New McKnight Build - "The Dominator"
 

Introducing a build by Tim McKnight. It is for my grandson, Dominic. I plan to spend a few years breaking it in before giving it to him since he's only 12.

Details:

• MacNaught Dreadnought
• Adirondack top
• Brazilian rosewood back and sides
• Mother of Pearl purfling
• Curly walnut binding
• Honduran Mahogany neck
• Tortis pickguard ("The Dominator" carved into the pickguard)
• Gotoh gold open-back tuners
• varnish finish

Tim started on January 3 with planned delivery at McJam 11 (June 2018). Here are some pics of the startup (taken by Mary McKnight). I hope the pics work:

Tim making a batch of neck blocks.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

"Rodger Guitar in a Bag" (like instant coffee, but takes longer to make)
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

Making the sides:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2V...k=w758-h569-no

The back.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...N1TE5xUTZ1TzdR

Hoping the pics work! More to come as Mary sends them to me.

New McKnight Build - "The Dominator"
 

Introducing a build by Tim McKnight. It is for my grandson, Dominic. I plan to spend a few years breaking it in before giving it to him since he's only 12.

Details:

• MacNaught Dreadnought
• Adirondack top
• Brazilian rosewood back and sides
• Mother of Pearl purfling
• Curly walnut binding
• Honduran Mahogany neck
• Tortis pickguard ("The Dominator" carved into the pickguard)
• Gotoh gold open-back tuners
• varnish finish

Tim started on January 3 with planned delivery at McJam 11 (June 2018). Here are some pics of the startup (taken by Mary McKnight). I hope the pics work:

Tim making a batch of neck blocks.

https://i.imgur.com/t3QJp02.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/3zjsyN2.jpg

Guitar in a bag!!!

https://i.imgur.com/KIeQV1z.jpg

The sides:

https://i.imgur.com/9hBoJWy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kGK8K11.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jOrFO0R.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GFm5iVb.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/p5aNxeQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/j7dgqbM.jpg

The back.

https://i.imgur.com/3b6Uivw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GeIxHIL.jpg


Hoping the pics work! More to come as Mary sends them to me.

Sweet! A new McKnight build thread! Looking forward to this one. That's a great set of BRW!

Real exciting to follow this, I don't own one but have played a MacNaught earlier in the year and am now a big fan.

Dominic is one lucky kid 😋
Tim builds amazing guit-fiddles...I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.

Joel

Rodger was fortunate to hand pick the best set of BRW I had in stock. In fact, it’s THE best set of BRW I’ve ever had. This is an old growth set with arrow straight grain, the stuff that many of us only dream to find. This build has me equally stoked.

If there are particular pictures you want to see please let me know. However I am married to my own Houdini.

Tim, happy new year, and great to see one of your builds again...

Just wondering why one would glue a back set together, only to cut it apart?!

This will be fun!
 

Rodger you are wise to break it in for a good long time! Haha

Mighty sweet Braz! Am I seeing receiver holes in the neck blocks for Carbon Fiber struts? I am sure happy with my new John Kinnaird, and want to thank Tim again for his guidance on it!!! Thanks Tim.

Have fun!

Paul

A new McKnight build; what a great way to start the year!
Nice idea to have build for your grandson. And beautiful looking BRW.

Thanks for starting the thread,
Col

Nice stuff Tim...:) Find the music in it...:up:

Good morning Louie and that is a good question. After air drying and seasoning for at least 6 months in our wood room, 95% of the backs in our inventory are joined for a variety of reasons; to conserve storage space, make it easier for clients to view them in photos or if they are fortunate enough to visit our shop it allows them to hear them tap tested.

Since Rodger is going for a semi-vintage theme he requested a Martin-esque zipper strip in the back's center joint seam. Therefore, it became necessary to rip saw the two back halves apart and glue in the center seam decorative strip, which is no big deal. Besides it added that wonderfully sweet chocolate-rose BRW bouquet throughout the shop. Its a scent that one never forgets.

You have a keen eye Paul. Yes, those are holes being drilled into the neck block to later accept two carbon fiber buttress braces. I had to delay Rodger's build a few days so I could make a batch of laminated neck and tail blocks. Its a lot of work to laminate and machine them but thankfully I only have to do it once every few years. I think I made 82 sets of blocks in this run.

Thank you and I'm certainly looking forward to it Bob. I wish you could have seen the huge smile on Rodger's face when I tapped this set of BRW for he and his wife. It's a VERY musical set so I don't think I will have to look too hard to find the music in it ;)

Hi Colin,
We all should be so lucky to have a grandfather as kind and generous as Rodger. OK, enough chatter from me, its time to head to the shop and get to work so Rodger can add some more pictures to this thread.