McKnight Guitars 100th, 200th & 300th builds

[Tim McKnight]

I set aside serial numbers 100, 200 and 300 with intentions of building some very special and unique guitars when time allowed. Orders kept rolling in while time marched on and I never got around to building these guitars. Since I am not getting any younger and I want to build these guitars I am forcing myself to make time … somehow … between other builds going on.

As you can imagine after nearly 33 years of building and hoarding wood, I’ve got some pretty special stock stashed back for these builds. Specs are complete on #300. However, I have open slots for #100 and #200 if you’d like to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity, you can email or PM me if you’d like to reserve one of these for yourself? Otherwise, I plan to begin building these in the next couple of weeks and will document those guitars in this thread. If all goes accordingly we plan to exhibit these at the 2025 Artisan Guitar Show.

Stay tuned …

[iim7V7IM7]

300 journeys at the bench is quite an achievement Tim (congrats)…

[Treenewt]

Very, very cool, Tim! Congrats on the milestone(s)! I look forward to following along!

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Treenewt

Very, very cool, Tim! Congrats on the milestone(s)! I look forward to following along!

Treenewt is right! I am in for the thrill ride

Paul

[Godfather]

This/theese builds will be a lot of fun to watch!

[Tim McKnight]

Thanks for all of your replies and following along as we build these 3 unique milestone guitars. We passed the 300 mark a couple years ago but now is the time to force myself to get busy with these serial numbers that I set aside for something special.

Here is just a little hint about the 300th guitar. Any guesses what theme Mary has come up with for this guitar? McJam guests guesses are banned

[jaymarsch]

I can't wait to follow this and see and hear about what you and Mary have cooked up for these milestone guitars! What fun!
Best,
Jayne

[Tim McKnight]

The door was in storage at Hotel Kast, Williamsburg, PA. It was shipped to us by the hotel owner and arrived at the McKnight Guitar shop in 2023. The #300 caboose design instantly began.






The key was an added bonus. Mary has ideas how to include this item
In the build.







Tim began reducing the size of the boards for easier storage.







There were months of research spent to be sure we knew more details of the true history of the door.








The rosette was easy. The track simply made sense.

[fitness1]

The acquisition of the door was a very cool story!

Most effective while standing in the wood room!!

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by fitness1

The acquisition of the door was a very cool story!

Most effective while standing in the wood room!!

Thanks Todd. It was a pleasure spending time with you during your visit.

[Mary]

When I see a piece of wood, be it a tree, a part of something, a picture or there might be something embedded in a piece of wood, sometimes it calls my name. Within seconds I'm drafting a quick sketch and pocketing it. My luthier husband will take a deep breath and raise his brows. He has read me like a book over the years. I know his body language, too. He knows there is something instantly in my head that I mentally feel a need to put in his hands to become a guitar with historical value. You can see that on our website. You can view a few theme guitars. I have favorites that still speak to me mentally. Check out the McKnight Spar guitar top that was the spar of a ship that sunk in the late 1800's. Let's talk about the Choker guitar. Back in the 60's teen girls wore our favorite choker necklaces. If family females ever learn to play a guitar they already have necklaces to match. The McKnight Memphis guitar was designed to show Memphis nights spue music without even hearing it. It was designed for the one time Memphis Guitar festival of Bob Singer. The McKnight Bullet guitar was a piece of walnut Tim's dad had given us many years ago. It had sat in his rafters since 1940. Tim's dad was a oak man. The smell of walnut sawdust grated on his nerves. It sat in our shop for a long time before we decided to explore its use. Then while Tim was cutting it was he heard a sound and discovered a bullet was embedded in the tree which the tree over the years grew around. My luthier husband wanted to burn that flat sawn piece of walnut. I, however, took 30 seconds to design a guitar to allow the bullet, old western movie style, imply the guitar was shot in the hip. Tim then could see why I felt this wood was a special keeper. That bullet doesn't tell me details if Esther was shooting at Festus for not bringing home enough squirrel meat for their 12 children. It simply became its own imaginary movie as a price war ensued. Let's just say a new sheriff was taking it into ownership. It was sold the morning before it reached the stage of Artisan guitar show 2023.

You may have heard I am a volunteer in a hospital emergency room. Many people in their 50-90 years of age love to talk about the past. Old hippies talk of guitars for hours. It kind of, sort of, helps them forget their pains as we while away the hours over music and my theme guitars. I'm told emergency rooms don't typically have a volunteer. Emergency room directors should listen up! I share pictures. I share stories and, for the record even this forum plays a vital role in healing more than just the outspoken members. (Thank you, JR!) I want to thank ALL of you for allowing me to share the fun of McKnight guitars. The next time you are in the hospital think about how easy the hours would pass if someone could share with you such pictures, stories and belly laughs about those years of big band, smooth jazz and the good ole rock and roll and ... guitars.

Moving on. My dad was a tree surgeon and Tim's dad was a cabinet maker. Our dads knew each other even though Tim and I didn't know each other. They were pleased that we learned something from them. Tim's dad became the owner of a guitar from a tree he had planted in his own back yard with Tim's older brother. I later learned my dad was the one who cut that tree down with and for him. Guitars with history of one kind or another tell their own story. I am told Tim's nephew now owns that guitar.

Designing isn't something I studied. It just happened. Tim doesn't have that gene. He is an engineer. Engineers don't like to be told they are highly intelligent but might occasionally lack common sense. I bet each engineer has heard a female somewhere in their life say, "That was obviously designed by a man." Guys, it's not meant as a put down. Without going into space we know it is written men are from mars, women are from venus. Tim goes into great detail and makes things harder than need be. When he comes into the shop with a growl of frustration I simply adjust the design. I often begin my design as if Fred Flintstone and I live together. Less is best. Before I met Tim I made my own clothing and my own furniture. Rustic style is always "in." Necessity will forever be the mother of invention. I had a hand saw, hammer, nails, sand paper, needle, thread, material and desire. I could survive.

Thus, I shall now curtsy and say, "I am extremely blessed that Tim McKnight is my husband and the McKnight guitar luthier. He pays attention to details of the build process. When frustrations enter our team work takes over. I twist and turn to scale the design. When 4 hands are needed my assistance is always at hand."

Designing guitars was never in my plans, but it happened. If I see a piece of wood that speaks to me and I feel a butterfly or a pang inside later that day, I might try but I can't sleep at night. I'll get up in the middle of the night and draw a guitar in 30 seconds so I can go back to sleep. Tim will wake up in the morning to stretch his neck while I'm making my morning coffee. He smirks, he sighs. His forehead veins appear as he says, "I can see this means this piece of wood won't go in the heat pile." I simply scrunch my shoulders up, giggle and squint my eyes. It's my turn to have veins in my neck pop out.

Let's get to this time frame. Numbers 100 and 200 will actually be built during or after our 300. They were designed prior but we have hoped to let this be a team of three guitars for one show. "____ willin'."

The Caboose door was no longer needed or wanted by the previous owner. It was offered to me. In my inner voice I squelched and screeched and jumped to say, "Yes!" The only problem was that I live in Ohio. The door was presented to us in Pennsylvania. We were in a Honda Civic. I needed to the door to come to me "as is" so we could study the wood in the correct form. The owner of the Hotel Kast (suggesting a meal there allows you to enter this story) planned to deliver as he had a concert to attend in Ohio. He let me know later it would be more convenient for him to ship it to our shop. I was volunteering in the ER when Tim texted it was delivered. Oh, I was so excited. I did that unlady like fist in the air and even though I am in my upper 60's, I did a little hop and a quick "Ninja" like jerk style pose ... and then I breathed. I had a jump in my heartbeat and new story to tell repeat patients. I was walking on air.

And now, ladies and gents, Tim and I will share this caboose story with you.
The McKnight Caboose guitar is going to known as our 300th guitar. Before I begin a design I like to see what the wood wants me to know.


The rough cut is my favorite time. I like to look for hidden messages.




I point out what I'd like to keep. The man of the hour will find how close he can come to keeping what I point out.




THIS PART REALLY INTRIGUES ME! Who carved this? C'mon. I need a date. Gimme a date. Show me something! Was it a caboose man? Was it a hobo marking his territory? Was it a mischievous school kid? Well, American friends ... without facts and details I cannot claim it was possibly RFD. So, all I have is this picture. YOU will have to make up your own story. This guitar will be for sale when it is completed. Price wars can begin but I just cannot truthfully say who, when, why or how someone carved his or her name in this caboose door.

Awe, but if doors could talk ...




I would have chosen to keep that section of wood in original form to give to the owner, but I have the feeling my luthier sanded it away.

[justonwo]

Some serious milestones. That is a lot of hours at the bench and probably a lot of good friendships at the end of each build.

I have always enjoyed the process of watching builds come together - regardless of who is making them. It's fun to see how these mystical tone machines come together. I usually end up becoming great friends with the builders with whom I commission, which is a nice bonus.

Congrats on these milestones. May the 400th guitar not be too far off!

[Mary]

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...78#post7501878

See this thread conconcerning the caboose .

Sure would be nice if American could bring those memories back.

[Mary]

Designing the details looks like a breeze. For us it's a bit of a challenge.









So much time can go into each detail. Big hands. Little parts and pieces.

[Mary]

A tib bit of accuracy is the key here. Are we doing this right? Am I choosing the proper woods to represent good old fashion colors without being concerning about details. True lovers of trains can pick apart my work and see Mary isn't an artist, but I'm enjoying this train ride. I was never a fan of puzzles so I have no problem with using less details and using my "lack of" education as a guide line. To each of my educated readers ...forgive me as I try not to cheapen the look.