Looking Forward to Healdsburg 2011 -- McKnight Guitar Build

[Playn4thedog]

When you do a hollow back (is that the same as a double back) with the two types of wood will it exhibit the qualities of both or only the inside wood?

[Mary]

I'm not gonna hi-jack Billy Boy's thread, but that unsightly look on Tim's face is one I am given all too often.

And, yes, I still love him tremendously.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Playn4thedog

When you do a hollow back (is that the same as a double back) with the two types of wood will it exhibit the qualities of both or only the inside wood?

No it is not the same as a double back where two plies are laminated together or conjoined with some center medium. Our "Hollow Back" design has the inner back separated from the outer back, by an air space, so the player will only hear the tone imparted by the inner vibrating back plate. The outer back plate is purely for aesthetic & structural purposes only.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Kurt

I've seen firsthand the original bird's-eye maple guitar pictured, and I've seen the related bird's-eye maple pieces you're using for your guitar, Billy Boy. Yes, Madi is a pretty wood, but it wouldn't hold a candle to that particular maple (not that you'd want to hold a candle to a guitar, anyway, but I digress...). It will make a spectacular body and side for the guitar!

Still, the rosewood inside ought to be a marvelous complement to the redwood. Most excellent choices!

Btw, Tim, that "pretty ugly face" you're making in the one picture reminds me a lot of your expression after you jacked your tee shot into the fescue rough on the third hole a few weeks back...

(then again, I spent a good share of my time in the rough, too!)

Hey now, I [RESEMBLE] that statement.

[Billy Boy]

Hello! I just returned from my honeymoon, and Mary had some photos ready for Elaine and I to share upon our return. We spent a wonderful week at the Oregon Coast, we're glad to have given ourselves a day back at home before the work week begins, and we are very happy to have some photos of our guitar's progress to share with you.

Tim has been very busy. As I understand it, he is working on four guitars that will be picked up at Healdsburg 2011, and Mary has introduced the four of us via e-mail. It is so much fun to share our excitement together, and I can't wait 'til Healdsburg to meet the others.

Tim has been working on the sides and the inner (hollow) back of Elaine's and my guitar, so we have a few pictures of that process to share with you. We hope you enjoy them.

Here's Tim beginning to prepare the quilted birds-eye maple sides.



Tim is tracing one of the sides to prepare for cutting out the side in his jig saw.



Cutting out one of the quilted birds-eye maple sides.



Cutting out one of the madagascar rosewood sides; Tim is using double sides -- madagascar rosewood for the inner and the quilted birds-eye maple for the outer. We've chosen Tim's hollow back design, so this will also occur on the back of the guitar.



Maple through the sander. I understand the wood goes through the sander a number of times until it's exactly the thickness Tim is looking for.



And the rosewood through the sander.



Lining the woods up to check for the waist measurement. Boy, they sure look pretty together!



Misting the maple in preparation for sandwiching with the rosewood and placing into the bender.



Misting the rosewood.



Placing side on a heat blanket.

[Billy Boy]

Here's a few more pictures...

Placing one of the sides into the bender.



Adding the waist block.



Slowly tightening the waist clamp.



Placing clips so the woods are stabilized during the bending process.



Slowly applying the clamp to bend the side.



The wood is relaxing as it is slowly clamped into the bender.



The sides in the benders.



Nice view of the venetian cutaway in the bender.



Madagascar rosewood back in clamps.

[Billy Boy]

...and the last couple of photos for this time around...

Madagascar rosewood to be used for the hollow back design. It's too pretty to place inside our guitar. Oh, well, we'll be able to see it through the sound hole.



And, the quilted birds-eye maple back.



As you can see, Tim has been very busy. He works on his Healdsburg sister guitars in between others he's also working on. It's wonderful that Tim and Mary take pictures of the process for each guitar they build. Elaine and I plan to select among the photos Mary sends us and create a coffee table book of our build.

I hope I've captured everything correctly. Tim may elaborate on any of the pictures for further clarification.

Have a great day! And, yes, we truly cannot wait for Healdsburg 2011!

[Mary]

It's fun to see the guitar being built even though I was there the first time.

[Neil K Walk]

Congratulations all around Billyboy:

1: for commissioning a build with Tim and Mary
2: for getting married, and
3: choosing a partner who shares your passions.

Some of us should be so lucky, but alas my wife is but another guitar widow!

Seriously though, I'm watching this build with great interest not only because your guitar is sure to be a beauty but because Tim and Mary and wonderful people, good friends and an inspiration to several of us who have begun attempting to build our own guitars. I'm taking notes because Tim literally has the process down to a science.

BTW, I've had the good fortune to play a rather modest selection of McKnights and you're going to be blown away!

PS: I'm curious to see the rosette being laid out. Usually the visual design is Mary's contribution and Tim's the guy who makes it a reality.

[Mary]

Bless your heart, Neil. Thank you for the kind words.

Billy Boy saw a pretty guitar in Healdsburg a year ago that he loved. I got to design that one myself.

In this case, he made decisions on his own guitar with very little help from me.

Keep your eyes open. The pictures he's sharing are telling the completed story.

[Billy Boy]

Hello! Well, Tim has been very busy lately, and I received some more wonderful pictures from Mary of my guitar build.

As we saw above, the sides had gone through the bender. Now, Tim prepares the double sides which is an essential part of his build. The madagascar rosewood will be on the inside and the quilted birds-eye maple will be on the outside. The double sides adds support and rigidity for the back and top.

And so, to a few pictures.

Here's a set of sides matched and ready to be put together.



Tim applies the epoxy to both of the sides.





The epoxied sides are placed in the form to become one.





And are clamped in.



And, the two become one.

[Billy Boy]

...to continue with a few more pictures...

Once out of the form, the sides are sanded to get rid of the excess epoxy. You can see the difference here between what has been sanded and what has yet to be sanded.



When the sides are initially cut, they are cut with some excess and it's during this part of the process that they are trimmed to exact measurements.



The neck block and the cutaway are aligned perfectly.





The tail block is put in place.



And the guitar box is closed up and clamped.



Now, this is what I call the perfect frame.



Thanks for looking through these pictures. I really appreciate Mary's willingness to document Tim's builds so thoroughly. I will definitely have a coffee table book put together when all is said and done.

Have a super day!

[Neil K Walk]

Interesting stuff. I only hope it gets as easy for me as it seems to for Tim. Of course, I'm wondering how he got Mary to sign on to this venture!

I know my own wife wasn't very excited when I said "hey honey, guess what? I'm gonna start building guitars!" Hopefully she'll come around, but I have a feeling that she'd rather I improved my cooking skills first!

[jeastman]

Alright, I knew I added Tim in my list on the "if you had $50k to build your arsenal" thread for a reason.



This thing blows me away it's so beautiful. And this type of burst with just a real fine dark edge nails it for my taste. I've never been a fan of the real heavy bursts.

So Tim, when my business sells and you get an email from me, don't worry about a reply, send me one just like this

[Mary]

Jeastman, it is a very pretty guitar. I love that wood. It sure compliments a light burst. Ya just wanna touch it. Don't ya?


Neil, it works out well for us. Maybe I will need to talk to your sweetie.