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  #211  
Old 03-06-2018, 01:15 PM
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Originally Posted by nacluth View Post
March 5: Prepping a new build.

Lucky Strike Redwood/Claro Walnut & Kiaat Binding/African Blackwood Bridge
Ok - stop it, will ya???


How much is a guy supposed to withstand?
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  #212  
Old 03-06-2018, 02:09 PM
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That set of walnut is absolutely stunning Steve!
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  #213  
Old 03-06-2018, 04:13 PM
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Thanks everyone for the kind words! StevieD, it will be the best one yet.

March 6: Colored Necks

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Kinnaird SJ - Walnut/Sitka

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  #214  
Old 03-06-2018, 06:20 PM
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Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 View Post
Heartwood pyramid bridge & sapwood belly bridge...
Indeed! Something for the indecisive... At least I think so......

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Originally Posted by Stevied63 View Post
Wow, Ryan, that latest one looks phenomenal!!!

Can't wait to see the finished product!
Still liking the look Steve? We are!

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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
Gorgeous wood combo guys. What body shape for this one?
This one will be an SJ with an arm bevel. The walnut should work quite well with that size/shape.

Thanks for dropping by,

Steve
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  #215  
Old 03-06-2018, 06:24 PM
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Ok - stop it, will ya???
How much is a guy supposed to withstand?
Oh, we can keep dishing it out! Want some more?


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Originally Posted by David Wren View Post
That set of walnut is absolutely stunning Steve!
Ah thanks, David. Dark cocoa, curly and marbled. I've been hoarding this set for years. You know what it's like to finally break out one of your prized sets.

Steve
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  #216  
Old 03-07-2018, 08:02 AM
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I'm a sucker for redwood, and I can't wait to watch that one move through the process. Perhaps a tough question this early in, but what do you expect that sound profile to be? Are you building it more for fingerstyle, strumming or an an all-arounder? Not sure I've heard redwood/walnut sound samples, very intrigued.
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  #217  
Old 03-07-2018, 09:23 AM
Stevied63 Stevied63 is offline
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Originally Posted by mikealpine View Post
I'm a sucker for redwood, and I can't wait to watch that one move through the process. Perhaps a tough question this early in, but what do you expect that sound profile to be? Are you building it more for fingerstyle, strumming or an an all-arounder? Not sure I've heard redwood/walnut sound samples, very intrigued.
Perhaps let me step in, Mike. The LS Redwood/Claro Walnut commission is mine. Very excited about it - this will be my first Kinnaird. As everyone probably already knows, Steve and Ryan are very thoughtful luthiers, and so far it has been a pleasure to work with them. Steve has spent an extraordinary amount of time with me, considering all sorts of options. Its a process (as it should be) and Steve understands that and guides you through it. I can give you a little background on how we came to this combination. However, let me caution you that: (a) I'm not a great guitarist - I love to play, primarily for myself and I veer a little more towards finger-style, but also strum; (b) visuals are important to me - part of my love of guitars is the craftsmanship (I realize some people cringe at this - I know they are instruments to be played and not put on a wall like a painting - but the look is very important to me); and (c) I'm not a tone nut - I struggle to hear minor variations in tone that many people claim across many of the tonewood choices.

The top was first - my last guitar build was a cedar top, and while I love it, I wanted something a bit different. I didn't want to go towards Sitka since I wanted something a bit warmer in tone. I was intrigued with the look of Redwood - in particular the Lucky Strike Redwood guitars I had seen. After consulting with Steve, he had some LS sets, and there was one I particularly liked. This was probably the easiest part of the the process.

Second was back and sides. This is one I really struggled with. I had previously owned a beautiful Bourgeois torrefied Adi/Mahogany guitar (it was, in fact, the first of his limited 40th anniversary guitars) - wonderful guitar to look at, but I never connected with that guitar. The sound was a bit too woody for me, and felt a bit flat (not flat in the pitch sense - just no overtones). The rest of my guitars were rosewood (either EIR or BRW), koa, and maple. I wanted something different, but not all the way to the Mahogany end of the scale. Steve was very patient, and showed me many, many different sets. Bubinga was in the running for quite a while - but ultimately the Claro set ticked my visual boxes, and it was slightly more towards the rosewood end of things with respect to overtones. So...decision made.

Third was the binding - obviously this is purely visual, and the Kiaat was a nice contrast to both the Redwood and the Claro - and different enough for me that I appreciated the uniqueness.

Finally, the bridge....here, I wanted something with the mass of Ebony, but something that was a bit more visually interesting. Steve's suggested African Blackwood - and also had a bridge with sapwood that he had previously made for another customer (who ultimately went in a different direction). This is the one that I'm still pondering - I think its the right choice, especially after seeing Ryan's pics of everything together. Curious what others think.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I thought it might help others who might be thinking about a luthier built guitar, and wondered how the process worked.

Steve
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  #218  
Old 03-07-2018, 10:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Stevied63 View Post
Perhaps let me step in, Mike. The LS Redwood/Claro Walnut commission is mine. Very excited about it - this will be my first Kinnaird. As everyone probably already knows, Steve and Ryan are very thoughtful luthiers, and so far it has been a pleasure to work with them. Steve has spent an extraordinary amount of time with me, considering all sorts of options. Its a process (as it should be) and Steve understands that and guides you through it. I can give you a little background on how we came to this combination. However, let me caution you that: (a) I'm not a great guitarist - I love to play, primarily for myself and I veer a little more towards finger-style, but also strum; (b) visuals are important to me - part of my love of guitars is the craftsmanship (I realize some people cringe at this - I know they are instruments to be played and not put on a wall like a painting - but the look is very important to me); and (c) I'm not a tone nut - I struggle to hear minor variations in tone that many people claim across many of the tonewood choices.

The top was first - my last guitar build was a cedar top, and while I love it, I wanted something a bit different. I didn't want to go towards Sitka since I wanted something a bit warmer in tone. I was intrigued with the look of Redwood - in particular the Lucky Strike Redwood guitars I had seen. After consulting with Steve, he had some LS sets, and there was one I particularly liked. This was probably the easiest part of the the process.

Second was back and sides. This is one I really struggled with. I had previously owned a beautiful Bourgeois torrefied Adi/Mahogany guitar (it was, in fact, the first of his limited 40th anniversary guitars) - wonderful guitar to look at, but I never connected with that guitar. The sound was a bit too woody for me, and felt a bit flat (not flat in the pitch sense - just no overtones). The rest of my guitars were rosewood (either EIR or BRW), koa, and maple. I wanted something different, but not all the way to the Mahogany end of the scale. Steve was very patient, and showed me many, many different sets. Bubinga was in the running for quite a while - but ultimately the Claro set ticked my visual boxes, and it was slightly more towards the rosewood end of things with respect to overtones. So...decision made.

Third was the binding - obviously this is purely visual, and the Kiaat was a nice contrast to both the Redwood and the Claro - and different enough for me that I appreciated the uniqueness.

Finally, the bridge....here, I wanted something with the mass of Ebony, but something that was a bit more visually interesting. Steve's suggested African Blackwood - and also had a bridge with sapwood that he had previously made for another customer (who ultimately went in a different direction). This is the one that I'm still pondering - I think its the right choice, especially after seeing Ryan's pics of everything together. Curious what others think.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but I thought it might help others who might be thinking about a luthier built guitar, and wondered how the process worked.

Steve
Steve,

Don't apologize, this is a great post, showing a well thought out plan. Thanks for sharing it! I'm kind of on the same page with you regarding everything you wrote. Passable guitarist, primarily a strummer/singer, working on more finesse and interesting rhythm accompaniment. Visuals are very important to me as well, and everyone should understand that we each have our own list of priorities when it comes to an instrument, especially something custom. Yes, it has to tick the sonic boxes, but it really needs to be something I love to look at.

It sounds like you made great choices. I like redwood because most of the samples I've heard and had the chance to play have a specific tone that just pulls me. Sparkle of a good spruce, some warmth and richness, and can often have quite a lot of headroom. I've played it mostly paired with Macassar Ebony, love that combination. Based on your description, the walnut should be a great match.

If you're asking for an opinion, I have to admit I don't really care for the sapwood on the bridge as I look at it on its own. The sapwood seems too bright on its own like that. However, if the rosette ties in somehow, that could totally change my thinking, making it seem more a part of the whole rather than jumping out at me. Of course, you're the one that needs to love it, that's just my thinking. As I said, this is going to be a pleasure to watch evolve!
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  #219  
Old 03-07-2018, 11:06 AM
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I need to check in here more often!!! These are SO BEAUTIFUL it hurts. In a good way...

That Spanish Cedar is beyond beautiful! Your one endorsee is a fortunate gal!

Carry on gentlemen!

Cheers

Paul
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  #220  
Old 03-07-2018, 12:49 PM
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Oh, we can keep dishing it out! Want some more?




Steve
Yes - but I want it in my closet!!
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  #221  
Old 03-07-2018, 03:25 PM
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Thanks everyone. We’re happy to welcome StevieD to the family, and we’re excited what this project holds.

March 7: Round and round the mulberry bush

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  #222  
Old 03-07-2018, 09:51 PM
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Thanks for the discussion, gents. We are glad to work with redwood again. The last time was a couple years back, and I would actually welcome the chance to use it more. Like Mike said, you get the sparkle of spruce, and the warmth of cedar without its mushiness. And it pairs quite well with walnut.
Here's a link to a walnut/redwood guitar sound clip.
Keep in mind this clip is of our smallest model, a P-1 parlor:

http://stephenkinnaird.com/modelp1_video.html

Hope the link works,

Steve
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  #223  
Old 03-08-2018, 03:15 PM
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March 15: Lilliputian Power

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Kinnaird SJ - Walnut/Sitka

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  #224  
Old 03-08-2018, 05:53 PM
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That looks like a tethered beast, waiting to WOW us once the bands are released!
  #225  
Old 03-09-2018, 09:09 AM
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I can almost hear it growling!
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