on bevels I can see a way to give it a try in the future.

Bruce,