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This is probably over the top for the Brits among us, but we'll show it anyway. This is a Bearclaw Sitka/Indian rosewood SJ.
The customer ordered all the bells and whistles:
Curly maple bindings
Mahog/Indian/maple/Indian/mahog neck
Ebony FB, African blackwood bridge
I'm not sold on the black pickguard, but it was the customer's request.
One last word--sorry for the poor pic quality.

Thanks as always,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Cool, Steve,. Some serious bearclaw in that piece of wood. Wow.. Beautiful work.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Terrific work Steve.

Does it come with a complimentary pair of sunglasses

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

WOW that is some serious bearclaw!

Beautiful guitar Steve!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Thanks guys!
I showed the pics of this while it was in Tony's booth.
Thought you might like to see the finished product.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

What a fantastic top AND guitar!
I belive I saw that a few weeks ago while at Tonys!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Steve, somebody must have really ticked off that bear. Man, he clawed the heck outta that thing.

Seriously though, that's a fine looking guitar.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Stupendous! I love it....

But, what do you mean by "This is probably over the top for the Brits among us"?
Speaking as a Brit, I have no idea what you're getting at....

Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

Yeah that top is out-of-sight cool Steve buddy and the rest of the guitar does it justice too.

As always your work is superb in all respects!

Steve, I really like the understated elegance of it. If the Shakers built guitars that's what they would look like. Sitka and abalone, what can I say?

Seriously Steve you know what I think of the Kinnaird skill level, always quality, always hangs together.

Can I suggest this pattern for your next pickguard.





Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Ooooola la...

Nice one Stephen.

I really like the flame maple stripe in the neck.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Steve, try a higher setting on your iron next time. That top is still wrinkled.

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Aoibeann

Again, my thanks to you all!
Lillian, you are right--that top does look like a shirt from my college days!

Bruce, good--I thought you might.

Colin, you usual historical perspective is spot on. This is an exact copy of the Jedidiah Smith guitar at the Shaker Museum in PA. Good eye!
Speaking of good eye, that IS the Kinnaird tartan. (Where did you find that?!) I would love to get a run of this in flannel, and line my cases with it. Would have to pass on the pickguard...though it could be offered as an option.....

Hesh, thanks amigo.

Dave F, here's an odd twist: an American trying to explain how Brits think...to a Brit! Well, you are living over here(?) so let me try:
The (seemingly) universal aesthetic among the British builders has been for clean, uncomplicated, modestly adorned instruments. One where the wood does (almost) all the talking. Thus, high ornamentation is bypassed in favor of that which is more subtle. In other words, you'll be hard pressed to find overstatement on a British built guitar. On the other hand, we Americans just don't know when to stop, and if a little pearl is good, then a lot is better!
And hey, we're durn proud of it!

Dave R, Lance, many thanks guys!

Here's a shot of why we do such crazy things:

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Not surprised..... you always do 'em right!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Steve, just ggogled Kinnaird tartan and came up with dozens of hits.

http://www.tartanstore.net/tartan/Kinnaird-/32134?filter_searchterm=Kinnaird

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Peter, many thanks!
Colin, I appreciate the link.

SK

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve,

Thanks for the warning - I put my sunglasses on before I looked at the pictures Cool - great workmanship as always and by the look of it a very happy customer.

So now you're with the Movers and Shakers !! And thanks to Colin the next one is going to have Kinnaird tartan ablone purflings - Och Aye, noo that's bling fer ya Jimmy!!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Nice one Steve!

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Having fun building guitars

But maybe that level of bearclaw needs a new name.
Looks more like pond ripples to me. Like a bear dove into the pond!

Whatever.. it's still amazing!

Craig

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www.handcraftinlay.com

Maybe it should be called Bear Wake!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Ba da bling! Gorgeous top for sure!

So Kinnaird is Scottish. Here's proof the tartan is recognized!

Man, that makes me feel important. Of course that's a fleeting feeling as most of the Kinnairds were driven out of Scotland as sheep thieves.
Dave, Matt, Craig, Anthony--thanks for the kind words.
Waddy, I'd work on that term a bit more. Lacks a little ferocity, don't you think?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Good one, Lillian... I still have tears in my eyes from laughing!

Steve... Sometimes the customers have a way of charting a course we may not have planned on traveling. I believe in this case (based on the shot of him with the guitar) he took you to the right destination!

Nice work, Steve!

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

Steve
Great guitar bro! That claw is psychodelic (flash backs from the 60's, that word just popped in there, don't tell mom I said it) I always appreciate your neck inlay that matches the back inlay. I am betting that there is a lot of curl in the maple that got washed out in the flash.

Thanks for the tartan view Colin. That is actually a really pretty Tartan and it kind of makes me proud. We do need case linings in that pattern. I have been giving some serious thought to incorporating a thistle in my logo somehow.

KBE

Thanks are in order to you two gents:

Bob-as I am a fan of your work, your kind words are most welcome.

Bro-thanks! You're right, the flash on these pics did me in. (I was in too much of a hurry.) And yes, that maple was heavily curled, and added just the right amount of spice to the dark rosewood.
Get on that thistle idea...let's do it.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com