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This is the fourth guitar I built.
I wasn't watching the spec sheet close enough and I made the neck 1 3/4 instead of 1 7/8. After about a year my friend mentioned
that while he liked the sound, he couldn't play it very long because the small neck hurt his hand.
So what else could I do? I asked for it back and made him a new neck.
The old neck was mahogany/maple/walnut with a rosewood fingerboard. The new one is walnut and maple with an ebony fingerboard.
There is subtle tonal difference. I think it is more dark, with perhaps a bit more sustain. This is my first walnut neck, in fact it is my first neck in anything but mahogany.
The guitar is cedar on walnut. I love the walnut on this guitar, while many of you probably saw it about a year ago, I thought since I had the pictures,
some of you might enjoy seeing it with the new neck.





Walnut headplate with spalted maple S.



I'm not sure what to call it when you do this - (Making Plywood? )

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

It looks very nice, lovely wood combinations.

Steve, I think it looks great....you're right, very nice walnut, and the neck goes well with everything else, good job!

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Some of the prettiest walnut I've ever seen.
Nice guitar, and new neck, thanks for sharing the pics.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

When I looked at this guitar, it gave me a sense of warmth- that is my mind's ear heard a warm, full, earthy tone- not muddy.mt

Yeah, it seems very comfortable.  Nicely appointed, and conservative.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Steve, Looks great. I presume that’s a laminated neck but then I see a stacked heal.
I think of a stacked heal with a scarf joint. Would you mind going into a little detail about your method of neck construction?

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Dave,
It took a bit of learning to get it right. I make up the blanks as shown in the picture above (I would love an edit feature here), run them through the drum sander, and glue them together.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I'm the "friend"  Steve approached me a while back about building this guitar and I jumped at the opportunity. It is a lovely instrument and it actually was one of the catalysts that began my interest in building guitars too. I can attest to the tone as being very warm and rich for such a little box. It is a joy to play and as someone else mentioned, it is not muddy in the least. Nice and articulate. Steve did a great job with every detail of the guitar and went above and beyond in constructing a new neck for it. It is due home on friday and I can't wait to be reunited with it. I can only hope to build half as good as Steve if and when I ever get to a guitar number four.

I see. Thanks

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Steve, I love walnut necks, and it is most interesting that you have been able to do a tonal comparison between your first, mahogany neck, and then the new walnut neck.
Thanks for sharing the pix as well as results.
Your guitar is beautiful, btw.

Is that a black walnut neck on a Claro walnut body?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve,
I am told that all the walnut is black walnut, but I'm not sure.

Dave,
Let me know if I can help more on the neck construction. I take lots of pictures.

Joe,
I didnt know you where here. That's cool. When are you going to finish a guitar for me?
My son's guitar has very similar walnut with a sitka top. It is the same size. I played them together last week. I really like yours better. I'm not sure, but I suspect it is the cedar top that does it for me. I hope you don't mind if I "accidentally" sent you my son's instead.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Wow Steve! You can "accidentally" send your son's guitar to me if you like!!!

Are you plannin' on bringing that one to the AGF get together this Saturday?

Darren

You have a very unique style there, Steve. Well done!!

mmmmmmmm....walnut.....

Steve very nice work. I too love walnut. I also like your neck laminating method. It's a great way to conserve on valuable resources.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Nice Work, Steve. Smart use of materials in your stack.

I like Walnut necks too. Years ago I heard someone call it "North America's Rosewood".   I'm doing a guitar with a Walnut/Bocote/Walnut 5 piece neck right now.

Long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

[QUOTE=DarrenW] Are you plannin' on bringing that one to the AGF get together this Saturday?

[/QUOTE]
Darren,
Are you going to that too?
Yes, I'm bringing it. My first guitar will be there and my bubinga guitar.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Wow, that is pretty!!

Steve
   Great looking guitars!!!! You have done an elegant job with the walnut neck and that box looks tremendously handsome.

John

Nice work, Steve!

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Steve

What an awesome work of art !!!!

Thank you all for your kind words.
Please excuse my while I go shopping.
It seems that my hat no longer fits.   

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Beautiful work Steve!! I like the inlay. What is the material specifically?

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)