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Old 06-03-2019, 08:17 AM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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Default John Kinnaird OM Tapered Body. SOLD

John Kinnaird 14 fret OMK (#72, 2007)

SOLD


Fantastic custom guitar with easy playability and lush sound. It really rings!
I’m the original owner and as it’s been said, this is really a hard one to let go. Here is a link to the guitar on the builder’s website http://www.kinnairdguitars.com/Galle...MKMain72e.html and here are some of the many features, nearly all are options:
Adirondack bear claw spruce top. Very rare. I picked this out myself during a visit to Old Standard Wood in Fulton, Missouri where I spent several hours examining and tapping on tops. This was the best they had and it is incredible.
Honduran Rosewood back/sides. Option, that I also selected from a reputable dealer.
Adirondack braces (I also selected from Old Standard)
Tapered body shape – 3.5” to 4.5”. Option
Venetian cutaway. Option
Bevel arm rest. Option
Fossilized ivory bridge pins. Option
Bone nut and compensated bone saddle. Option
Electronics: K&K Trinity Western. Option
Neck: 5 ply laminate. 1 ¾ nut width. Adj truss rod and carbon fiber reinforcement.
Waverly gold tuners with black buttons. Option
Ebony fretboard. African Rosewood Bridge. All wood binding & purfling.
Ameritage Gold case. Option

Condition: Very good. I love this guitar and played it a lot, but never gigged with it. Really clean. NO CRACKS. The only obvious sign of body wear is the finish has flaked some on the side of the fretboard (see photos). At the time John finished the necks himself and sent the body to a finish specialist. The body finish is excellent and I don't see any marks on it, but the neck finish has proven less durable along the edge as shown. However, if it is an issue, the neck could be removed and refinished for not much cost.

My guitar collection: Due to old age and now a “frozen shoulder” I can’t play anymore. So I’m going to sell off the best of the best that I’ve collected over the years and maybe do some traveling. After buying and selling @ 60 acoustic guitars over many years, I have about 10 I’ve kept. All guitars always kept clean, in their cases, in humidity controlled room. No smoking. It has been a few years since I’ve sold anything, but I’ve sold and traded several on this site and I used to use EBay. Never an unhappy buyer!


























Last edited by DaleonCedar; 06-24-2019 at 09:58 AM. Reason: Sold
  #2  
Old 06-03-2019, 08:53 AM
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Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
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Smile Oh My Goodness...

As you can see by my signature below, I may be John Kinnaird's most fanatic fan. He is a true Artist!!!

His instruments' Tone and VOLUME are mind boggling. And his work with HRW is quite reminiscent of good Braz to my ears.

I see on John's website that the taper is top to bottom (Manzer Wedge). I wish all mine had this. It is so comfy!!!

John's base price has risen again, I believe. And WELL WORTH IT, TOO!

Someone will LOVE this !

And best on your shoulder stuff , too.

Paul
__________________
3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS:
Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
96 422ce bought new!
96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

More

Last edited by Guitars44me; 06-03-2019 at 05:37 PM.
  #3  
Old 06-07-2019, 03:32 PM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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Yes, It's a Manzer style taper. If you click on the builder's link to the guitar there is a good photograph that shows the wedge shape. Thanks!
  #4  
Old 06-09-2019, 10:50 AM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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You are right Paul. John told me when we were discussing the woods to be used that Honduran Rosewood sounded "better" than Brazilian, which is why I went with it, and no regrets what so ever. It also has some advantages with respect to not being as brittle with less tendancy to crack. FYI, Honduran Rosewood, like Brazilian Rosewood, is also a slow growing upland rosewood. Honduran is almost glass-like in stiffness. It is a preferred wood for the xzylophone due to its resonate musical quality.
  #5  
Old 06-10-2019, 07:13 AM
Leroy26 Leroy26 is offline
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Beautiful guitar. What’s the string spacing, scale length?
Thanks
  #6  
Old 06-12-2019, 02:39 PM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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Scale length is 25 1/2.
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Old 06-15-2019, 01:31 PM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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This guitar has it.
  #8  
Old 06-15-2019, 08:28 PM
samagni samagni is offline
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Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!
  #9  
Old 06-19-2019, 04:46 PM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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On a cool early spring day on the year of this guitar’s birth, I drove to Fulton Missouri. I had an appointment with the owner of “Old Standard Wood” one of the world’s largest suppliers of Adirondack, or red spruce guitar wood. They are the primary supplier for Collings Guitars. Check out their website.

On the phone the owner had been somewhat unenthusiastic about my coming in person (they only sell by mail), but after a discussion he relented, and a date was set. Old Standard is located out in the country, down a gravel road, then another, then another and I was looking for a mailbox. Finding one that I thought met the description I was given, I turned off and drove down a narrow lane into the woods for probably a quarter of a mile coming at last to a clearing. In the middle of a circle drive was a large saw blade set up vertically under a shingled four posted roof with no walls.

There were three men sawing wood and several large logs lying by the saw. My car was greeted by a large dog who, with his barking and general aggressive attitude, prevented me from getting out. One of the men running the saw looked up with an unfriendly scowl on his face (I was obviously interrupting his work) and at that moment a word flashed into my mind: “Deliverance”.

However, he shut down the large saw and called the dog off. Hollering out that he won’t hurt me I was entreated to get out of the car and come over to the saw. So, gathering my courage, I got out and walked nervously past the dog who seemed disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to take a chunk out of my leg, and I walked on over to the saw.

After introductions the man relaxed, as did I (and the dog as well), and the other two workers ambled off. He soon invited me into his wood storage building. It was vast and had to hold thousands upon thousands of pieces of wood, stacked and stored. I was told about how the building was humidity and temperature controlled and shown the various levels (3, I think) and methods of control as well as the areas where types of wood were stored. Taking up some pieces, he proceeded to school me in detail on how to grade top wood. Subjects included color, grain, flexibility and tap tone. I wasn’t a beginner but came to learn that there is much I didn’t know.

I told him I was looking to purchase the finest set he had for my Kinnaird guitar. He said the best was reserved for Collings and he wouldn’t sell me his best for any price. I asked him if I could see his best, just to analyze them based on the instructions I had received. He agreed. Taking me to a reserve area he showed me two stacks of wood which were each probably only two and a half feet tall; a tiny fraction of the wood in the building. He said he would sell me a set from the stack on the right, but not on the left (assuring me that the right stack were very select sets, none the less). I was permitted to compare the two stacks merely for analytical purposes. I spent just under an hour examining each piece in the two piles while he worked with me to analyze each piece.

Back and forth I went narrowing down to find the best set from each pile. Honestly, many pieces sounded the same, but one set stood out, clearly. However, it was in the pile on the left; not for sale. It had a “bear claw” figure in the wood which was extremely rare in red spruce. He said of the thousands of logs he had cut in his lifetime, there was only one log he had ever cut that produced tops like that and that many famous guitars had been built from that log. He said that he had to cut several logs just to find one that would produce musical instrument quality sets and this log was the only one out of thousands of such useable logs that had this appearance.

On this particular set the unusual look was interesting, but what attracted me the most to that set was the sound. I tested it with my eyes shut. Beautiful tap tones with an exceptionally long sustain all around the pieces. It was the best sounding. I knew it and I wanted it, but not for sale.

We set down and talked about guitars, about growing up in rural Missouri, and about other matters that need not be stated here. After a while I finally wore him down and he agreed to sell it to me. Wow! I did not haggle over the price.

He then took me over to the Adirondack bracing wood section where many sets were stacked. They had been graded with a numbers 1, 2 or 3 written on the side and tied together in little bundles. He picked out a #1 set and, giving it to me, said it’s included at no extra price.

Everyone thinks he/she has the “best” guitar that John Kinnaird ever made. Well I don’t know but this one is special. Thank you, John Kinnaird, and thank you Old Standard!
  #10  
Old 06-19-2019, 06:27 PM
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Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
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Smile What a story!

That is the best wood search story I have ever read or heard!

It must be heartbreaking to let this go. Amazing it is still here.

Best on the sale and may your woes evaporate!

Be well and have FUN. Fun is good for us all...

Paul
__________________
3 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS:
Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
96 422ce bought new!
96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

More
  #11  
Old 06-19-2019, 07:08 PM
mountainguitar mountainguitar is offline
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I can tell that Paul's having a hard time resisting this one.... Even with another of John's builds on the way! . I have Paul's old John Kinnaird 000 and I'm having a hard time resisting this one too.

It's a beautiful guitar and a wonderful wood story. And I do hope you've explored all of your options and are comfortable with your decision. I too had a frozen shoulder this spring. Injured it in the fall and then it froze up badly in January. I had these alternative medicine shoulder injections and PT and that has helped a lot. I'm back to playing guitar. I am now having to play on my left leg (classical style) but I can play if the guitar isn't too big. So there is hope....

Good luck with the sale! I'm sure someone will be thrilled with this wonderful instrument!

beth
  #12  
Old 06-20-2019, 08:36 AM
Leroy26 Leroy26 is offline
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What is the string spacing at the bridge?
  #13  
Old 06-20-2019, 08:47 AM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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two and one quarter inches.
  #14  
Old 06-23-2019, 01:56 PM
DaleonCedar DaleonCedar is offline
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What a special guitar! Lots of interest.
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