The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #151  
Old 06-12-2022, 05:26 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Thank you Joel…I suspect that you are 100% correct…

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel Teel View Post
I’m sure Steve and Ryan really hate this development
Congratulations on this beautiful guitar!!!
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #152  
Old 08-09-2022, 05:39 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default Steve & Ryan made a short video

Steve and Ryan have been busy between building classes, delivering customer’s guitars and a some long overdue vacation. Steve and Ryan kindly made this short video when he was jetlagged upon returning from Scotland last month.

Steve’s subtle sense of humor is front and center with his choice of the first three chords that he chose to play (Dm7, G7 and C Maj 7…). I should be able to take receipt of this instrument in a few weeks when I return home.

__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…

Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 08-10-2022 at 05:02 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #153  
Old 08-21-2022, 06:38 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

While Steve and Ryan completed my guitar in early June 2022, between my travel schedule and the beastly hot summer weather it has remained in Steve’s shop all this time. That is about to change. I am expecting a NGD on Thursday if the shipping Gods are with us…
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #154  
Old 08-25-2022, 10:30 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default NGD - Arrived Safe & Sound

My 000 12-fret from Steve Kinnaird arrived today. I was able to unbox it and tune it up but was only able to play it for a few minutes and shoot a few shots for insurance reasons during a break between meetings this morning. The guitar looks GREAT, plays easily (neck and action) and my 3-minute initial impression was it sounds good to boot. Let me play it a bit and more on that perhaps this weekend.

I have to complement Steve and Ryan on their packing job. It was totally secure yet easy to unbox with inflatable, end cushions, a corrugate mid-brace, and an open cell foam outer end padding. I have seen many methods of packing a guitar for shipment and this was about the best that I have seen (kudos).

Due to the density of the back and side wood, this is a heavy guitar (4 lb. 10 oz). Macassar Ebony is one of the densest hardwoods overlapping African Blackwood. I took a few photos out back of the guitar that begin to show the figure of the Macassar Ebony in sunlight that was missed in Ryan’s studio shots. The fit and finish is of a very high caliber.

I will share my playing impressions after I get to know it a bit.







__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #155  
Old 08-25-2022, 12:05 PM
dcn's Avatar
dcn dcn is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 653
Default

Beautiful! What a terrific NGD : )

Love those tuners, so so elegant.
__________________
Some tunes can be found here
Reply With Quote
  #156  
Old 08-25-2022, 02:15 PM
NTS NTS is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 133
Default

Beautiful guitar. I bet it will bring many smiles to your face. Congratulations to you.
Reply With Quote
  #157  
Old 08-25-2022, 05:04 PM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

Thanks for the kind words, guys. This guitar was a joy to build, and Bob was a delight to work with. And I agree—those tuners are special.

Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
  #158  
Old 08-25-2022, 06:27 PM
theEdwinson's Avatar
theEdwinson theEdwinson is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Fairhope, AL
Posts: 1,653
Default

I love everything about this Macassar/Adi guitar. It's the most graceful and sleek 000-size guitar I've ever seen. The Venetian cutaway has beautiful lines. The woods are put together with perfect visual harmony. The headstock shape and the bridge shape echo each other. The Rosette is perfect. The cross-grain Zebra purflings are a master touch- I've used this theme multiple times too, and certainly will again- even though those purfling pieces take a lot of care and attention to make. The Macassar Ebony has gorgeous (and increasingly rare) figure. The sapwood center sets off the landscape figure with balance and symmetry. The Adi top has an ivory sheen, with medullary rays for days! Every aspect of this guitar is pure elegance.

Well done, guys... Another tour de force of modern lutherie!
__________________
Edwinson
Reply With Quote
  #159  
Old 08-27-2022, 11:22 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default Initial Impressions

I was able to spend four 45-minute audition sessions with Steve (and Ryan’s) guitar over the last two days. I now can shared my initial playing impressions.

I had auditioned some of Steve and Ryan’s guitars first at Woodstock in 2017 (OM, SJ, CS and 00) and more recently at the Artisan Guitar Show in 2022 (CS and Parlor) so I knew their general timbre, but never their 000 12-fret nor many guitars made using Macassar Ebony.

Look

The guitar is simply stunning in person…

The medullary in the Adirondack top is about as good as I have seen and the striped figure in the Macassar Ebony and Zebrawood purflings are absolutely stunning. The black inlay on the Rodgers tuner plates ties in to the dark Ebony bindings and overlays. Honestly, the photos don’t fully capture it.





Feel

A 000 12-fret with a cutaway and a long scale is about the perfect playing size for me. Steve’s decision to use a satin nitro finish on the neck feels great to the touch (not sticky) and his C-profile with a bit of shoulder feels right at home with my left hand. The Rodgers tuners were installed perfectly and present no backlash. The guitar’s set up and relief make it very easy to play. The guitar is balanced when played seated. It is a heavy guitar (4 lb. 10 oz.) due to the choice of back and side woods (Macassar Ebony is very dense like African Blackwood even when thinned) and neck construction (5-piece with two Ebony stringers). This does not bother me in the least as I play seated. Instrument balance is what is important when playing seated.

Timbre

The extra body volume and power afforded with a long scale 000 12-fret over an OM provides a bit more bass response and a midrange roundness to the general timbre of the guitar. The guitar is dynamic and responsive to touch. I have a fairly light touch so I can’t really speak to its headroom or projection. It provides balanced response across the strings from E to E and is not a bit “plinky” even in the upper registers beyond the 12th fret. The trebles have a round fullness to them that I like.

I really had very little experience playing Macassar Ebony guitars prior to this one. I relied on Steve’s interpretation of my sonic goals. It does not really sound like either a rosewood (e.g., bloom, sustain, overtones) nor mahogany (e.g., fast attack, fundamental, less sustain overtones). It presents a clarity, but it does sustain and provide some addition of supportive overtones. It leans towards rosewood in terms of presenting some sustain and overtones to color its timbre. The bass is tight, clear and round and without the euphonic rosewood rumble. For my style of play where I am play a lot of three and four note chords it is a very nice choice presenting each note nicely.

Overall, I am delighted with the instrument. Kudos to Steve and Ryan…
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #160  
Old 08-27-2022, 12:17 PM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

Many thanks for the kind review, Bob. Building for someone else’s ears is a challenge for sure. Your review makes it sound like we at least got close, for which there is an audible *whew* from deep East Texas!
Play this baby in good health!

Thanks,

Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
  #161  
Old 08-27-2022, 12:47 PM
boombox boombox is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,204
Default

The wood on the back and sides is simply stunning, especially when photographed ina natural environment, and I agree with previous comments re the cutaway - just elegance!! I have owned one of his FS models for just over a year, and agree wholeheartedly on the neck profile of Stephen's guitars (the "C-profile with a bit of shoulder") - the man really does know how to craft something which just fits your hand.

Many congrats.
Reply With Quote
  #162  
Old 08-27-2022, 04:17 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is online now
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dcn View Post
Beautiful! What a terrific NGD : )

Love those tuners, so so elegant.
Yeah, they are stunners. Steve did a great job on the installation using the acetal bushings. They operate with no perceivable backlash.

Quote:
Originally Posted by NTS View Post
Beautiful guitar. I bet it will bring many smiles to your face. Congratulations to you.


Quote:
Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
I love everything about this Macassar/Adi guitar. It's the most graceful and sleek 000-size guitar I've ever seen. The Venetian cutaway has beautiful lines. The woods are put together with perfect visual harmony. The headstock shape and the bridge shape echo each other. The Rosette is perfect. The cross-grain Zebra purflings are a master touch- I've used this theme multiple times too, and certainly will again- even though those purfling pieces take a lot of care and attention to make. The Macassar Ebony has gorgeous (and increasingly rare) figure. The sapwood center sets off the landscape figure with balance and symmetry. The Adi top has an ivory sheen, with medullary rays for days! Every aspect of this guitar is pure elegance.

Well done, guys... Another tour de force of modern lutherie!
Thanks Steve S. (Most of the credit goes to Steve K)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird View Post
Many thanks for the kind review, Bob. Building for someone else’s ears is a challenge for sure. Your review makes it sound like we at least got close, for which there is an audible *whew* from deep East Texas!
Play this baby in good health!

Thanks,

Steve
No *whew* was ever necessary. You build fine guitars…

Quote:
Originally Posted by boombox View Post
The wood on the back and sides is simply stunning, especially when photographed ina natural environment, and I agree with previous comments re the cutaway - just elegance!! I have owned one of his FS models for just over a year, and agree wholeheartedly on the neck profile of Stephen's guitars (the "C-profile with a bit of shoulder") - the man really does know how to craft something which just fits your hand.

Many congrats.
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #163  
Old 08-28-2022, 02:39 PM
BrunoBlack's Avatar
BrunoBlack BrunoBlack is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New England
Posts: 10,483
Default

What a wonderful guitar! Pure masterpiece. Congratulations to all.
Reply With Quote
  #164  
Old 08-28-2022, 08:03 PM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
I love everything about this Macassar/Adi guitar. It's the most graceful and sleek 000-size guitar I've ever seen…
Well done, guys... Another tour de force of modern lutherie!
Wow, thanks Steve! It’s always nice to get some “atta-boys” from your peers, but you’ve got me blushing now.
So kind of you, thanks mate!
Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
  #165  
Old 08-28-2022, 08:06 PM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by boombox View Post
The wood on the back and sides is simply stunning, especially when photographed ina natural environment, and I agree with previous comments re the cutaway - just elegance!! I have owned one of his FS models for just over a year, and agree wholeheartedly on the neck profile of Stephen's guitars (the "C-profile with a bit of shoulder") - the man really does know how to craft something which just fits your hand.

Many congrats.
Boom! Good to hear from you, and thanks for visiting the post.
Also, many thanks for the kind words. I hope your FS is behaving itself.

Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:50 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=