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STEPHEN KINNAIRD GUITARS: 000, 12 Fret [Adirondack Spruce | Macassar Ebony]
Steve Kinnaird and I have been AGF forum “pen-pal” friends for about eight-years now. We have corresponded on guitars, tonewood, lutherie and non-guitar topics over the years. Steve, Ryan Middlebrook and I finally met in person at the 2017 Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase (yikes, where did 5-years go?) where I was able audition some of their show guitars. Last June, I decided to commission a custom guitar with them. Somehow, the eight-month build queue has gone by and it is time to begin the making of the guitar.
One of the great pleasures when commissioning a custom guitar for me is the discussion back and forth between a client and luthier about your playing goals for the instrument to create something that does not yet exist. We spent a good deal of time discussing my style of play, my ergonomic playing preferences, and tonal goals for the guitar. This resulted in Steve recommending that he build me either their 12-fret FS model (15-5/8”) or a slightly less wide but longer bodied 12-fret 000 (15”) sized guitar. After a bit of back and forth, we ended up deciding upon a 000-12 Fret model. We then discussed potential soundboards for the project. I told Steve that I was “spruce species agnostic” and suggested that he select a soundboard set for the project that he felt that would best meet my playing goals. Steve joined up three different soundboards (one Sitka, Bearclaw Sitka and Adirondack Spruce) and evaluated them physically and acoustically to decide which to use. In the end, he suggested that we use a AAA grade set of Adirondack (Red) Spruce that he had sourced from Indiana luthier/Red Spruce purveyor Randy Lucas. Being a longtime luthier and “wood nut”, Steve has amassed large wood-locker of traditional and non-traditional tonewoods. He generously took the time to take and share photos of well over a dozen species of back and side sets for me to consider for this project. These ranged from light and woody species to dense and glassy species. We ended up selecting a set of figured Macassar Ebony back and sides for the project. Steve told me that he had purchased the set years ago from Todd Taggert when he had left LMII to form Allied Lutherie. Steve said that this set had a particularly exciting tap tone to it. Since the set also featured some nice sapwood, we decided to keep it intact as an unadorned aesthetic feature and omit the decorative addition of a backstrip. Here is a composite photo of the top set, trimmed back and side set, the laminated neck blank, neck/end blocks, binding/purfling strips arranged on their shop bench (The Nacacogdoches sous chefs have been quietly busy!). Steve trimmed down the sapwood a bit to make it a bit narrower. https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...F2ABE100B.jpeg SPECIFICATIONS: Woods: Aside from the Adirondack Spruce top and Macassar Ebony back and sides; the guitar will have a five-piece laminated neck, Gaboon Ebony fretboard, and a Brazilian Rosewood belly bridge. To match the back’s Macassar Ebony sapwood, Steve is making a five-piece laminated neck with Honduran Mahogany outer, Macassar Ebony runner center section of Swiss Pear (to color match the Macassar Ebony sapwood). Top - Red SpruceErgonomics: the guitar will have a traditional Nazareth long-scale (25-3/8”) with a 1-3/4” nut width and 2-5/16” bridge spacing. Staying with tradition, it will have a slotted head headstock. For enhanced upper fretboard access, it will incorporate a Venetian cutaway. They will add a sound port which I enjoy since I am a solo home player. These tend to enhance the player’s acoustic experience. I also asked for EVO frets. Scale Length - 25-3/8”Aesthetic Appointments: The guitar will be bound in hard Gaboon Ebony throughout (Body, Fretboard and Peghead). The rosette will be a radial cut Macassar Ebony with Zebrawood and Maple purflings. To match the rosette, the top will be purfled with Zebrawood and Maple as well. The back and sides will be decorated with simple black/Maple/Black viola style purflings. The peghead veneers will be Macassar (front) and Gaboon Ebony (back). We are having Steve’s signature inlayed in MOP into the back peghead veneer instead his standard “K” logo on the front peghead veneer. The guitar body will be finished by Tony Ferguson in a clear polyester with satin nitrocellulose lacquer neck finish by Steve. It will also have a transparent polyester pickguard. Peghead Veneer, Front - Macassar EbonyHardware & Case: I am having Rob Rodgers make a set custom three-on-a-plate tuners for it (I ordered them in late October so they should arrive this month) and have purchased a lightweight Visesnut Active Series 000/OM case for it. Bridge Pins - Gaboon Ebony with MOP DotsMore when I get it… |
Incredibly well thought out, as usual. Really looking forward to following the progress! Tim
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Nice to hear from you Tim :). I hope that you are enjoying your new Sobel...:up:
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Oh Boy!
This will be a thrill ride. What a beautiful set of woods!!!
You are in GREAT hands, with Steve and Ryan! (As you know!) Looking forward already to hearing you play this…. Enjoy it all Paul |
Glad to see you are following along...:)
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Looks like a very cool build--love the wood choices.
Hopefully I can't see it in progress when I'm down in Texas later this month for my student build... |
It should be there for February and March before heading off to Tony’s shop for finishing in April. :)
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Laminated Neck Blank
Here is the five laminate pieces used in the construction of the neck out on the bench after being wiped with some solvent before gluing them up. You can see small pilot holes for alignment pins on both ends. The center laminate is made from of 1/8” thick pieces of Gaboon Ebony (2) and Swiss Pear (1) and is intentionally narrow so it remains clear of the two slot head channels that will later be routed into the peghead. The Swiss Pear center section was chosen because it is an excellent color match to the Macassar Ebony sapwood present in the back set.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...3997F18CE.jpeg The five pieces of hardwood are glued up with Tightbond Type 1 adhesive and affixed with ten 5” cast iron clamps are arranged in an staggered left/right and over/under configuration to evenly distribute the pressure. https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...357509253.jpeg https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...2262EA79D.jpeg |
Well, this project has already been fun. Bob is as much a wood guy as anyone here, and was obviously—rewardingly—interested in what woods we had squirreled away. It was a little embarrassing sending a photo of *this*, and one of *that*, etc. etc.…I could hear my wife saying, “You don’t need ANY more wood”. I almost began to think she might have a point. (And if you tell her I said that, I will hotly deny it.)
In the end, when you get to use one of the best sets in your private reserve, it is rewarding knowing that the customer will value it as much as you do. Thanks for this opportunity Bob! Steve |
Yes, we reviewed a bunch of beautiful sets! As I recall, before arriving on the Macassar Ebony we also reviewed:
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I absolutely love your wood choices, Bob. I've had the opportunity to put my hands on a good percentage of Steve's collection and the set you picked is one of (if not the) best sets of ebony I've seen in any collection. Steve & Ryan are a joy to work with and I have no doubt this build will turn out spectacular.
Looking forward to this one! |
Good to hear...:up:. Thanks for your kind comments :)
I sometimes look back at the sets that I did not choose and wonder. They are all great sets in their own way or they would not be presented as candidates to me. Here are two other beautiful back and side sets of Macassar Ebony that I did not select on some past commissions by some other luthiers. I ended up choosing a Malaysian Blackwood instead... https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...7/Macassar.jpg I ended choosing Brazilian Rosewood instead... https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...srqrug7fe.jpeg Quote:
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Making the Neck
Here the neck blank removed from the clamps and surfaces trued.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...651519246.jpeg This photo shows the truss rod channel in the center with two outbound slots either side to accommodate the carbon fiber stiffeners. Note that the carbon fiber slots terminate at the eventual nut location to avoid showing when the peghead is slotted. https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...5972CBC7E.jpeg |
Reinforcement Strip
The Macassar Ebony back set on a 15’ radius dish under a go-bar deck having a cross-grained Italian Spruce center reinforcement strip installed. They took the back quite thin (about 0.070”) due to its density and stiffness. The beautiful figure is ever present even without finish.
https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...3C9491B55.jpeg |
Great choice of woods. Looking forward to the build. I applaud the decision to go with a slot head
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