New McKnight Gearhead version 2

[Mary]

Today we will see the side sound port! It begins with the customer making the decision of 1, 2 or 3. We agree that the three will match the quirkiness of the gears on the front.

















This picture is by far my favorite. I stayed out of the luthier's way to grab this picture. I smiled. Tim thought I was up to something. Go figure!

[Neil K Walk]

OT: I'm always inspired at the patience that Tim exhibits doing things that would have me grinding my teeth.

That being said, this is one of the things that I find most endearing about custom builds: the attention to detail as well as the details themselves. While I'm not particularly a fan of decoration for decoration's sake I do "get" the thinking behind the theme and if you know Tim, you know that the gears in his head are always turning.

My only gripe is that as a player I find that sometimes too much inlay confuses me and I can't find where there 5th fret is. I'm also somewhat of a minimalist and would love to see a version where more traditional fretboard dots were replaced by little gears. As a tooth grinder (yes, I really need to see the dentist!) I know how frustrating that would be but there's something to be said about ingenuity and a little saw dust and some CA glue.

[Mary]

Hi, Neil.
This is playable art. Other custom orders have come in so you will see near future guitars showing different personalities.

[Mary]

Spray day is always a pleasant sight. It is the day that makes the colors start popping. The wood looks nourished, more dressed and ready to be seen.

[Mary]

Tim re-sands everything sprays again. I'd show you to drop fill process but all drops drip and look alike after while and I want you to stay awake. Your loved ones already think you spend to much time on the AGF.

Check these few picture out as the McKnight Gear Gone Wild takes a few of "almost" last steps to relax in the humidity controlled wood room.


Today is December 30, 2021. In a few days we will quite possible be asleep before the ball drops. I probably won't get another chance to comment on this subject so from Tim and Mary McKnight, McKnight Guitars, (Ohio) we want to wish all of you on the AGF a safe, healthy and wonderful New year.

Thanks for watching us do our thing in the guitar world. We are very grateful you are a part of the McKnight guitar family.

Bob Singer, Doc and Caitlyn - in the case of this guitar, which will be completed in the near future, thank you for the fun we had to create this one of a kind little far fetched project. We look forward to the videos and hope you might take it a bit further to make many of us laugh by putting on your McKnight guitar sun glasses for the performances!

[jaymarsch]

Always fun to see what Tim and Mary are up to when it comes to building fun and fabulous guitars. How exciting for you! I look forward to hearing more when you get your hands and ears on it. :-)
Best,
Jayne

[Tnfiddler]

I very seldom comment on any custom builds, but that is WOWZER!! Congrats on what’s going to be an AMAZING guitar!!

[Mary]

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

I very seldom comment on any custom builds, but that is WOWZER!! Congrats on what’s going to be an AMAZING guitar!!

Maybe sometime when you feel the need to take a drive you should c'mon over for the fun of it to see what you might see. Call it a vacation time.


and ...
Thanks, Jane! Hope to see you in April.

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by jaymarsch

Always fun to see what Tim and Mary are up to when it comes to building fun and fabulous guitars. How exciting for you! I look forward to hearing more when you get your hands and ears on it. :-)
Best,
Jayne

Hi Jayne,
This has been a fun project for us and it should be coming to fruition in the next couple of months. I am spraying final coats of finish this week.

Originally Posted by Tnfiddler

I very seldom comment on any custom builds, but that is WOWZER!! Congrats on what’s going to be an AMAZING guitar!!

Thanks Fiddler. The woods they chose really come together in an aesthetically pleasing way. I can't wait until its all sanded and buffed to really showcase the wonderful beauty of all the woods.

[Mary]

FYI:
Weather will play havoc on your guitar fretboard. Do yourself a favor and don't skip using Tim's fretboard balm treatment during indoor dry air. Orders have been coming in. Be alert to the calling out of your guitar in younger years and as she ages you both will be grateful to your great parenting skills to keep her healthy.

[Tim McKnight]

Doc is traveling so we are posting a few progress pics for him. The guitar finish was sprayed 3 weeks ago so we started the buffing and set up process over the weekend.


After dry sanding with 600 and 800 grit to level the finish completely flat and proceeding to wet sanding with 1000, 1500 and 2000 grit abrasives only then can the buffing process begin. It is a 3 step process using medium, fine and very fine dry abrasive compounds to bring up the mirror like gloss that so many players appreciate.










After buffing we bolt and glue the neck to the body:





Both the neck and bridge must be glued to bare wood so before the body was sprayed we masked those areas off using .001" thick Frisket masking film. Here I am removing the film from the bridge area:





After I remove that film I like to measure the thickness of it. Here you can see it measures .0025" thick. The Frisket film is .001" thick so this leaves a final measurement of the top's finish at .0015" thick. My target thickness range of my finishes is .0015" - .0025". To put these measurements into context a sheet of printer paper is .004" - .007" thick so Doc's finish is less than 1/2 the thickness of a sheet of printer paper. Most factory guitar finishes are in the vicinity of .010" to as much as .020" thick. A heavy and thick finish is an enemy of vibrational energy, tone, volume and responsiveness.

[Tim McKnight]

Its time to stick the bridge down:

[Tim McKnight]

Bridge work commences after the HHG dried overnight. Drilling pin holes through the top and bridge plate:





Sawing and filing slots and ramps for the strings:







Then a spa treatment using a liberal application of our Fretboard Revival Lustrous Conditioning Balm:

[Tim McKnight]

Pins are drilled:





Padauk dots inserted:







Dots glued:






Pins numberds:





Ends beveled:




And holes taper reamed for each individual pin:

[Steve Kinnaird]

Guys, that is so handsome!!