McKnight Guitars - Woodstock 2018 build thread
 

We are trying to work in a couple of spec guitars for the upcoming Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase held this October in Woodstock, NY. We don’t have much time so we are burning some midnight oil to hopefully get these done in time.

First up is our Skeeter model, loosely based on a 1926 Nick Lucas Special.
Honduras Mahogany back and double sides under a Red Spruce top. I was going to go old school on this one since we are short on time but my designer over ruled my vote. She has some unique ideas sketched up which includes some subtle inlays of Olive wood with Padauk accents, 24.25” scale length (which is original to the '26 NLS), 12 fret neck, ebony fret board, olive wood peg head with Mary's “Aquarius” veneer.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iV...E=w659-h878-no






The other WILS build is our SSM model, EIR back and double sides under a Lutz Spruce top. This will be 25.4" scale, ebony FB, EIR peghead veneer, Sycamore bindings. Once again my vote was vetoed so no old school on this one either. This one has some foo foo design and accompanying inlays that may make some of the old timer's smile and reminisce the 60's era.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/41...w=w659-h878-no





Thanks for looking and following along. We'll update with more pics as time permits.

Under the hood...
 

Thanks for showing the laminated neck and heel blocks and the CF struts which allow a lighter top bracing and MORE TONE!

After my last two John Kinnaird builds with this Larson Bros. technology I am a believer! Thanks for whispering in JK's ear about this...

These guitars will rock, NO DOUBT!!!

Cheers

Paul

24.25" is pretty short! What nut width are you going to use with that? I would think a bit wider fretboard would help keep it from feeling cramped. My short scale guitar is 1 11/16" and, well, feels a little cramped.

It will probably be 1-25/32”. Monday is neck day so I’ll know more at the end of the day.

I’m glad I could be of some help Paul but me thinks John’s mojo goes far beyond me sharing a bit of my building style.

Good morning Tim..

I really like the shape of your Skeeter model. To give me a better mental image of its perspective, would you mind sharing the dimensions of this guitar?

Also, I’m just curious...are your struts carbon fiber tubes?

Good luck on making your deadline, and I look forward to following along, and to seeing these guitars completed.

Joel

Good morning Joel,

Our Skeeter model is 9-7/8" UB, 7-7/8" Waist, 13-5/8" LB, 19" Long and up to 5" DEEP! This one will be in the 4-5/8" deep range if memory serves correctly? The added body depth was originally specified by Nick Lucas after having played several prototypes. It was his opinion that the deeper body, combined with the scale length and strings of the day gave him the most volume and projection for such a small guitar. I've built these from 4-1/4" to 5" deep and I must say that I concur with his assessment. Another interesting spec by Nick was that he only wanted 1/4" to 1/2" of taper on the side depth.

There are a few Skeeter owners here on the AGF so hopefully they will chime in with their opinions of their guitars voice.

Just for perspective, you can see a side view of the Skeeter along side our SSM (Skinny Slope MacNaught) which is only 3-1/4" - 3-1/2" deep.




https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bH...=w1407-h878-no









The carbon fiber struts are 3/8" diameter hollow carbon tubes. My first prototype that I used were steel, cut from a couple of 2 irons I was no longer using ;)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a2...k=w659-h878-no

Really looking forward to seeing this project develop. Tim, your work is always inspiring. I was hooked when I had a few minutes with John Cotten and his new new McKnight guitar at Healdsburg 2011. Or was it 2013? Time sure flies... But I will always remember the tone of that guitar. It was just a whole new order of Being.

That is looking really good Tim. Very clean, very functional, with a clever design

I own one of Tim's Skeeters. During a visit to Tim’s shop we were talking about smaller bodies and I made mention of the fact they were just too boxy sounding for me. Tim disappeared and a minute later he came in with this Skeeter. Didn’t take long to realize not all small bodied guitars are created equal. Incredible! I am oh so glad that geetar was for sale. Since then I have had many comment on the big sound coming from such a small guitar. Mine has the 5 inch depth which contributes to a nice full bass, great volume and projection and of course it has the signature McKnight tone. Scweeet!

This is gonna be exciting to follow.

I'm completely intrigued by this Skeeter model... It seems like the perfect size for me to play well and then to have this wonderful McKnight tone as well! I'll be following along here...

beth

We've had many people comment that the Skeeter is the perfect sized guitar. It easily fits a wide range of body sizes and as CigarFan says the volume, from such a small guitar, really surprises people.

I know there are a few builders following this thread with interest in the carbon fiber buttress braces we use. A little background ... many years ago we had received an order for our first 12 string guitar and the ~2X string tension pulling on the top AND body were really worrying me because we strive to build exceptionally light and responsive guitars and I had visions of the 12 string folding in half and collapsing in the players hands.

The thought of this failure mode kept me awake at night while trying to come up with a way of counteracting the forces applied to the top, back and sides from the ~2X string tension. All of the string tension applies a moment of rotational torque to where the neck attaches to the body, i.e. the neck block. As the neck block tries to rotate it applies compression forces to the top trying to collapse it into the sound hole. The bottom of the neck block applies extension forces to the back, trying to flatten the back. While the glue surface face of the neck block is deforming and twisting the sides. All of these forces add up to action changes and an eventual neck reset over time as these three forces act upon the body of every guitar.

In mechanical engineering school they taught us the strongest shape, found in nature, is the triangle. The proverbial light bulb went off in the middle of the night and our buttress braces were born. The buttress braces, take the moment of rotational force and redirects it to the stiffest point on the guitar, the waist. The simple triangle brace stops all movement in the neck block area as well as the three adjacent surfaces of the guitar body.

Since the top is no longer in compression it can be braced differently and much lighter since the braces above the sound hole are no longer trying to stave off the top's implosion. The back is also in less tension too so there is no worry of the back's domed arch flattening longitudinally over time. The sides are not stressed and deformation is no longer an issue. Best of all, 5, 10, 15 or 20 years from now there is no need of visiting a tech to have your string action adjusted or worse yet, to have the neck reset. These two simple carbon fiber tubes are a win / win for everyone.

Prior to using these braces I could take the rim, before the back and top were joined and EASILY flex neck block area inward with only a few pounds of force with light hand pressure. After the buttress braces are glued in I can stand on the rim and it just doesn't move :eek: and I'm no lightweight either, as my better half can attest to.

If there any builders following this thread and considering using a similar bracing system in your guitars, I would encourage you to give it a try and see for yourself what a difference two little tubes make in the structure and tone of your guitar.

Sorry for the engineering techno-babble ... it's time to get back to the OT.

Mary wanted some different inlays on the back of the Skeeter. This is a new design she created and she wanted the inlays to be a little fancier than normal but with a lower contrast color value so she chose Olive wood for its subtle color.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hN...=w1172-h878-no




https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/49...=w1172-h878-no






Under a finish it nearly disappears:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gV...o=w659-h878-no







I added some brown stain to the glue to try to frame the inlays:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6a...s=w659-h878-no

This should be cool. I have one of Tim’s Slim Slope Dreds and it’s my go to guitar. It is the great deceiver. The slim body does little to reduce the bass volume but it makes it so comfortable to play. I have played in front of guitar players who love the sound then I turn it so they see how thin it is, never fails to amaze them. I really think it’s the large responsive soundboard and a little Tim magic dust?