Members kwakatak Posted August 16, 2012 Members Share Posted August 16, 2012 Earlier this year I reported that I'd won a door prize at a gathering at luthier Tim McKnight's abode/workshop in the form of a cute little ukelele. This isn't one of his normal offerings but he dressed it up nicely and I was tickled to be the lucky recipient. It may be some time - if ever at all - until I actually one of Tim's guitars but at least for now I have something to hold me over. Now I'm no expert on ukeleles but Tim did a great job on the fit and finish. The gloss finish in particular far exceeds any of my other musical instruments. The top appears to be an orphaned single piece of sinker redwood with some sapwood in the middle and Tim went so far as to actually brace the thing with a little X brace. The tuning machines are not your standard pegs through the headstock either; they're actually open backs and hold tune quite well. I must admit that it took me a little time to adjust my thinking from playing guitar with six strings to playing a soprano ukelele with only four mostly because the neck is so much smaller and the little nylon strings can be pulled sharp in pitch all too easily. The chord shapes are also the same, though the lower most string is actually tuned above the 2 middle strings. Now for the recording. I snuck away to get some groceries tonight and pulled into a quiet corner of the local pub's parking lot so that I could FINALLY record something without a nagging wife or child to distract me. To be fair, my little guy loves the uke since it's his size but he likes to break things so I've been careful in keeping it in its little hardshell case. Still, every afternoon or at some point during the day when the craziness subsides (both my boys have ADHD, I swear!) I like to pick up something musical yet not as cumbersome as even my OM and play the one song I know and has also been stuck in my head for months now: "Hey Soul Sister" by Train. I must admit that I didn't learn all the words nor did I have a lyric sheet when I recorded this with my little Zoom H2 in the back of my minivan while the crickets chirped away in the background. I figure it's at least worthy of the next VOM1T: https://www.box.com/s/b55f684c150c61e30937 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted August 16, 2012 Members Share Posted August 16, 2012 I like it! Definitely VOM1T worthy! :thu: I wouldn't change a thing. I think the ending sounds better just the way it is than if you had remembered the words. Kinda like a true open mic experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhancox Posted August 16, 2012 Members Share Posted August 16, 2012 That sounded great, and I like how you handled the ending. Now, for your next offering, maybe you could park your van down by a riv.... Nah. Forget it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted August 16, 2012 Members Share Posted August 16, 2012 Excellent job. I love the sound of the uke. I bought one at GC a few months ago for $25. After some tweaking and new strings, it sounds great. I have it hanging on the wall next to my computer and am constantly grabbing it while waiting for sites to download. I'm also in the process of building a banjo ukulele using an old tambourine and a piece of lumber. If I can pull it off, I'll start working on my George Formby routine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarist21 Posted August 16, 2012 Members Share Posted August 16, 2012 Oh wow! That is just great, kwak! It's beautiful too. All this talk about McKnights lately makes me want to put myself on a waiting list... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted August 17, 2012 Members Share Posted August 17, 2012 Looks like a long waiting line to me, but worth the wait, I'm sure. http://www.mcknightguitars.com/prices.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2012 Yeah, he'd closed the list for the McJam. No worries though. Not only can't I afford one of his guitars but I can't give it a safe home either. I'm just afraid that my kids wouldn't respect it. The guitars I do have stay in their cases in the living room and even then they get crawled all over. Anyway, I've had opportunities to purchase one several times and have had to pass up. They always have demo models in their shop but I'm holding out for the day that I can give Mary a call and spec one out. So far I'm thinking one of their newest models, the Soleil de Gloria (sp) which is a grand auditorium. For back and sides I'd go with wenge which is sort of like a rosewood, very dark and straight grained, that comes from the Congo. For the top I'd probably go with either Engelmann spruce or lutz. I'd also like to have a theme to it with regards to inlays and colors. I have some pictures for inlay drawn up. Still the price tag would be well over $6K. Maybe for my 50th birthday...dare to dream, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted August 17, 2012 Members Share Posted August 17, 2012 OK, Kwak. You done good. I dig your Subaru Sound Studio, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted August 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2012 Thansk, Q. That'd actually be a Honda though. We ditched the Subie years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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