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

[David Wren]

What a gorgeous instrument Steve ... love it all ... and that end graft ... wow!

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by nacluth

Time for a video. Hope you enjoy.

Awesome sounding and looking guitar Steve. Is this your first OO guitar? What is your opinion of the tonal qualities of the wood? Personally I put it up there with some of the best rosewoods out there.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Jamiejoon

Normally I try to withhold judgement of a new guitar, knowing that it is likely to go through a number of changes as it gets played in.

Nonetheless, I thought I would share my initial impressions of my new Steve Kinnaird Osage Orange 12 fret SJ, which I have named Bodark, because it's AWESOME. Loud but not brash and with some nice complexity already; clear but not too bright (harsh); very well-balanced; terrific tone all the way up the neck to 14; excellent bass.

If I have any critiques, it is that the lowest notes on the 5th and 6th strings are not quite as clear as some of my other guitars, BUT 1) I expect that is because of the stiffness of the Port Orford top which should change a bunch over time, and 2) everything about the tone of this guitar, including the slight "softness" in the bass notes, is super enjoyable. I think the mark of a great guitar is that you want to play it all the time, and this one has it. Obviously there is a huge subjective component to that, but I reckon most folks would love to play this guitar. It feels REALLY good to play, and it is basically the only guitar I am playing these days. The Kinnaird family has done it again. I have two of John's guitars and one of Steve's, and they are each unique and (to me) outstanding. This Bodark is different than most of my other guitars, and it is without question a keeper. Nice balance between vintage and modern sound, perhaps slightly biased toward the vintage side. And yes, as far as I can tell, other things being equal, Osage Orange does have a rosewood vibe to it. Steve can opine far more intelligently than me on that point (and anything else guitar-related).

In conclusion, I declare this experiment - Osage Orange and Port Orford Cedar - a great success. And, I expect it to get better and better, as I have observed changes (all positive!) each day that I have managed to play it 1-2 hours. And those of you who have worked with Steve and Ryan on a custom build can attest that they are fantastic to work with - kind, funny, patient, creative, and attentive to details. You will not be disappointed if you work with them.

First, let me say a sincere word of thanks, Jamie. Also, let me exhale deeply. Most guitar makers, after shipping a guitar off to its new home, spend a fair amount of time on pins and needles. (They really don't tell you this is going to happen, in the manuals.) And Bodark was just far enough "out there" that we wondered how you would like it. So it is gratifying to us that you are pleased!
And thank you for being such a fun customer to work with--this was a ball.

Like I mentioned in an email, the consistently stiffest of the conifers in our shop is Port Orford. It was a pleasant surprise, as it is my favorite wood aroma. So I expect a longer break-in period just as you theorized. But the fact that it sounds this good to your ear already is quite encouraging. When you've got 100,000 notes on it, it will be interesting to see how close it is to my brothers' guitars.

Thank you again for this opportunity!

Steve

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by David Wren

What a gorgeous instrument Steve ... love it all ... and that end graft ... wow!

Thanks so much David, I really appreciate your kindness.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Tim McKnight

Awesome sounding and looking guitar Steve. Is this your first OO guitar? What is your opinion of the tonal qualities of the wood? Personally I put it up there with some of the best rosewoods out there.

Hey Tim, thank you too buddy. Yes, this is my first go at Bois D'Arc. Or Horse Apple. Or Osage Orange for that matter. We haven't built with every specie of North American woods, but a fair number. So far, OO is as close to rosewood as we have seen from the American forest. Not as glass-like as African Blackwood, or the harder samples of Brazilian, but more like Indian in our thinking. It definitely kicks back some energy into the note production, and there is that discernible "reverb" that you get with rosewood. It doesn't sound brittle, which Jamie seems to appreciate (I do too), and there is support for the overtone structure. So we like it well, and hope to use it in future. Zeb Turrentine who supplied this set had a good supply (last year anyway) and you might want to check out his wares. We picked up a 2nd set, it's so nice.

Steve