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Does anyone have any experience with this company?

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

I feel a group buy coming on. Count me in.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

where's mattia?

I think Matthia has mentioned Rivolta. Either way I've been looking to create a stash of Euro spruce and a group buy in this case could be advantageous.

MMMmmmmmmm.....group buy!   

Hey, the janitor in the building is Romanian, he might be able to translate if needed.

Jeff

I don't mean to be apolitically correct (well... actually, I enjoy the heck out of it) but how many sets do I have to order to get one of their gymnasts to deliver?

Put me in on this too.

Steve Brown

Never seen/heard/dealt with them before. Like Paul said, I got most of my tops from Rivolta, who seem to have slightly better prices (top grade, with or without bearclaw, the equivalent of 54 bucks US), although they also have slightly vauger grading criteria (ie. simply Quality E, then I and II, and some III which is really B-grade stuff). Regardless, looks interesting, and worth a shot. Always good to diversify, right? Anyway, all you folk going to ASIA, remember that Rivolta (among others) will be there with some of their proudct for y'all to sample. I'll probably stick to Rivolta because I can quite easily actually visit them and spend an afternoon hand-picking tops, which ain't a bad way to spend the day. If people want me to warn them next time I head out there (my guess either july or september, at this point), and hand-pick some stuff, do tell.Mattia Valente38512.7935300926

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente] I'll probably stick to Rivolta because I can quite easily actually visit them and spend an afternoon hand-picking tops, which ain't a bad way to spend the day. If people want me to warn them next time I head out there (my guess either july or september, at this point), and hand-pick some stuff, do tell.[/QUOTE]

Mattia, If you are volunteering to hand pick some tops for us next time you visit Rivolta, I'll take you up on that. Of course you realize if this idea takes off around here you may end up being there a few days picking out tops .

mattia

i would certainly like to know shortly before you go.

Roy, I am indeed, and I do realize I may be asking for some trouble here. The stupidity of it all is that with the current airfare (you can get dirt cheap returns to milan) it can be cheaper/just as expensive to actually head over and spend a day hand-picking stuff. And I realize that if it gets crazy, 'a day' could turn into 'way more than a day' quite quickly :-) Let's please keep in mind I've got a weight allowance/limit, and even though spruce ain't heavy..well, y'know!

I'll post when I actually plan on moseying over, see if folks have particular preferences for grades and/or aesthetics; they've only got a few grades, so there's quite a bit of variation between 'em, particularly in the grade I stuff, all the good stuff's plenty stiff, ranging from wide-grained, and/or with a wiggle here and there, to simply even, fairly tight grained (this IS Euro, not Sitka) but having a few too many darker streaks for grade E. I like the grade I tops, and they're deinifitely the best value, but hand-picking is definitely the way to go there. Oh, and if ya like bearclaw, there's some 'o that too.

Mattia,

If you're hand picking, then the Grade I bearclaw sound mighty nice to me. Maybe we could work it so you do the picking and then Rivolta does the shipping direct. That would save you having to lug around a pile of wood all over Europe.

Thanks for offering.

Roy

Roy's suggestion sounds great to me, if I can jump in on this. I'd like to get a few sets if I don't blow my children's education at ASIA.

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Mark Joy

mjoy Guitars

I just want some of you guys at ASIA to instruct me in picking tops

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Don, I think there is a lecture on wood selection at ASIA this year. You are going right?

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

OK, quite a few peeps here interested.

Say, Don, if you pick up any interesting pointers on wood selection (other than: look for runout, check for quarter, stiffness and tap, besides cosmetic issues), be sure to share 'em ;-)

I'll look into having Rivolta do the shipping, since they've probably got better deals/relationships worked out with various couriers. I am wondering, however, whether it wouldn't be cheaper to send everything over in one shipment (one US address) and then re-ship from there. Guess it depends on the volume involved..

Anyway, let's work out the details when I actually pick a date for this trip, eh? Need to get m'self some more cash as it is.

[QUOTE=John How] Don, I think there is a lecture on wood selection at ASIA this year. You are going right?[/QUOTE]

I'm going but will have to check the schedule as I may only be able to make it for one day (Friday and/or Saturday).

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Sounds good to me Mattia. Keep us posted and I'm sure we can work out arrangements for shipping.

I hope that Rivolta will be at ASIA again this year. They were at the last symposium and I bought several tops from them as well as winning one in the auction.

Shawn, they're listed as 'going to be there', so all you lucky ASIA-goers can sift through a miniscule, but I'm sure great selection of their wares (they've got a fairly ludicrously sized set of shelves with spruce tops stacked two deep, and many meters into the air. And more than one of those..)Mattia Valente38516.531724537

I agree...I have been to Rivolta and just to stand in the middle of all of those Euro tops is amazing...I would sort through them to pick out what I liked best and found my pile growing ever higher and then had to go back to shrink it to the size I had budgeted for...

They are really nice people as well...It is a pleasure to do business with people who are eager to please and very friendly. When I am in Europe I attempt to go native and speak in the language of where ever I am so they kindly put up with poor Italian grammar while their English was much better than my Italian...

Now Dutch is another thing all together...It is a very difficult language but great people and a favorite spot to vacation. My wife is an artist and is a copyist at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC so we travel to the Netherlands to view the Dutch masters up close. You were just in the US visiting (I was travelling at that time) but I would love to get together the next time I am in Europe.

I need to streamline my selection process, yes. When I went, I was planning on maybe 4-5 tops, and came away with an even 10, and a set of macassar ebony. So, umm...yeah. Great, friendly folks, I very much agree with you on that.

Oh, and anyone, feel free to gimme a shout if you're headed vaguely my direction. Meeting fellow builders is always fun!

Uh Oh. I have to bow out. Not only did I blow my kids education, but I'm getting them both second jobs to pay the mortgage.

Next time, maybe,

--Mark joy

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Mark Joy

mjoy Guitars