David says of his most recent 12th McKnight Guitar purchase, "I clearly have a guitar problem and Tim is my supplier."
“I have wanted a McKnight Guitar since the first time I picked one up and played it. I have Martins, Taylors and Takamines but my new McKnight is quickly becoming my favorite guitar. Thank you Tim and Mary for this special guitar.”
Dennis Lair said of his newly acquired MiniMac guitar of Honduran Mahogany back and double sides, under a 1959 Sitka top. “Sometimes when you pick up a guitar and play it the tone hits you just right. I can say that after auditioning 15+ guitars at the McJam this summer, I picked up this MiniMac and knew right away I was taking it home. It is special. One of the best all-around guitars I own.”
Bruce Friemark, commented of his new German Maple & German Spruce LowLander: “Hi Tim, I want to let you know that I played the guitar out last night with a bunch of musicians in the audience. Rave reviews… I had been listening through the evening as others played (over 50% were Taylor's) and thought that the board just wasn't set up right. Then I plugged the McKnight in and oh my goodness. The tone from the guitar startled me. Even, balanced, full... and had me feeling grateful to be playing such a wonderful sounding guitar. Very cool first drive and proud to be the owner. God bless you and Mary for what you do in crafting fine instruments. I view your work as very similar to live music in that it lives in the moment and needs to be appreciated while it's going on. Thanks for providing me with a blessing to make others happy.”
Ryan Kurka received his belated Christmas present, a MacNaught guitar of Cocobolo Rosewood and a Torrefied Adirondack Red Spruce top. Ryan leads worship in his youth choir.
Ross's ear to ear grinning is infectious. Perhaps it has something to do with the joy and good news he shares with his MiniMac of Madagascar Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce top.
Mary is holding Rodger's beeswing figure Honduran Mahogany / Red Spruce MacNaught. Rodger is proudly holding his newest MacNaught "Dominator" built from the finest set of Brazilian Rosewood I've ever had the pleasure using under a Red Spruce top. Kathy is holding her personal Black Walnut / Red Spruce HighLander. Tim is holding Rodger's 3rd MacNaught of Brazilian Rosewood and 1959 Sitka spruce top.
Kurt and his friend Julie recently took delivery of his 4th and 5th McKnight Guitars. The one on the left is his "Blimba" MiniMac body made of African Black Limba under a British Columbia Englemann Spruce top that he took delivery of a couple years ago. The Skeeter model built with Panama Rosewood and Western Red Cedar top is his newest 4th acquisition. Finally Julie is holding number 5 a SDG body of local Osage Orange back and sides with a Red Cedar top.
Dennis said it was love at first sight when he saw our little Skeeter model with Pommele figured Mahogany back and sides under an Adirondack Red Spruce top. In fact Dennis has placed his order for his second McKnight Guitar to be delivered in two years.
Amy wanted something totally different sounding than the rest of her guitars and she found it with our MacNaught V2F body built with Machiche back and sides and an Alaskan Yellow Cedar top.
Bill Stockinger holding his McKnight SDG. The back and sides are from the historically famous Honduras Mahogany log named ... "The TREE". This guitar is topped with an Adirondack Red Spruce top.
Singer / Songwriter, Steven Stanley just picked up his new MacNaught-V2 guitar, custom made of Eastern Black Walnut back and double sides under a beautiful Sinker Redwood top.
“Thank you very much for this wonderful guitar and the thrilling ride that went along with it! I want you to know that I love this guitar very much. I am very proud of it. It means almost as much to me as the two of you. This beautiful guitar with its heavenly tone brings joy to my heart. God Bless you both, John Parham”
Michael Holland with his new LowLander guitar built of curly Mahogany back and sides with a French Polished, bear claw, Sonic Sitka Spruce top.
Al Pellegrini is holding his "Spar Guitar." This Deacon model is made of African Blackwood back and sides and a vintage Sitka top made from a salvaged sunken ship's spar. The Tall Ship had sunk off the coast of Oregon in the late 1800's. The side sound port is in the shape of an anchor and the BRW rosette is a the ship's wheel.
After seeing this top Mary fell in love with the story and sketched the rough design minutes later. We used three different figured maples in the ship's sails, Mahogany& BRW as the boat, reconstituted Jade as the water, MOP, Abalone and Sea Snail shells as the moon, stars and fingerboard inlays.
Bruce & Nancy Freimark with their MiniMac "Airplane" guitar. As far as we know this is the only Double Top guitar in Dennis Merril's Sonic Sitka Project. This guitar has back and double sides of Pernambuco wood. Bruce plans to use this guitar in his nursing home ministry, gigs in and around Monroe, MI and to witness to the Wounded Veteran Program of MI.
Peter Kennimer has the unique honor of being our youngest customer to date. Peter ordered his guitar when he was 15 years old and had it paid for when he picked up at age 18. Peter worked in his Dad's business, mowed yards and did odd jobs to earn money to purchase his very own MiniMac guitar of Cocobolo Rosewood and Adirondack spruce.
David Pennybaker's first strum on his 1700s Black Walnut/LS Redwood MiniMac guitar. David picked his new guitar up at the 2009 Healdsburg Guitar Festival.
John Kitchen with his "Black Knight" theme SDG body of Curly White Oak and Carpathian top. John is a two-peat customer with his second McKnight Guitar.
Tony Rosario was pleasantly surprised with his birthday gift from his wife Joyce. His MiniMac guitar has Shag Bark Hickory back and sides with a Cedar double top.
Scott Keyes, owner of a Ziricote / Carpathian LowLander guitar.
Kirk Spencer is another of our repeat customers. Kirk owns a Ziricote / Carpathian HighLander and also a MiniMac with a Italian Spruce/1959 Spruce double-top over Sinker Brazilian Rosewood / vintage Brazilian Rosewood "Hollow-back".
Jacques-Andre DuPont owns an East Indian Rosewood / Adi MiniMac guitar that is part of the Ste-Cat guitar collection. The guitars are loaned to local and student musicians to use for a one year term in an effort to provide quality guitars to deserving musicians who may not otherwise be able to afford them. We are blessed to be part of the wonderful project serving musicians in the Montreal Canada area.
Jay Howlett with his LS Redwood / Brazilian Rosewood MiniMac. Jay had a lot to say upon taking delivery of his guitar ... "WOW". Please plan to take in one of Jay's "Blah Blah Woof Woof" concerts if you are ever in his area. You will be delightfully pleased.
Kathy Zapotocky is all smiles after taking delivery of her 1700's Black Walnut / Adi topped HighLander guitar. The back and sides were reclaimed from a local stage coach livery that was built in the late 1700's. I have never seen walnut with grain so tight that you can not see the grain lines to even count them. This is truly some very special tonewood that we are pleased to offer our customers.
Glen Giles owns a prototype Mahogany Lutz Deacon guitar and he is using it to promote the Luthier's Gift project. Please follow the LINK to learn more about this wonderful missions project.
We are proud to endorse ToneRite products and we feel extremely blessed that they have chosen to use some of our guitars in their trade show and print adds. If you have never used a ToneRite I would encourage you to use one to allow your guitar to develop a rich full vintage tone in a matter of days! All of our guitars get a ToneRite treatment before final setup and following journey to their new respective homes.
Chet Wehe just took delivery of his LS Redwood / African Blackwood MiniMac at the 12011 Healdsburg Guitar Show.
John Cotten glowingly received his special Ziricote / Carpathian MiniMac "AGF Award" guitar at the 2011 Healdsburg Guitar Festival.
Andy Ekegren with his "three-peat" McKnight instrument which we call the McKuke. Its our interpretation of a Hawaiian Soprano size ukulele.
Bill "BillyBoy" Douglas with his 1950 vintage Redwood / Birds eye Quilted Maple MiniMac built and affectionately dedicated to his daughter "Hiliary-O"
Bruce Lisenby, relaxing at the airport with his S. E. Asian Rosewood, 1959 Sitka MiniMac guitar. Tim & Mary "Always a joy to take part of you around the world with us. Wish you could come and see the joy on the faces we get to see. And...thanks for the wonderful guitar. Blessings, Bruce & Nellie"
"Chili Bill" Gault enjoying some porch picking time with his Curly Walnut / Redwood HighLander.
Todd Hunt, pictured with his Highlander OM-D with Argentine Osage Orange back & sides and a 1959 Sitka Spruce top. The entire guitar has been French Polished with spirit varnish using a late 1700's recipe.
Patrick Lawson with his E. Indian Rosewood, Sitka Spruce topped MacNaught guitar.
Alton Gowen just picked up his his new MiniMac with Madagascar RW back & sides and a Double Top of Cedar & Engelmann spruce.
Duane Morelli with his new Cocobolo RW / Redwood HighLander
Kurt Bullock’s wrote us and said; “Recently, I added another McKnight Guitar, an all-walnut SDG model, whose markedly fundamental, balanced tone chimes like tubular bells. In between, I’ve been privileged to play perhaps sixty or more McKnight guitars on my many pilgrimages to Morral, Ohio. I’ve come to recognize a distinctive tonal character to these guitars—but that timbre is arrived at in diverse ways, thanks to Tim’s engineering wizardry and woodworking skills that match build dynamics to an individual’s playing characteristics and tastes. His talent, combined with Mary’s aesthetic awareness, makes for a formidable team producing astonishing guitars.” Kurt is pictured with his cocobolo/LS redwood Mini Mac guitar along with Camry his Aussie companion. This guitar was commissioned in 2007 and as Kurt describes it “possesses a dark resonance and seemingly endless sustain.”
Betz with his Birds Eye Quilted Maple/Cedar MiniMac . Betz & Karen picked out his new guitar at the 2009 Healdsburg Guitar Festival.
Andrew Ekegren receiving his 1959 Sitka Hickory Highlander OM-D from Tim at the 2005 Healdsburg Guitar Show.
Another happy customer receiving his Redwood / Walnut Highlander OM-D guitar at the 2005 Healdsburg Guitar Show.
Alan Postell, Pickin' - n- Grinin' with his 1959 Sitka / Shag Bark Hickory Highlander OM-D
Sheila Horsely receiving her 1959 topped Honduras Mahogany D-18 from Mary McKnight.
Ray & Marie Cunningham's Shag Bark Hickory / 1959 Sitka MacNaught
Ralf Waddle, lead singer of Axil's List, with his Paudauk / Adi MacNaught with custom Maltese Cross sound Port
Charles Bockius playing his Bolivian Rosewood / 1959 Sitka MacNaught
The photographer caught an unsuspecting John Hwang (3rd from the left) playing his Madagascar RW / 1959 Sitka Highlander OM with a group of friends.
Greg Condemi Playing his Waterfall Bubinga / Caucasian Spruce MiniMac guitar. Greg is the recipient of the famous "2007 Raffle Guitar".
Danno Terrebonne playing his East Indian Rosewood / Adirondack MacNaught. "I've probably picked up hundreds of guitars in my 40 plus years of playing, and never, has a guitar felt so right in my hands...it's just indescribable."
Larry Damon with his Shag Bark Hickory/1959 Sitka Highlander OM-D
Andy Ekegren, receiving his second Shagbark Hickory / 1959 Sitka Highlander OM-D at the 2007 Healdsburg Guitar Festival
Jim Thomason playing his unusually high figured East Indian Rosewood / Caucasian Spruce MininMac for his wife Vonnie.
Jason & Karen Rawlings purchased their Shag Bark Hickory /Engelmann Highlander OM-D at the 2007 Montreal Guitar Show
Bryan Galloway and the "Galloway Family" playing his Cocobolo Rosewood / 1959 Sitka Slope MacNaught in Asheville, NC.
Bryan Galloway receiving his SECOND MacNaught, East Indian / 59 Sitka Spruce guitar at the 2007 IBMA "Fan Fest" show in Nashville.
Jason Waddle, leads worship on his Shag Bark Hickory / Cedar MacNaught
Kenneth Direktor proud new owner of "The Cougar" which is a MiniMac body with Birds eye African Mahogany and Adi top.
Chuck Thompson received his Brazilian Rosewood / LS Redwood "Double Top" MiniMac guitar at the 2007 IBMA "Fan Fest" show in Nashville.
