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A build for Paul Nichols...maple Round Peak
This guitar shape is named for a mountain and a style of music developed by a community of folk who live reclusively on that mountain in western North Carolina, not too far from my shop. If you mention Round Peak banjo or guitar to musicians around here most of them know you are talking about a style of playing. Anyway, I picked the name just to give some local flavor to guitar shape that i make that has rounded shoulders and this long explanation is because outside of these hills few know that the name actually has musical relevance.
So, Paul wants another one. This time in maple. He suggested that we use all USA woods, so the binding will be Claro walnut, sycamore and dyed poplar purfling lines, a western red cedar top, and a Texas ebony bridge and fingerboard. The sides are in a terribly ugly stage so I don't have any pictures of them but will as soon as they get cleaned up. Right now I'm gluing in lining which is quite extensive on the players side because Paul is fond of big bevels top and bottom. Here is a look at the back with a walnut center strip.
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Kinnaird Guitars |
#2
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I do like the notion of all-USA woods, and they sure are pretty!
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#3
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Hey brother, that is some fine looking maple.
I'm always happy to see it pop up in custom builds. Slowly but steadily the lutherie community is chipping away at the misconception that maple cannot produce a beautiful sound. Keep chipping! Steve |
#4
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Hooray
I will be glued to this thread! Haha. Unfortunately the pics of my two earlier Round Peaks were hijacked by Photobucket, along with so many here! Sigh...
Folks, John is much too humble to toot his own horn much at all. Consequently here is a list of some of his STANDARD features: Adirondack braces, hand scalloped for each instruments max tone. Hide glue on all the parts that make a difference in tone. Super strong and rigid laminated neck with serious carbon fiber reinforcement from end to end. Headstock backstrap and ducktail volute. Super hard Jescar Gold Color EVO frets Superthin and resonant finish by a serious master finish specialist! Thank You Tony!!! Lovely smelling super light cedar linings. No moths in your axe... Some kind of SPECIAL PIXIE DUST that enhances tone and volume. Well, not sure about the pixie dust. And one of my fave things about John is he is not interested in re-doing the same thing. Not even on headstocks or bridges. He is always aiming for just a bit better tone, ergonomics and playability. That works for me! Thanks John! You are a fun guy too! Cheers Paul
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4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) 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; 02-06-2018 at 09:19 AM. |
#5
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Kinnaird Guitars |
#6
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My PLEASURE!
My pleasure to sing John's praises
Folks, I was listing John Kinnaird's STANDARD FEATURES, which at many companies would be UPGRADES. I asked for the elevated fretboard extension and the CF struts on last year's BROWN BOMB Round Peak Mahogany/Cedar 12 fret cutaway with BIG BEVELS, and a port. (#135) "I like big bevels and I can not lie!" The Brown Bomb has raised the bar! I am convinced the freely moving top and super rigid neck and sides really make a big improvement in the already spectacular tone and volume. (#128 is very similar minus the elevated FB extension and Cf struts.) Judging by the response of a couple well known AGFers who played her at John's shop when first strung up, I am not alone in this assessment! I was lucky to not have her bought out from under me! Haha I also have had JK do custom neck carves for my old small beat up left hand. The first was very similar to his neck on #99 which I got from Mike/Woody. I liked that neck so much I sent the axe back to JK to almost copy. But I asked for a slight asymmetrical carve as well, which then became my FAVE! Ya just can't get this stuff from the big guitar companies or even many small shops or individual builders. It makes my many hour long troubadour gigs a lot easier on my left hand and shoulder. My goal is to retire when I am dead... far far in the future! Happy picking Paul
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4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) 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; 12-05-2017 at 01:18 AM. |
#7
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Beautiful maple! Excited to watch this guitar come together.
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#8
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apart from that I am a great fan of Maple Guitars and I will follow this build with lots of interest and curiosity.. hte back is already deeply impressive... |
#9
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Gorgeous piece of Maple guys. Looks to be another special JK build.
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#10
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Texas ebony, is that persimmon?, and have you found a good source for it?
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#11
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Paul, This is going to be yet another in the LONG line of very cool and tonally awesome John Kinnaird guitars. Apparently for you and me and a few others, they are like Lays potato chips...can't eat/have just one .
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"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." Woody (aka: Mike) FOR SALE: Kinnaird Brazilian!! |
#12
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It was called Pithicellobium flexicaule, but Arizona State University is calling it Ebenopsis ebano . We once had a local source, which carried two different timbers, both called "Texas Ebony", both incredibly dense, both impossibly hard, but both quite different from each other. One was reddish-black, the other greenish-brown. Either would work admirably in this application. Bro, which one do you have? |
#13
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Kinnaird Guitars Last edited by j. Kinnaird; 12-04-2017 at 11:07 PM. |
#14
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You’re clearly off to a good start with that maple!
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#15
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Good luck stopping...
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Apparently 3 is not enough yet!!! I think we have a winner in this Round Peak 12 fret cut shape. I am pleased I was able to help with the design in a small way... Play on gang Paul
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4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro 96 422ce bought new! 96 LKSM 12 552ce 12x12 J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut More |