S. Kinnaird Port Orford/Osage Orange SJ (Video/Final pics added!)

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Once again I second Tom! It looks new and old at the same time. Very Nice!!!
Paul

Originally Posted by Ernesto

I agree, that's a beautiful looking guitar with a somehow modern vintage design, unique. Congrats! Can't wait to see how it looks under finish.

Paul, Ernesto, thanks for the kind words. The older styles still captivate me and I feel there is much room there to explore. Glad you like it.

Originally Posted by Kenneth Casper

Steve and Ryan, Nice job with that cutaway. I can only imagine the 'oh ...' moment when Jamie pointed out the cutawayless profile of that guitar. But hey, you don't need a cutaway caul for the top and back when you build cutaways that way Great recovery though, guys! Looks great.

Ken

Thanks Ken. You, as a luthier, are in a position to grasp the depth of such feelings!
I really can't speak highly enough of the benefits of a two-man shop. Ryan and I were able to talk through the process, and then work together for the desired outcome. It was a godsend in every sense of the word.

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Schweeet!

The marquetry and rosette compliment each other nicely. Very nice!

Cutaway looks like it was meant to be there.

Thank you Dennis, and yes, the cutaway WAS meant to be there!

Steve

[Kenneth Casper]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

I really can't speak highly enough of the benefits of a two-man shop. Ryan and I were able to talk through the process, and then work together for the desired outcome. It was a godsend in every sense of the word.

Steve, there are days I'd like to have a second head to bounce ideas off of. As a one man shop, I have to just let the thought rattle around inside my noggin' until I sort things out. Again, well done guys! That guitar is looking great!

Ken

[nacluth]

Here's a couple more shots of Jamie's guitar before Thanksgiving. His body is now in the full finish process and will hopefully be done and cured before Christmas.

Fitting the truss rod into the neck.




Then once the fretboard is glued on, we fit the neck to the body to make sure we didn't build the guitar backwards.




Starting to look like a guitar. Guatemalan Rosewood bridge in place along with a Desert Ironwood fretboard.




From the backside, a glimpse at the Osage Orange with some more OO in the neck.




Happy Holidays everyone! Catch you later after I roll out of my turkey-filled stupor. Actually I'm off to Chicago, so probably a pizza/Chicago dog/turkey-filled stupor.

[TomB'sox]

Build the guitar backwards???? Come on that is about as possible as say what, adding a cutout after the body is bound and purfled????

[Guitars44me]

What a beauty! I really dig the Osage Orange 🍊 And the rope purfling, and the whole enchilada! Orange Enchilada???

Wow!

Happy thanksgiving to all

Paul

[cigarfan]

What a beaut! You all have a way with wood.

Congrats Jamie! Looks like your Christmas is going to be really special!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by nacluth

Happy Holidays everyone! Catch you later after I roll out of my turkey-filled stupor. Actually I'm off to Chicago, so probably a pizza/Chicago dog/turkey-filled stupor.

Add some Krispy Kremes to that and you'll have a stupor worthy of a marathoner. Hope you guys have a great time!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Build the guitar backwards???? Come on that is about as possible as say what, adding a cutout after the body is bound and purfled????

Tom, my nephew had a logical take on our faux pas--which I appreciated. He said, "Why else do they call them cutaways?" I'll consult with him about backwards lutherie.

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

What a beauty! I really dig the Osage Orange 🍊 And the rope purfling, and the whole enchilada! Orange Enchilada???
Wow!
Happy thanksgiving to all
Paul

Thank you Paul, and a happy Thanksgiving to you!

Originally Posted by cigarfan

What a beaut! You all have a way with wood.
Congrats Jamie! Looks like your Christmas is going to be really special!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

And thank you, Dennis. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

[Jamiejoon]

Originally Posted by cigarfan

What a beaut! You all have a way with wood.

Congrats Jamie! Looks like your Christmas is going to be really special!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanks Dennis! I am super excited to get this guitar in my hands. I think it will look terrific under finish, and I have high hopes for it as an instrument of divine intervention. Happy Thanksgiving!

[jseth]

Originally Posted by Jamiejoon

Since I have grown very attached to this guitar already, I was glad I was not there in person for the surgery. Steve and Ryan, performing daredevil feats of luthiery without a net! Someday perhaps all cutaways will be done this way?

I have to say, Steve and Ryan were super cool and good-natured about the whole process, taking it as a challenge. Which they aced.

Loved this section of your build, Jaime... reminded me of Mark Angus when he built my #35 in 1979... We had settled on the wood sets for the back, sides and top and he had the whole thing together and first coat of lacquer on it; built with a "Spanish Heel", the neck was on the guitar also... and I happened to drop by his shop and saw it...

I was happy to see the guitar taking such lovely shape, and then I said... "Mark? What about the cutaway?".

He turned to me and said, "I'm about to do it on the band saw. Want to stay and watch?"

I left his shop VERY quickly, but was thrilled when I saw the end result... and I still am thrilled by that guitar, 40 years on...

Enjoy yours!!! Looks like it will be a stunner... and Port Orford is my latest "favorite" top wood; I would bet that your guitar is going to sound AMAZING!

[Jamiejoon]

Jseth, what a beautiful guitar, and yes I would have fled the shop quickly as well!! I take it yours was an accidental innovation also?

[Kenneth Casper]

Hey Jamie, you are getting close!

[memphis1]

I love the shape of this guitar! It looks perfectly proportional!

[Ukulele_Eddie]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Thanks fellas, first off for not laughing at us too loudly, and then for your kind words. This wasn't quite as difficult as plumbing a house after the sheet rock is hung, but it was difficult enough. Like Ryan said, our plan is to do all future cutaways at the easy stage.

Such experiences lead to questions, such as mine, "How did Ryan miss this?" And Ryan's question, "How did Steve miss this?" Ryan's is the operative question, believe me.

The architect John Pawson claims that an object has reached perfection when it can no longer be improved by subtraction. If that be true, then Jamie's guitar is as perfect as we plan on making it, cuz we're not subtracting anything else!

Thanks for watching,

Steve

Someday you may have a nightmare where you perform another flawless cutawectomy and then realize during your sigh of a relief that it's a left-handed guitar. Doh! Enter the new, double cutawectomy!

Love you sharing so many details of the process. Your level of craftsmanship is impressive and your humility humbling. Keep making sawdust with zeal!

And look forward to hearing this when done.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Casper

Hey Jamie, you are getting close!

Indeed he is, but this baby will have the honor of being first one born in 2020.

Originally Posted by memphis1

I love the shape of this guitar! It looks perfectly proportional!

Thank you, memphis1. What a kind thing to say!

Originally Posted by Ukulele_Eddie

Someday you may have a nightmare where you perform another flawless cutawectomy and then realize during your sigh of a relief that it's a left-handed guitar. Doh! Enter the new, double cutawectomy!

Love you sharing so many details of the process. Your level of craftsmanship is impressive and your humility humbling. Keep making sawdust with zeal!

And look forward to hearing this when done.

You know, Jamie and I were joking about this, and then he told me that he IS left-handed. The color drained from my cheeks almost immediately. Then after a pause he revealed, however, that he plays right-handed.
Danny Glover may have said it best when he opined, "I'm too old for this."

Thanks guys,

Steve