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#91
10-01-2020, 02:33 PM
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That’s a fine looking guitar.
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Kinnaird Guitars 
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#92
10-01-2020, 03:03 PM
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 . Give John a call and drive down to Franklin to see his CNC operation...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#93
10-01-2020, 08:13 PM
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Hoping you won't mind if we pile on--that's a lovely thing Bob!
Steve
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#94
10-02-2020, 05:41 AM
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. I hope to place it in your capable hands someday when the world returns to "normal"....
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#95
10-03-2020, 08:53 AM
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Initial Impressions
I finally got to spend a few hours auditioning John’s Monarch archtop last night and some this morning and I am happy to report that it is a magnificent guitar. I was able to A/B it against my two archtops by Bill Comins and Bryant Trenier. Because string differences, it was difficult to make objective comparisons at this point.
The guitar arrived with a hybrid set of strings comprised of Elixir Electric Nickel Nanoweb .012”-.052” but he swapped out the high E and the B with TI BeBop .013” and .017”. I usually play with TI Bebop .013s or when strung with acoustic strings PB, 80/20 or Monel strings depending on the instrument. I will need to experiment with strings over the next month or so. This instrument has a 25.0” (635 mm) scale length, 1.75” (44.5 mm) nut width and wider 2.31” (58.7 mm) string spacing to make playing with my fingers a bit easier.  Acoustic As a home hobbyist player, I play 80% of the time unplugged and 20% amplified. John designed this instrument for this purpose. The tapered 2.75” (69.9 mm) to 3.5” (88.9 mm) deep rims were used to increase the body volume of a ergonomically comfortable 16” (406 mm) body. This results in the body volume of a constant rimmed 3-1/8” (79.4 mm) deep guitar. My initial impression is that the guitar is responsive to touch; meaning it retains its voice with a light touch and as it gives more volume delivering the same timbre. It is balanced across the strings, great string to string separation and has a strong voice in all registers. For an archtop it has some nice sustain and additive overtones to add some warmth and complexity to its voice. The overall timbre is wonderful as a solo acoustic instrument that has clarity, warmth with trebles with weight and authority. I need to still try it with acoustic strings, but I am impressed!  Electric The guitar has a low-wind floating humbucker made for him by Kent Armstrong. This pickup has twin blade pole pieces instead of individual pole pieces. This allows one to vary the string spacing when making a guitar. John placed hidden volume and tone pots under the finger rest. What he did that I like is he positioned the volume pot towards the bridge and the tone pot towards the neck. I like this because I adjust volume many times more than I adjust tone. Another nice detail is John does not route his pickup/pot wiring through the f-hole but has a discrete hole located near the finger rest mount. As for electric tone, I plugged the guitar in to my Acoustic Image Clarus 2R Series III head with my Buscarino Chameleon 8” speaker set on electric mode (high frequency driver off). Plugged in the guitars voice is clear and warm. I would place it in between the KA 6-pole piece single coil and the KA 12-pole piece humbucker. Unlike the KA single coil, it is dead quiet (it’s a HB after all). It has less midrange forwardness than the KA 12-pole piece HB. So it has a slightly warm, yet clear tone. Perfect for solo jazz guitar. I still need to try it with my Evans RE200 combo and Redplate RP40 combo to see how it performs. 
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#97
10-04-2020, 05:52 AM
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#98
10-04-2020, 09:20 PM
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Congratulations Bob. This is a beautiful instrument. Also, I appreciate you turning me in to John B. I am enjoying my Cabaret.
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Multiple guitars including a 1979 Fender that needs a neck re-set
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#99
10-05-2020, 04:00 AM
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. I am glad to hear that you have bonded with your Cabaret (I know that I love mine as well).
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#100
10-07-2020, 02:04 PM
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Wow, just wow. Congrats!
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#101
10-07-2020, 02:10 PM
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Quote:
)
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#102
10-08-2020, 04:20 PM
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Wow
Absolutely top shelf classy in all categories. You must be thrilled! I am wondering though, how you were able to go to work that first day? Of course most of us must work to pay for the instruments, but I really would've had a hard time not calling in ill!
Congratulations and salutations! Paul
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4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro 96 422ce bought new! 96 LKSM 12 552ce 12x12 J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut More Last edited by Guitars44me; 10-08-2020 at 04:51 PM.
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#103
10-08-2020, 06:43 PM
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Quote:
. Yes, I am delighted with the guitar. I still need to explore strings to understand how it truly shines acoustically. Either I love my job or it was a total sh*tstorm of a day to keep my focus?
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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