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  #31  
Old 12-15-2009, 08:52 AM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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I'm biased, since I've bought six McKnight guitars so far. One of them (the last one) was custom built for me. Two were bought after I'd played them (one at the McKnight residence, one at a guitar store). Three of them were bought used. One of those I bought for a friend.

Three of them are Mini-Macs. They're my favorite body style.

Once you've decided on woods with Tim, ask him about what body depth he would recommend. Two of mine are "full depth" and they sound great. The one custom built for me was done with less than full depth because Tim thought (given the wood involved) it would sound better that way. It really does sound awesome, and I love the thinner profile (makes it more comfortable).

I'd highly recommend the thinner profile (for comfort) unless Tim feels strongly that the full body depth on your specific guitar would sound better.

Trust Tim for the sound decisions, and trust Mary for the design decisions, and you can't really go wrong!
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  #32  
Old 12-15-2009, 12:07 PM
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Kitchen Guitars Kitchen Guitars is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SongwriterFan View Post
I'm biased, since I've bought six McKnight guitars so far. One of them (the last one) was custom built for me. Two were bought after I'd played them (one at the McKnight residence, one at a guitar store). Three of them were bought used. One of those I bought for a friend.

Three of them are Mini-Macs. They're my favorite body style.

Once you've decided on woods with Tim, ask him about what body depth he would recommend. Two of mine are "full depth" and they sound great. The one custom built for me was done with less than full depth because Tim thought (given the wood involved) it would sound better that way. It really does sound awesome, and I love the thinner profile (makes it more comfortable).

I'd highly recommend the thinner profile (for comfort) unless Tim feels strongly that the full body depth on your specific guitar would sound better.

Trust Tim for the sound decisions, and trust Mary for the design decisions, and you can't really go wrong!
Hey, Songwriterfan....it's been a long time!
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  #33  
Old 12-18-2009, 07:31 PM
Bruno42 Bruno42 is offline
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I almost had a McKnight, Tim is a great guy and builds awsome guitars!! His Luckenbooth sound port has to be one of the coolest ideas ever!!
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  #34  
Old 12-22-2009, 02:03 AM
safricanplayer safricanplayer is offline
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Originally Posted by Kurt View Post
You know what especially made the difference to me? Many luthiers build a guitar that has "their sound," and nothing but "their sound" -- and sometimes I'm not sure even the wood choices make much difference. But when you visit Tim (if you have this luxury), you will be able to play a dozen to a score of his guitars -- and you will find each one distinctive in tone, yet equally gorgeous one to the next. If you're looking for a specific sound, tone, resonance, sustain, complexity, depth, what have you, in this guitar you are planning to have built, Tim is the one luthier I would trust to get you there.

I've made a deposit to have Tim build a second guitar for me. And if I have my way, he'll build a third one down the road. There are other top luthiers who could build me a guitar, but I trust the process and the quality of working with Tim.
Tim's ability to give me the sound I was looking for is what still amazes me to this day. The time spent discussing various top and tonewood combinations and their potential impact on the sound I wanted together with just getting to know Tim and Mary made the entire process an absolute pleasure. When Tim told me that he wanted to incorporate what he had learned from the time he spent with Ervin Somogyi into my build, I felt confident enough in him as a luthier to give him the go ahead. He offered to build me something different if I was not satisfied......and I knew that was not a hollow promise, but something that he would back 100%.

Having owned my Slope Dred for almost three years now, I can state without hesitation that my decision to have Tim build build me my first personalized hand built guitar was the best decision I could have make. I take a certain level of satisfaction from knowing my build was one of the first in the post Somogyi era!!

IMHO, you simply cannot go wrong commissioning a guitar from Tim. But....he's real secret is the '59 Sitka top ~ vintage sound right out the box

~ Ray ~

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink
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  #35  
Old 12-22-2009, 02:45 AM
Idaho John Idaho John is offline
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I do not think that I have had as much support from a group of folks as McKnight owners. I am looking forward to the end of four years (but there is so much life to live between now and then isn't there) when my own McKnight arrives but in the meantime thanks to all of you that posted pics of your guitar. It helps even though I am years away...

Thank you all. And if someone out there has some more pics of your mini mac, would you share?

Thanks again.
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