Project McKnight - Adirondack/African Blackwood/SDG Cutaway

[YhnoLh]

I had just made decision to build a guitar for tone in my brain. After discussing with Tim McKnight of all specs in details, we finalized with an deep SDG body with Venetian cutaway, which looks very close to a guitar of my dream - comfortable size to play & elegant looking

No need to mention that Tim and Mary are such kind and helpful people and you will love the experience to build a McKnight guitar with them!

Here comes the specs:

SDG (Soli Deo Gloria, looks like a smaller Dreadnought or a little bit smaller GA with wider waist)
Deep body (4-3/4'')
Venetian cutaway
Adirondack Spruce top + African Blackwood B&S
Koa binding for body & fretboard
Ebony fretboard, bridge & bridge pins
ABW peghead front & back
Honduran mahogany neck
1-3/4'' nut, 2-1/4'' saddle
25.4'' scale length, 14 frets to body

Uploading photos to picasa... Will post them when finished.
Almost 130 pics in 4 days. I was flooded. GOOD JOB Mary LOL

[YhnoLh]

Top and back sets. More to go.

[Rixter]

Great looking set of African Blackwood with Sap! I personally really like the look of Sapwood on a guitar Back and yours looks splendid! The adi top looks great too! That wood combo in the hands of the Mcknights is going to really look and sound phenomenal! 130 pics in 4 days that's incredible!

[Mary]

I tend to share much of the experience from my end. I will try not to drown you in pictures.

[JonBarclay]

Originally Posted by Mary

I tend to share much of the experience from my end. I will try not to drown you in pictures.

Mary, I hope I speak for everyone here when I say: drown away!

Jon

[YhnoLh]

Originally Posted by Rixter

Great looking set of African Blackwood with Sap! I personally really like the look of Sapwood on a guitar Back and yours looks splendid! The adi top looks great too! That wood combo in the hands of the Mcknights is going to really look and sound phenomenal! 130 pics in 4 days that's incredible!

I Agree The sapwood is simply remarkable and I made decision to use this set immediately when I captured it from all ABW pics Tim sent me.
130 pics in 4 days... Now it's 130 pics in 5 days, Mary took a day off. :P

[YhnoLh]

Originally Posted by Mary

I tend to share much of the experience from my end. I will try not to drown you in pictures.

Please, keep sending me those exciting pics! I cannot be drowned, I've learned how to dive

[YhnoLh]

OK, here comes the exciting part

Binding materials that Mary sent to let me choose from.


Double side - ABW and what? Tim, Mary, can you figure this out, the inner side?


Tim was cutting back.


Cutting side.


Peghead front & back, ABW

[YhnoLh]

Back after sanding.


Adrianne is there


Side shaping is completed.


"Tim works right along and ignore the lady with the camera who is following him around." copied from Mary's comment on this pic


Back bracing.

[YhnoLh]

Mary is doing rosette design, koa + spalted maple mosaic.


Pretty rough... But it looked better a day later.


ABW side w/ cutaway


Glue is applied on both inner and outer side.


Then stick together.

[YhnoLh]

Mary said she helped with this part


Sanding the double sides to proper width.


Roughly the SDG shape is there.


Sanding...


Seperated sides are glued together.

[YhnoLh]

Adrianne again! She was doing with her 2nd guitar





Adrianne is always there :P


Lining on sides


Like a sun!

[YhnoLh]

Now you can see what the rosette looked like.


Snow around the Sun?

[fitness1]

Wow - someone's been hard at work!!!

Another great creation!

[ToneSlinger]

Interested to hear about the decision tree used to arrive at that wood combination.

Cool thread, cool guitar. Sorry to say I've never had the pleasure of playing a McKnight.