Dick Knight guitar refin

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roxoff66
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Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby roxoff66 » Fri Nov 25, 2011 12:29 am

Well, for any interested parties, got my Dick Knight acoustic back from luthier John Marlow(Dewsbury) a week ago. What can I say? Let's see.
The top was stripped,lacquered and polished so that the cedar is positively glowing and the finish is like glass.
Any defective bracing fixed. A new bone saddle made. Guitar reset and a Baggs active soundhole p'up fitted. The strings fitted are Newtone Masterclass bronze 010-046.
I have a couple Lowdens, an F25c and 032c both loud and punchy. I also have a 1984 Ralph Bown om acoustic with great lived in sustain and tone. I must say, that the Dick Knight is, without doubt, the most sensitive of all. It plays like silk with a sustain to die for. A 1968 oldie but what a goodie!
To be a real anorak, I will post a pic of refin soon and maybe, in the near future, when I have dug into the guitars' sound, I'll post a bit of a vid of it being played.
Thanks to luthier John(I believe he is known to you Gordon?) for an empathetic job on a rare and unusual guitar.
Regards
Paul

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Russ Gannicott
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Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby Russ Gannicott » Wed May 16, 2012 12:25 am

Fantastic!!

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GORDON
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Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby GORDON » Wed May 16, 2012 8:27 am

roxoff66 wrote:Well, for any interested parties, got my Dick Knight acoustic back from luthier John Marlow(Dewsbury) a week ago. What can I say? Let's see.
The top was stripped,lacquered and polished so that the cedar is positively glowing and the finish is like glass.
Any defective bracing fixed. A new bone saddle made. Guitar reset and a Baggs active soundhole p'up fitted. The strings fitted are Newtone Masterclass bronze 010-046.
I have a couple Lowdens, an F25c and 032c both loud and punchy. I also have a 1984 Ralph Bown om acoustic with great lived in sustain and tone. I must say, that the Dick Knight is, without doubt, the most sensitive of all. It plays like silk with a sustain to die for. A 1968 oldie but what a goodie!
To be a real anorak, I will post a pic of refin soon and maybe, in the near future, when I have dug into the guitars' sound, I'll post a bit of a vid of it being played.
Thanks to luthier John(I believe he is known to you Gordon?) for an empathetic job on a rare and unusual guitar.
Regards
Paul


I do indeed know Paul, a fine maker and nice man..VERY quiet. Will check him out!

My Knight 12 string still ranks alongside some of the best I have ever played!

Can't wait to see the pics!

Be Well sir.

G.

bobhwoodward
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Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:39 pm

Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby bobhwoodward » Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:21 pm

Hi Gordon et al,


Nice to meet other people who appreciate Dick Knight's outstanding luthiery. Many years ago, 1972, a friend handed me a second hand guitar he'd just bought. It was a flat top in spruce and mahogany made by Dick. at that point I had about 6 guitars, varying from rubbish to dire plus a Keech banjulele. I'd tried a few of the greats in shops but they were either too expensive or not that impressive. This guitar was a revelation. It tuned up ( a rarity in the 70s), looked great, was affordable (he'd bought it from Dick) and sounded amazing!

I sold everything I had with strings on plus a couple of old ex Beeb Ferrograph tape decks and phoned Dick.

At that time I felt most acoustics were dull and soggy especially when played higher up the neck, so I opted for maple back and sides with a spruce top. What I might lose in bass was more than made up by the bright response on blues soloing up the neck. Dick asked me what sort of neck I wanted. Again I felt most acoustics of the era were equipped with broom handles, too narrow and the fretboard too flat. I was used to electrics and as I was no longer playing in bands at that point I wanted a guitar that would do 'electric' and acoustic fingering. Dick let me try a few guitars he was working on all of which were great but not floating my boat. Then he handed me a Strat he was working on and that was it! I'd found the neck, a little wider than average with a gentle curve to the ebony finger board. The resulting guitar was, and still is a dream. The finish is cracked ( Dick advised me not to have it refinished) but the sound is amazing. Loud, bright and precise. It's been my constant companion for nearly 40 years and I've never ceased to be amazed by it every time I pick it up, especially now I'm back in a band! It's blonde good looks and excellent playability have impressed anyone who has picked it up. It was one of a kind until someone I was working with ordered a copy, but he did agree to have his sprayed sunburst!

In December last year I managed to buy its companion. A 1959 (I have a copy of the 'ready for collection letter' in Dick's own hand) hand carved arch top by Dick also in maple and spruce. Stunning, words fail me!

These two axes together with my USA deluxe Strat mean I have three world class guitars. Shame the player is more village standard!!


Bob

mpmusicny
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Location: New York

Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby mpmusicny » Wed Jan 23, 2013 2:59 pm

Well reading these threads about Knight acoustics has made me a tad teary-eyed. For many years I owned a DK acoustic that was, if memory serves, nearly identical to the one featured on the cover of John Renbourn's Faroe Annie album. Could have been it, in fact. A very close friend, who bought it from a dealer, sold it to me in the early '80's. He related to me the story of the day he took it to Mr. Knight to have some work done. He asked him if he himself had made this guitar, and Dick, looking a tad miffed, fixed him with a withering stare and replied "yea, but I didn't make it for you . . " I''m no expert on woods, but I'm pretty sure it had a rosewood back and sides. It was fitted with a Barcus Berry pickup, socket coming out of the tail. I would say, Gordon, looking at your 12 string, it's identical but for the missing 6 tuners! About 10 years ago it was stolen from a studio in San Francisco, and I've missed it every day since. It was my companion through hundreds of London gigs in the eighties. Anyway, it's great to come across some other folks who appreciate these wonderful instruments.

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GORDON
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Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby GORDON » Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:42 pm

mpmusicny wrote:Well reading these threads about Knight acoustics has made me a tad teary-eyed. For many years I owned a DK acoustic that was, if memory serves, nearly identical to the one featured on the cover of John Renbourn's Faroe Annie album. Could have been it, in fact. A very close friend, who bought it from a dealer, sold it to me in the early '80's. He related to me the story of the day he took it to Mr. Knight to have some work done. He asked him if he himself had made this guitar, and Dick, looking a tad miffed, fixed him with a withering stare and replied "yea, but I didn't make it for you . . " I''m no expert on woods, but I'm pretty sure it had a rosewood back and sides. It was fitted with a Barcus Berry pickup, socket coming out of the tail. I would say, Gordon, looking at your 12 string, it's identical but for the missing 6 tuners! About 10 years ago it was stolen from a studio in San Francisco, and I've missed it every day since. It was my companion through hundreds of London gigs in the eighties. Anyway, it's great to come across some other folks who appreciate these wonderful instruments.


In a moment of weakness I nearly sold my DK 12, but now have it back. It is probably the finest "traditional" sounding 12 string I have ever heard. It has that big chiming sound that we all associate with 12 strings. Think of Guilds and then think of a guiitar that has all those elements but 50% better and you have the DK.

I actually set up that DK for John Renbourn and remember it well. It sounded very much like his old Gibson J50 but somehow "richer". Knowing John, he still has that guitar along with pretty much every guitar he has ever owned or played going right back to his Scarth dance band guitar that he had prior to the Gibson.

SO sad about that wonderful beast being stolen...a pox on the thief!

Be Well and thanks for the posting.

Warm Regards.

G.

GUS WALTERS 1
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Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby GUS WALTERS 1 » Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:42 pm

Hi Gordon and everyone ,I also have a Dick knight ( almost identical to John Renbourns on faro annie cover) I brought it from a friend in the early 80s . he purchased it in 1972 from Dick knight . The back and sides are made from a dark wood with a very pronounced grain and i have no idea what the wood is! The guitar sounds and plays like a dream with loads of sustain , i would like to post a few pictures in the hope somebody could help identify the wood used ,with your permission of course ?

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GORDON
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Re: Dick Knight guitar refin

Postby GORDON » Mon Feb 25, 2013 7:07 pm

GO FOR IT SIR!

G.


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