I've exchanged messages with Tim and Mary McKnight, and though my budget is a bit below their base price, they assure me that with whatever I can add to the pot, they will be able to create a very special guitar.
Their guitars have garnered such demand that their normal waiting list is pretty long, for me anyway. But because they are starting a few to take to the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in Sonoma County, California next August, they think they can work this AGF Award guitar into the schedule.
Why would I choose McKnight Guitars? There are a number of good reasons of course, many of which also apply to our other fine luthier Sponsors. In no certain order, here are some of the factors that led me to choose Tim and Mary.
- They were probably the first of our lutheirs to believe in this community enough to help support it as a Sponsor, back when such support was critical.
- Tim and Mary's ongoing participation in our forum discussions would no doubt lead many of us to nominate McKnight Guitars as our 10th Anniversary Outstanding Sponsor Award, if we had one.
- As a husband and wife team, each with complimentary duties, they produce some truly outstanding instruments, based on their tone and balance, their wide dynamic range, their fit and finish, their impeccable craftsmanship, their "feel" and their elegantly classy yet understated good looks.
- I had opportunity to play an amazing example of their guitars. This factor loomed large, as I have not played many of our Sponsors' guitars. Among those I have, each was in my final group of possible builders. A recommendation of trusted friends, beautiful web sites and nice recording clips are very helpful of course, but it was important for this newbie to actually get to play at least one good example of a luthier's art. (Here is where I want to give special recognition to Simon Fay and Peter Marreiros of Cornerstone Guitars, both of whom included me in their Road Trip Guitar plans, so I got to try outstanding guitars that these two had built!)
- Tim and Mary have been most gracious in working with me price wise. They know the $5000 limit, plus what I can add, and they've already pledged to help me get a very fine guitar using less expensive materials and techniques. I wish I could publicly recognize other luthier Sponsors who also made some very gracious offers, but I would not want to do anything to hurt their businesses. Just know, friends, that I remain VERY grateful for the kind offers!
Now let me shoot straight with you. Many of you know that I am a Christian minister, one whose primary tool is music in a wide variety of forms. Tim and Mary McKnight are very open with the fact that they, too, are Christians, as are several of our other luthier Sponsors. Early in the process, a wise friend asked me if I were going to consider only Christian builders, or give them some kind of advantage. That's a fair question, one that I want to address.
You'll have to trust me on this: the answer is no. Yes, I appreciate, even admire fellow believers, but as I told the friend who asked, "I'm commissioning a guitar, not buying a Bible." I honestly believe I gave each builder equal opportunity regardless of their religious or political leanings. For most of them, I have no clue what they may or may not believe, or where they might fall on the political spectrum. Further, I believe that Christians should have to compete on a level playing field. Many do. In the past, I've known some in other businesses who could not. I'm glad that the McKnights are believers, but, no, their religious faith was
not a factor in their selection.
I hope my fellow moderators will forgive my brief excursion into a topic we do not discuss on the AGF. If anyone would like to comment on that, please contact me via PM or email. Thanks!
cotten