Thought I would build a guitar with Kinnaird guitars west!

[TBman]

Congrats Tom. Can't wait to see the finished product (with maybe a soundclip too)

[cigarfan]

Nice summary Tom. Nice work on the photos too Ryan. Have to say, sure looks like a good time. Maybe after I retire this would be a something I may entertain. Although I have no woodworking experience and I no experience with a scalpel either!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Nice summary Tom. Nice work on the photos too Ryan. Have to say, sure looks like a good time. Maybe after I retire this would be a something I may entertain. Although I have no woodworking experience and I no experience with a scalpel either!

Prior experience with a scalpel obviously is helpful. One day at lunch Tom regaled us with a description of back surgery on Dachshunds. He spoke of it as a pleasant task, working around the spinal column with his scalpel. Needless to say (I’ll say it anyway) I didn’t worry overmuch about removing a few bits of mahogany on his neck carve!
However, we are fully aware not everyone comes with surgical skills to our class. They are not prerequisites and we are happy to work with all skill levels. We only expect that by week’s end, you have a guitar and all ten fingers.

Steve

[cigarfan]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Prior experience with a scalpel obviously is helpful. One day at lunch Tom regaled us with a description of back surgery on Dachshunds. He spoke of it as a pleasant task, working around the spinal column with his scalpel. Needless to say (I’ll say it anyway) I didn’t worry overmuch about removing a few bits of mahogany on his neck carve!
However, we are fully aware not everyone comes with surgical skills to our class. They are not prerequisites and we are happy to work with all skill levels. We only expect that by week’s end, you have a guitar and all ten fingers.

Steve

All fingers in tact is a good thing. Thanks for that!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by TBman

Congrats Tom. Can't wait to see the finished product (with maybe a soundclip too)

I am with you on that one! Any decent soundclip will need to be done in the shop and we are talking about a guitar that will only be strung up for a few hours, not ideal, but let's see how it goes and what the guitar has to say about it.

Originally Posted by mikealpine

What a wonderful journal overall, and a great recap! Truly an exceptional experience.

Thanks Mike, I was concentrating so much, I never knew Ryan was taking pics most of the time. He did a great job giving everyone a feel of the week.

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Nice summary Tom. Nice work on the photos too Ryan. Have to say, sure looks like a good time. Maybe after I retire this would be a something I may entertain. Although I have no woodworking experience and I no experience with a scalpel either!

I know they have had all level of students through the shop. I think they would be very good at tailoring the class to each student. Having said that, the more experience one has with tools and woodworking, honestly, the more (I think) one gets out of it, but that is not to say there would not be a huge sense of pride and enjoyment at the end of anyone's week regardless of experience one had going into it.

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Prior experience with a scalpel obviously is helpful. One day at lunch Tom regaled us with a description of back surgery on Dachshunds. He spoke of it as a pleasant task, working around the spinal column with his scalpel. Needless to say (I’ll say it anyway) I didn’t worry overmuch about removing a few bits of mahogany on his neck carve!
However, we are fully aware not everyone comes with surgical skills to our class. They are not prerequisites and we are happy to work with all skill levels. We only expect that by week’s end, you have a guitar and all ten fingers.

Steve

Sorry, probably not the best choice of lunch conversation. I wondered why Billie didn't finish her sandwich LOL! I just checked and I can indeed still count to 10, 5 on each hand as hoped!

Originally Posted by cigarfan

All fingers in tact is a good thing. Thanks for that!

Yes indeed! That is certainly an emphasis throughout the week, no heros, cowards are king!

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

I want to summarize the week here.

I think the word I would choose is rewarding or maybe fulfilling is better. Lots of folks would pick fun and I could not disagree with that assessment as it was fun for sure. For me, beyond the fun of it, I was looking at it more like a job to get done, to build as good of guitar as we could in the allotted time. With that in mind, I am very proud of how this came out. It looks great, the appointments all work so well together and I could see me commissioning a guitar with all the same choices.

The box has a great deep resonant sound which bodes well for the future. I think it would be hard for anyone to point out anything on this guitar that would make them think an amateur was involved. For this I give credit to my mentors Ryan and Steve. They let me do a lot of stuff on my own, but knew when to watch me closely or when a task was probably beyond teaching me with no guitar building experience. The neck carve is a good example. It was hard for me to visualize where we were even going to begin, but once Steve would do one side and I could see what we were trying to do, I would do the other side. There is a real compound cut at what they call the cheeks at the base of the headstock and neck where they join together at the volute. I just could not visualize it, but once Steve did his side, I went after mine and they came out perfectly symmetrical. I even called Ryan over and made him look to see if he could tell which side I had done and he could not and Ryan is too good of boy to lie. Stuff like that is why I chose the word rewarding for the week. Many little things like that happened to make me feel good.

I learned a lot about guitars, about building techniques, and the work level involved in making a guitar, as well as a lot about myself. If anyone really wants to get a full understanding of what is behind a guitar and what makes it sound great, I would recommend a week of Nacogdoches boot camp with the boys of Kinnaird guitars!

A special shout out to Billie who kept me fed and ready to work!!!

Tom

This is worth reading again! Well put and well done gentlemen!!!
Enjoy this wonderful guitar, Tom. You deserve it!

Play on gang, and tune up often

Paul

[Jmac603]

Beautiful guitar and incredible experience. I really enjoyed reading as I felt like I was along for the ride. Excellent write-up and thank you so much for sharing!

Jason

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

This is worth reading again! Well put and well done gentlemen!!!
Enjoy this wonderful guitar, Tom. You deserve it!

Play on gang, and tune up often

Paul

Thanks Paul, can't wait to get the first pics from Mr. Tony!

Originally Posted by Jmac603

Beautiful guitar and incredible experience. I really enjoyed reading as I felt like I was along for the ride. Excellent write-up and thank you so much for sharing!

Jason

Thank you for your comments, the pics were great I thought and I am glad you enjoyed the read, I laughed a few times myself.

[soma5]

Yes, excellent writing and photography! I'd like to do that someday when I'm retired. It seems like one of those bucket list things.

By the way, I'd love to check it out at the upcoming B.I.G!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by soma5

Yes, excellent writing and photography! I'd like to do that someday when I'm retired. It seems like one of those bucket list things.

By the way, I'd love to check it out at the upcoming B.I.G!

Thank you very much. You should do it if you can, it was great.

It has only been a week or so since the box was shipped to the finisher and I am already so impatient to see it, I might drive from Texas to Michigan and beg for a bump in the line haha. Amazing how invested you get into it!

It should totally be ready for B.I.G. and I would be honored to have you play it.

[TomB'sox]

Wow, after what seemed like a year, the first pictures are back from the finisher. I think they look pretty good!

bsox guitar1.jpg

bsox guitar2.jpg

bsox guitar3.jpg

bsox guitar4.jpg

[srick]

Wow indeed! The waiting must be killing you!

[blews]

Man, that is pretty!!

[cigarfan]

Looking good Tom! Purdy!

[Carpinteria]

Looks great, Tom! Eager to see it in September. Happy 4th!