Severe GAS for McKnight Guitars

Hudman · April 18, 2006

This guy makes some gorgeous guitars. I would love to play one. He has a soundport in the upper bout. It is suppose to to give the player a true feel of what the guitar sounds like to the people facing the guitar. He is a regular member on the Acoustic Player Magazine Forum.

You can see his website here: McKnight Guitars

Here's a couple at at retailer: https://www.artisanguitars.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=1544443cde2ac75/shopdata/index.shopscript

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

McKnight used to hang out here. He and a couple other luthiers used to hash it up pretty good around here.

Hudman · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

McKnight used to hang out here. He and a couple other luthiers used to hash it up pretty good around here.

What's your impression of him? He seems like a good guy and they talk up his guitars pretty good over at APM.

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

Nicest guy who ever posted here period. Helpful, knowledgeable, but not a know-it-all. He was open to learning.

I'm not crazy about the extra soundhole thing though. Sometimes when I play I rest my chin right there...

Why he still does'nt have front pics of his guitars at his site is beyond me.

Sweb · April 18, 2006

Have had a couple email dialogs with him. When I mentioned I used to live in his neck of the woods, Westerville, OH, many years ago that sort of opened him up. I have been toying with the idea of taking a little time off and visiting him as I'm not that far away. Very friendly sort and offered me an open invitation.

knockwood · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I'm not crazy about the extra soundhole thing though. Sometimes when I play I rest my chin right there...

I'm totally intriqued by the side sound port thing. Klepper - the guy you posted about a few days back - uses this device as well. Gotta be something to it.

kwakatak · April 18, 2006

I seem to recall getting a PM from him over at APM for some reason or another. I have no idea why - I don't know the first thing about setting up a guitar, much less luthery. He seemed like a nice enough guy though.

If anything, I think that's probably the one good point of one of those barn-door electronic doo-dads going down the crapper. Take 'em out and you got an instant soundport.

I see that orsino put a soundport in his Seagull. That guy is a tinkerer and practically patented the process of how to buff a satin finish guitar to a decent semi-gloss. Lots of folks over at the Larrivee forum followed suit on their 03s and liked it a lot. I wonder if they'll be pulling out their guitar implants and starting up a similar bandwagon for homemade soundports.

Not for me though. I ain't no tinkerer. Hell, I can't quite build up the nerve to put a JLD in my Tak and it sorely needs it. Last I checked the hump was gettin' bigger and I could probably fit the end of my driver's license under the bridge at this point.

Hudman · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by kwakatak

I seem to recall getting a PM from him over at APM for some reason or another. I have no idea why - I don't know the first thing about setting up a guitar, much less luthery. He seemed like a nice enough guy though.

If anything, I think that's probably the one good point of one of those barn-door electronic doo-dads going down the crapper. Take 'em out and you got an instant soundport.

I see that orsino put a soundport in his Seagull. That guy is a tinkerer and practically patented the process of how to buff a satin finish guitar to a decent semi-gloss. Lots of folks over at the Larrivee forum followed suit on their 03s and liked it a lot. I wonder if they'll be pulling out their guitar implants and starting up a similar bandwagon for homemade soundports.

Not for me though. I ain't no tinkerer. Hell, I can't quite build up the nerve to put a JLD in my Tak and it sorely needs it. Last I checked the hump was gettin' bigger and I could probably fit the end of my driver's license under the bridge at this point.

Yeah, he's a nice guy. I like to mess with stuff, but I would never consider cutting a hole in the side of a perfectly good guitar. I would buy one designed that way if it works like those guys say it does.

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by knockwood

I'm totally intriqued by the side sound port thing. Klepper - the guy you posted about a few days back - uses this device as well. Gotta be something to it.

I think it's a do-dad. No doubt sound comes out of it, but there's no way it could "give the player a true feel of what the guitar sounds like to the people facing the guitar".

When you play for an audience, they're hearing only a small fraction of what the guitar realy sounds like. Most of what they hear is the pup. Unless you're using a mic, but then they're hearing what the mic and the board/amp do to the sound of the guitar.

Small group with no amp: Maybe it could be useful if you sit perfectly still while playing. But I still don't believe the sound from that port is the same as what's coming from the front, soundhole and top combined.

Besides, what if while your playing you lose a tooth in there?

Hudman · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I think it's a do-dad. No doubt sound comes out of it, but there's no way it could "give the player a true feel of what the guitar sounds like to the people facing the guitar".

When you play for an audience, they're hearing only a small fraction of what the guitar realy sounds like. Most of what they hear is the pup. Unless you're using a mic, but then they're hearing what the mic and the board/amp do to the sound of the guitar.

Small group with no amp: Maybe it could be useful if you sit perfectly still while playing. But I still don't believe the sound from that port is the same as what's coming from the front, soundhole and top combined.

Besides, what if while your playing you lose a tooth in there?

Perfect excuse to have your teeth removed.

The hole could be cut the perfect size to hold a beer bottle. The sweat from the bottle could act as a humidifier. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by Hudman

Perfect excuse to have your teeth removed.

The hole could be cut the perfect size to hold a beer bottle. The sweat from the bottle could act as a humidifier. Kill 2 birds with one stone.

Agreed. But I've already patented a combination drink holder/ashtray that clamps to the headstock. You can also set your capo, polish, other odds and ends on it.

knockwood · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

Besides, what if while your playing you lose a tooth in there?

Well, that's where having a Taylor comes in handy. All those Twinkies I've stored up over the years, that cream filling dries to a kind of granite-hard petrified crust. Perfect material for false teeth.

Hudman · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

Agreed. But I've already patented a combination drink holder/ashtray that clamps to the headstock. You can also set your capo, polish, other odds and ends on it.

You are the MacGyver of the guitar world.

kwakatak · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I think it's a do-dad. No doubt sound comes out of it, but there's no way it could "give the player a true feel of what the guitar sounds like to the people facing the guitar".

When you play for an audience, they're hearing only a small fraction of what the guitar realy sounds like. Most of what they hear is the pup. Unless you're using a mic, but then they're hearing what the mic and the board/amp do to the sound of the guitar.

Small group with no amp: Maybe it could be useful if you sit perfectly still while playing. But I still don't believe the sound from that port is the same as what's coming from the front, soundhole and top combined.

Besides, what if while your playing you lose a tooth in there?

but but but ....

what about the

BUBINGA!!!
https://www.artisanguitars.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154444691b4ab4e/shopdata/0010_Guitars/0140_McKnight/images/Bubinga_web2_500x1800.jpg

Just doing my part and stoking the GAS flames!!!

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

Bubinga. There, I said it.

Is that a piece of lam on the back of the head? Or is there a joint?

kwakatak · April 18, 2006

Noe I can go to sleep happy.

BTW, I'd say it's a bubinga backplate. The grain just looks similar. Other than that I just don't know.

JasmineTea · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by kwakatak

https://www.artisanguitars.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154444691b4ab4e/shopdata/0010_Guitars/0140_McKnight/images/Bubinga_web2_500x1800.jpg

Another observation: Nuts are scalloped in order to reduce mass and create more resonance. The extra mass of large heads is for creating better sustain.

The size of the head of that guitar is canceling out what the scalloped nut is trying to accomplish.

tim Mcknight · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by kwakatak

Now I can go to sleep happy.

BTW, I'd say it's a bubinga backplate. The grain just looks similar. Other than that I just don't know.

HI Kwak: I trust you had a good nite's rest and woke up with a big smile on your face?

Yes, that is Bubinga on the back of the headstock too. I no longer use that headstock design. I was trying to come up with a headstock that was totally unique and 100% my design and that was the result. Well, after soliciting input from LOTS of players the majority of folks did not like the looks of it and the majority preferred a more "tarditional" headstock shape. Hence, I have now evolved and given my customers a more traditional shape but still with a bit of "Mc-flare" to it

tim Mcknight · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I think it's a do-dad. No doubt sound comes out of it, but there's no way it could "give the player a true feel of what the guitar sounds like to the people facing the guitar".

Hi JasmineTea - Better be careful not to pass judgement until after you testdrive a sound port. You might just be pleasantly surprised

FYI: We had several ported guitars at the IBMA show last fall in Nashville. Several folks from a MAJOR U.S. guitar manufacturer came over and test drove our guitars. They were quite amazed. But the real kicker was that they showed up at the January NAMM show sporting a soundport on one of their guitars. Hmmmmmm..... "Do-Dad" you say?

Queequeg · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by JasmineTea

I'm not crazy about the extra soundhole thing though. Sometimes when I play I rest my chin right there...

Why he still does'nt have front pics of his guitars at his site is beyond me.

JT, you need to check out his 'CRS' model.

(chin rest & stirrups)

actually, I'm thinking that the sound should be the same coming from this side port as the traditional top soundhole, as the sound is essentially a function of the top (soundboard) plus all the other stuff we discuss here, strings, saddle, that help to set that top in motion, et al.

Hey, I don't know, I'm just making this all up as I go along. but I can't figure why the sound would be different. All said, I still don't think I want a cup holder in the side of my guitar. & I was wondering the same thing: how come we don't see the tops? Does it look like my mother-in-law? Maybe it's REALLY a solid top and there is no traditional soundhole...

knockwood · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by Queequeg

I was wondering the same thing: how come we don't see the tops? Does it look like my mother-in-law?

I had a guitar once that looked like my mother-in-law. Amazing sustain on that thing. I mean once you drew a note from that thing, it would absolutely not stop going on and on and on with that same note. Ever. LOUD guitar, too.

Hudman · April 18, 2006

Originally posted by tim Mcknight

HI Kwak: I trust you had a good nite's rest and woke up with a big smile on your face?

Yes, that is Bubinga on the back of the headstock too. I no longer use that headstock design. I was trying to come up with a headstock that was totally unique and 100% my design and that was the result. Well, after soliciting input from LOTS of players the majority of folks did not like the looks of it and the majority preferred a more "tarditional" headstock shape. Hence, I have now evolved and given my customers a more traditional shape but still with a bit of "Mc-flare" to it

Thanks for your input. Your guitars look amazing and the inovations are very interesting. I would love to play one.

tim Mcknight · April 18, 2006

Queequeg · April 18, 2006

Yowza! my mother-in-law never looked that good!
Muchos Gratz.
that's some nice work there, Tim.

t60 fan · April 18, 2006

Those are beautiful, Tim. BTW, I have an extra 250 if ya' wanna' hit Wayne Nat'l for a little off-road-ministry.

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