Stephen Kinnaird SJ BRW/Italian Spruce build just for me!
 

Hello. I started a thread a few months ago regarding an upcoming build looking for rosette ideas. The time has come and after about a 6 month wait, the guitar has begun. I have been discussing with Steve the particulars now over that time period and he has been great in guiding me through the process. I know that I have probably been a pain to work with as sometimes I hate myself!!! Through it all he has been patient and kind. I have great hopes for this guitar and trust Steve and Ryan to pull not only a beautiful looker but beautiful sounder as well out of this one. Describing sound is so hard for me, but I told him I wanted a strong bass (he said "SJ"), I also want sustain that goes on forever with wonderful overtones. That is about it for marching orders.

Here are the specs:

Model: Kinnaird SJ (25.4" scale)
Nut: 1 3/4"
Pin Spacing: 2 1/4 inch
Top: Italian Spruce, master grade
Back/Sides: BRW
Rosette: TBD yet, but most likely Koa with abalone rings in some variation or another.
Bindings: Koa
Purfling: Radial wood with b/w/b, species yet to be determined.
Neck: One of my favorite features on Steve's guitars: Mahog/b/maple/rosewood/maple/b/mahogany. These are so beautiful when done.
Headstock overlay: BRW, Steve found a really cool piece "laying around"
Tuners: Alessi tuners with wood pegs and gear inlay
Fretboard: Ebony
Bridge: BRW

Other features include a Ryan style arm bevel trimmed in Koa and plus or minus a sound port. I have not made up my mind on that one yet.

Thanks, I am very excited and will post some pics soon. I have to learn yet how to do that.

Tom

[IMG]http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...ruce%20top.jpg[/IMG]

This is the top we picked out. We had four to chose from and felt this looked to be the best, although they were all great. Steve says it "rings like a bell".

OK that is big....I will try to figure out how to make that smaller somehow????

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...%20set%202.jpg

This is the back set I selected. I think it is really stunning. Just my opinion as I aware it will not be everyone's cup of tea.

And enough for now, but this is the back joined. We all thought it looked so good this way, we elected not to do any back inlay, it seemed to have its own inlay already....

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...Attachment.jpg

Sorry for the sizing issues, I am new at this and hopefully can get it figured out...not too big, not too small....Hopefully you can see it alright.

Hey Tom,
I think you did pick out a spectacular piece of wood. I'm having fun just getting to smell it around the shop. I did a quick count and this is the 82nd guitar that I've got to help build in our shop and the 5th Brazilian, but it's been about 4 years or so since the last. Too long for me. We specialize in alternative woods so we know that you can get great sound out of many types of woods, but there is a certain sound that Rosewoods (especially Brazilian) have that I don't get tired of hearing. I'm sure you're going to be pleased.

Can't wait to get you some more pics of the progress. You probably won't see too much of me until the rosette gets nailed down, but it's going to go by faster than you know.

Enjoy it!

Thank you Ryan. I have all the confidence in the world in you two. That dang rosette and fret markers have truly been the most stressful for me, so no pressure at all on that! Thanks a bunch.

Looking at that top again in this picture, talk about tight straight grain, really??? I don't know how much better that could be, but then again, I just play em, I don't build or critique them!!! This is going to be a world class guitar and I am sure I will never get out of it what it will be capable of and that will only prompt me to work harder and play better!!!!

I know there are some on this forum that feel the guitars do not measure up to their abilities where I feel just the opposite, I will never match this Kinnaird potential.

Best to you and Steve,

Tom

Don't worry buddy, you are definitely not alone. There is NO way I would ever be able to match the calibre of the instrument being built for me but that should not be an issue :) Just enjoy it and play the heck out of your new found love :guitar:

And of course, congratulations on this upcoming build!! If I have learnt anything so far, it is that these luthiers are making a living out of this for a good reason. Trust their judgement and they will surprise you every step of the way :D

What STUNNING wood ... can't wait to see this one come together!

The BRW is gorgeous Tom. Sounds like a wonderful instrument will result here. I'm excited for you. Look forward to following along.

Thank for taking the time to reply Mr. Wren, I am thrilled you like the wood as you build such beautifully striking guitars. It means a lot to me.

Thank you as well Cigarfan. I love the BRW, can't wait to see it wet...I will get better pictures of it joined, that did not come out well, but it looks really cool. I think the top although not beautiful in the way of say a heavily bear clawed Sitka is, it is beautiful in its even, tight, straight grain that should make a wonderfully sounding top. Since this is where the wood has the most influence in sound, I am really excited as well by the prospects!

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Tom

Already, you guys know Tom to be good natured, easy going and possessed of a fine wit. I have been enjoying our email correspondence immensely. The planning/dreaming stage is one of the most enjoyable parts of lutherie for me. For one thing, you haven't made any mistakes yet. For another, you start the process of getting to know the client. Tom has been a lot of fun to work with!
Here's to a guitar we'll both be proud of, Tom!

Steve

Congratulations Tom,

I was fortunate to be able to trade for my Kinnaird, and it is simply one of the best guitars I've had the pleasure of playing. Enjoy the process, and if it is anything like mine, I'm sure you'll be thrilled. Beautiful choices on the wood too!

Also, different strokes for different folks, but I wouldn't think twice about adding a sound hole.:D

Dan

Stephen Kinnaird Guitars
 

You are going to love this guitar! Steve and Ryan make wonderful guitars, I've owned and sold many, and get requests on a regular basis! Congratulations! I know your excitement!

Ditto Steve, Thanks....Have guitar on the mind. Just came in from cutting down a birch tree and chunking it all the while wondering if I should be trying to quarter saw it....I think I may have a problem!!!!

Thank you so much. I am really pleased you like your Kinnaird so much. Not that I needed reassurance, but hey, thanks for the reassurance :). Yes, I think the wood is great. I think under finish that back is going to explode in colors and grain.

Yes, the sound hole, I think they are cool, just worried about it looking like just a hole in the side of the guitar. I have been talking to Steve about binding it which I think will finish it off more...still up in the air. I have finances to worry about a little as well. That Brazilian did come at a slight upcharge, but I could not say no to it.

Thank you sir. I have gone to your site and listened to many of your wonderful guitars.

Also Congrats on the Memphis festival. Due to several current life events, I am unable to attend, but I surely wish I could. I have a feeling it will be a great success. Just seeing how many outstanding luthiers have been doing nothing but build guitars for the festival and all of them are outstanding including with Steve and Ryan. I hope it is a great success and many guitars find new homes and luthiers leave with a little change in their pockets!

I was able to get a better reproduction of the joined back, large enough to see better. Steve, Ryan, and I all felt it looked super nice this way and did not need a back strip....

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/...d%20back_1.jpg

Love that.

Spectacular! I love the silking...very nice, indeed.

Thank you Insomnyteq and Oddmanout.

I love the top also. The back is one thing and is beautiful and will add that BRW sound, but we all know at least in terms of wood, the top adds the most to the sound and gives the luthier what he/she needs to work with. I think this top looks outstanding and can't imagine it not allowing Steve to bring the best out of it.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Tom, I just played a Kinnaird a few weeks back. Yours looks great and you are in for a treat! :)

Thank you sir. I appreciate that and from your list of guitars, you my friend look like someone who should know a world class guitar. I will gladly accept your opinion in this situation. ha ha :up::up::up:

Congrats on your build, Tom. The back looks spectacular and well book-matched. Looking forward to seeing the rosette and inlays.

Thanks JoeCharter....yes, I know your real name, but we have not introduced ourselves....Love your Olsons and your recordings. I grew up my entire life not 15 miles from Jim's shop....Small world really. Hi, my name is Tom and I have a guitar acquisition problem.....

Thanks for your comments on the back. It is quite a match. One of the reasons for no back strip...

Ahhh the rosette and inlays....I am looking forward to that too. They have been the bane of my existence on this design. I originally planned for a big fret board inlay and as we got further along, I found it harder and harder to decide on what I wanted and if it were not perfect, ie. loving it, than I felt I would be better off without anything fancy and to just go basic. Complete 180. It is still up in the air and I am leaving it to Steve and Ryan at this point. They will run stuff by me of course, but I am out of the design business...I think I have decided to let the woods speak for themselves although I am one that loves a good fret board inlay like you have on several of your instruments esp. the rose from Petros....

Thanks for taking the time to post here.

Nice meeting you, Tom. I've visited Minneapolis thrice in recent years. Lovely place.

I actually remained anonymous for very long on this forum but eventually dropped the mask as I didn't feel like posting videos with my head cropped out.


The inlays on my Olsons are "standard" and my Petros was initially built on spec -- so I knew what to expect for those guitars.

For creative situations (i.e. Kraut and Leach), I took existing inlays and asked the artist to come up with some variation of it. That's the safest approach (without actually copying something) IMHO.

I've also seen a number of inlay jobs from Larry Robinson -- and in person they are spectacular.

We're all wired differently but if it were me I would choose a theme, set a budget and let them fly. None of these guys do any work that is less than incredible. If you keep an open mind, you'll be satisfied.

Thank you Mau,

Yes, for a large city, Minneapolis is one of the cleanest and safest cities that I have had the pleasure to be in. It has its areas to stay clear of for sure, but there are a lot of activities downtown that bring people in at night such as the baseball and basketball stadiums as well as the Vikings, although a new stadium is being build right now...The buildings are pretty cool too. Lot of music and theater as well!

I grew up in the northern suburbs in a small town and Jim is in even a smaller one although that whole are has been built up a lot over the last 10 years....

Thanks for the sound advise on the inlays, you make sense, we will see where we end up here. Off to a good start I feel at least with the wood selections.

Tom

I wonder what you see in that figure of yours :lol:

Rediculous wood!
 

That is rediculous wood. I'd send it back! Going to visit Steve and Ryan later this week. If they find the wood missing, just know I got rid of it for you!