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  #16  
Old 01-21-2023, 10:17 AM
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Steve, we don't need a reason to sit and enjoy a good piece of Tiramisu. I'll need to ask Ian where he got the one we shared last year. That was one of the best I've ever had. Maybe we can convince the acoustic guitar company to complete our visit with a hot cup of their java.

Happy early belated birthday to us!
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  #17  
Old 01-21-2023, 11:53 AM
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We are signed up to attend 2 guitar shows which are in March and April. The following guitars are the sister batch that are likely to appear at the show if not sold in advance.

1) The guitar with with the mosaic rosette is already sold as it is a custom build.





Guitars have names because it is a "Maryism" way to work. Each spec guitar of this batch now has a side sound port in the upper and lower bouts.

2) McKnight Bullet guitar - created as historical art





3) McKnight Spence guitar - Created to share a 'young' man's story of finding his true special someone. The inlay for this guitar is still in the making. Details at a later date.






4) McKnight Kokopelli Guitarist guitar - Because we all know someone like him! Let's breathe his air while this little guitarist makes you and me smile.






5) The McKnight Southwest guitar - It attracted my eye to celebrate another culture without it screaming a design.






6) The Simple Scroll - I had no other name to come up with. It's all alone on the fretboard. Like the farmer in the dell this cheese stands alone.





Can you believe this? This guitar is nameless. How dare I? Suggested names are welcome. I'll send you a Mary McKnight hand painted flower if Tim and I choose your suggestion as the name. Hey... this is just for fun and it's all I'm offering.





Luthier Tim is cleaning the side sound ports and doing whatever he wants to do today. (I'm the partner but today I am just the wife. What do I know?)















Today's final picture shows you the before applying Tim fret balm and the after glow of the bridge.


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Last edited by Mary; 01-26-2024 at 09:49 AM.
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  #18  
Old 01-21-2023, 03:17 PM
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I would love to have this guitar, but I would need to first pay for a divorce . I love the history, wood grain and of course workmanship. I am sure it will sound like a million bucks.
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  #19  
Old 01-21-2023, 03:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by My Angel View Post
I would love to have this guitar, but I would need to first pay for a divorce . I love the history, wood grain and of course workmanship. I am sure it will sound like a million bucks.
None of them are complete but we are seeing a little bit of sunshine at the end of the tunnel. I get attached to guitars and their owners when the guitars have names. If only I could waft it in the Ohio air when Tim is sanding so you could enjoy the joy of the builds. The fragrance is magnificent. I sniff, I sneeze and then take another deep breath. Awe .. nice.
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  #20  
Old 01-21-2023, 08:56 PM
gregc gregc is offline
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That’s a very cool Wenge fingerboard. I’ve become a fan of Wenge.
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Last edited by gregc; 01-21-2023 at 09:02 PM.
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  #21  
Old 01-21-2023, 09:02 PM
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Love the casing fret markers. Brilliant! ……and, as always, very cool stuff!
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  #22  
Old 01-22-2023, 12:23 AM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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What woods and body style are on the 1889 25-20 guitar? Interesting piece of history.
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  #23  
Old 01-22-2023, 05:16 AM
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thanks for the shots Mary. Great looking guitars all around. I like the t-shirt as well. It's a collector's item from guitar festivals of yore. I have one of those, different style, same event.
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  #24  
Old 01-22-2023, 08:36 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregc View Post
I’ve become a fan of Wenge.
Me too Greg. I find myself using it more and more for FB's, bridges, interior bridge plates and body's. It's a bit dangerous to work with as you have to be constantly aware that those dark black annular grain lines are as sharp as needles and will impale you at the blink of an eye. The wide open pores are also a challenge to pore fill but the tone is certainly worth all the effort.
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  #25  
Old 01-22-2023, 09:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SongwriterFan View Post
What woods and body style are on the 1889 25-20 guitar? Interesting piece of history.
Its our standard MacNaught body but a tad shallower, with an internal "Re-eccho Disc" of 1950's red spruce and it's a 12 fret. I haven't built a 12 fret D in years and decided it was time to bring this old favorite to light again with a few added improvements.

Back and sides are some very old salvaged Eastern black walnut going back at least 80 years that my dad procured from a local cabinet maker around the timeframe of WWII.

The top is salvaged Alaskan Yellow Cedar driftwood that washed up on the beaches of British Columbia. The grain is so tight in the top that you can barely see the annular grain lines. Initially I thought it to be Western Red Cedar but once I re-sawed the cants into tops the pungent aromatic smell immediately gave it away as AK Yellow.

The bullet was identified by a local professional re-loader. We knew the projectile had to be likely from the turn of the 20th century or prior given the time frame and age of the wood. There was no visible hole in the wood only that the tree had grown around it where it became a litteral time capsule so these were all clues we used to piece this puzzle together.

He thought it to be a Winchester (lever action) 25-20 round which they came out with around 1892. I dug deeper and it seems that Marlin had previously designed this round from a necked down 32-20 back in 1889. It got its name because its a 25 caliber projectile over 20 grains of black powder.

I'm pretty excited to hear this one strung up.

I hope I am not crossing any lines discussing this but merely wanted to share the history that we have learned about this little hidden treasure we found encapsulated within the wood. Please don't let this topic vere off into a firearm's discussion because that would surely violate some forum rules. There are plenty of other forums for that. Thank you...
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  #26  
Old 01-23-2023, 04:39 PM
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As for our guitars many of you know I have said, "If they don't look good then that is on me. If they don't sound good then that is on Tim. I just want McKnight guitars to sing to your eyes before your ears ever hear them." And thus our motto began.

The Spence Guitar was a bit of a challenge. I dreadfully thought about what this final guitar of the batch needed to look like. Nothing came to mind. I struggled with ideals and colors, the name and details of the label. I thought. I debated. Then a conversation came to my mind. I told our long time internet friend, who is so extraordinarily happy in his relationship, that I might be abusing a friendship. I confessed that I often design spec guitars concerning something I had read. Something he said made the guitar image pop into my head. I asked about a color and instead he shared a picture of him with someone very special to him. That was all I needed. I would ask non-committal questions and there would be no response. Hours later a thought would come to me and I realized had the answer. His girlfriend might think it odd that she became subject of discussion as we have only met him once. I woke up one morning and the name of the guitar glared at me. I smirked to myself. I think it was the next day the final detail of the label came to me as I was doing my daily reading. The whole guitar was designed and it was time to get to work.

You might remember the old odd American expression, "Holy Toledo, Batman! To the Bat cave!" And the Spence guitar needed to get out of my head and created to be in a players arms.

This heart warming story, name, colors, the inlay and the special features probably fit most of our lives. I am thankful to our friends, (D, C and S) who watched and listened how this guitar became "The McKnight Spence."


OK - let's watch the Spence become a "dressed" part of the sister batch. The fretboard has a subtle bloodwood tree inlay to match the trim. An imagination takes your eye to the ground around the base of the tree where the story began. It was there that the white dove simply glanced at what she knows is there and yet, has never truly seen.





Tim takes his time tracing the tree.

















It's a colorful "mess" trying to keep the glue from getting in the frets.







Fret ends are treated delicately until he has time to complete the project.







A coat of spray makes the wood colors pop








Six guitars of this sister batch happily sit low in the humidity controlled wood room to gossip about their present life and possibly discuss their futures ahead. Will they ever get together and play a tune at a family reunion? Will they meet up as friends and family will want to hear them sing their own concert together? Will their owners simply pass on the street and never recognize each other as the guitars will feel the presence of a familiar? Some sweet day they might all join at a McJam to show us what they can do. Tim and I annually imagine the sounds of our guitars and once a year many do show up to the McJam.It's quite rewarding when 20 or more guitarist gather and we can listen to each as guitars are rotated in and out of hands of different players with different styles.

I have been asked when we plan to retire from this job. Fact is, I hope never. We like our job. Tim has suggested I simplify my design ideas. I'll try to think about that. I can go easy on him maybe. It's a good thing we like being together in the wood shop, because when I wake up in the middle of the night or bright and early in the mornings and state that another design popped into my head then the quick draw of a pencil line is sitting on his keyboard. I think Tim is use to me raising my brows and smilin' as I say, "I just had a thought on the next guitar!"

It would be nice if through the internet we could share the warmth of the heat, the comfort of the gifted sounds and the scent of the woods.

Retire from this? Nah.




By the way, though we also have never met, to our surprise we received a packet of CD's from one of our AGF brothers that sooths the soul. No voice. No stress. Just peaceful music. Today the acoustic music was softly playing in the background. Let's never forget that the little things mean a lot. (Thank you, Mike.)
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http://www.mcknightguitars.com

AGF MCKNIGHT GUITAR SNIPPETS https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=663228

I'll continue "Doin' Life ... As a Luthier's Wife"
McJam = Guitar private event June 21-22, 2024
[email protected]
Pre-sign is required and begins now.

Last edited by Mary; 02-15-2023 at 03:34 PM.
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  #27  
Old 01-26-2023, 05:27 PM
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The Spence guitar now has bloodwood dots in the bridge pins



















Nice work, Tim!
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I'll continue "Doin' Life ... As a Luthier's Wife"
McJam = Guitar private event June 21-22, 2024
[email protected]
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  #28  
Old 01-27-2023, 04:48 AM
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Schweeeet!
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  #29  
Old 01-27-2023, 10:43 AM
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The custom build will be on display at the Artisan Guitar show also. It has details that will make it stand out entirely as it is of a different kind.

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AGF MCKNIGHT GUITAR SNIPPETS https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=663228

I'll continue "Doin' Life ... As a Luthier's Wife"
McJam = Guitar private event June 21-22, 2024
[email protected]
Pre-sign is required and begins now.
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  #30  
Old 02-01-2023, 01:47 PM
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Future McKnight Guitar generation visited the woodshop to discover Grandpa burns the midnight oil for some guitars.




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AGF MCKNIGHT GUITAR SNIPPETS https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=663228

I'll continue "Doin' Life ... As a Luthier's Wife"
McJam = Guitar private event June 21-22, 2024
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Pre-sign is required and begins now.
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