dr4dpet - Posted - 03/03/2016:  13:10:28

I heard them play a couple of weeks ago, they are well worth hearing.

How did Josh grow that beard in such a short time?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/08/2016:  05:37:48

Dave,

Thanks, I've always been partial to those colors!

The "B" note buzz was one of the odder things I've chased in a while and it did take a bit of time to sleuth out.  I think that my client told me that the guitar is about 5 years old. I honestly figure that the brace was broken during bridge gluing and that it came that way from the maker.

P.s. I could certainly make you one!

JW,

They did a great show! They even let me play some with them. As to Josh's beard, I don't know as I've never been able to grow one!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 03/08/2016 05:40:24

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/08/2016:  06:05:05

GREAT TUESDAY MORNING!

I'm getting ready to head into the shop, eating breakfast, drinking the morning cup and trying to play computer catchup! Might be Heinz, bit it's not!

These past several days have been so very busy, morning till night and I'm not sure how it has happened. The upcoming river touring is really beginning to really look like vacation time.

Here are just a few shots from these days...

David Emery's 000 receiving its final lacquer coats...

I've been hiding this as a surprise for David, but I slipped up and let a photo by with just a hint and so got busted... so David here is the little inlay on the back of your guitar...

Resetting the neck on a 30's Gretch guitar...

Saturday morning the fellers got to having fun mocking Tyler Andal's hammer and saw photos. We tried to out do him... did we?

Removing the masking from the french polished top...

Zeb wet sanding and Chris and I gluing on his back...

  

Me sanding between coats on the Yin & Yang..

Monday removing the go-bar clamps from Chris' guitar body...

I was shooting a "selfie" and just look what showed up in the photo!?!?!?!

How many ways can one describe sanding?

More soon!

Dave1climber - Posted - 03/08/2016:  09:32:27

Did you out do Tyler's photo?...............NO.



Sanding......ZEN

northwoodspicker - Posted - 03/08/2016:  10:12:47

can't wait to hear that oak 000!

maynardje - Posted - 03/10/2016:  10:32:32

That guitar looks great David! Would love to hear a sound clip when complete!

Dan, Looking forward to seeing some shots of the Aeroplane banjo. Can't wait for that!

Jamie

rubicon - Posted - 03/14/2016:  17:45:56

Wanted to say hello Dan hope your well miss your daily posts ...

dr4dpet - Posted - 03/14/2016:  23:19:10

I'm hoping the dearth of posts is due to Dan being on a boat without an internet connection.

rubicon - Posted - 03/15/2016:  16:37:04

I wondered the same thing I come everyday to check on it I see it hasn't been daily in a while then again it's probably alot of extra work everyday ..

DEmery - Posted - 03/15/2016:  17:51:39

I checked on Dan this past Monday. It seems there is a city process for redevelopment that is keeping him busy while he works away at building. I am hopeful it is good for his town and area when the shop is located. Anyway, I am sure he will show up soon and post an update. David E.

rubicon - Posted - 03/15/2016:  20:02:27

Thanks David I miss seeing his projects progress always swing by here once a day at least

northwoodspicker - Posted - 03/22/2016:  18:58:45

I'm just dying to see some pics of that white oak 000!

cbcarlisle - Posted - 03/23/2016:  11:30:00

This is kinda like your dad going on a trip when you were a kid. You miss him while he's gone - but when he returns...he'll bring PRESENTS!

rubicon - Posted - 03/23/2016:  15:32:13

For me checking this thread daily became part of Bho , almost like a special category

northwoodspicker - Posted - 03/23/2016:  19:17:08

Yep, me too, one of the reasons why I even come back here...

GMB - Posted - 03/24/2016:  05:55:51

Hard to log in and not get any news from Dan.  Like going home to visit your hometown and missing your best friend.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/25/2016:  18:13:08

SORRY I'VE BEEN AWAY SO LONG

THANK Y'ALL FOR MISSING ME

It's good to be remembered!

In his earlier post David Emery sort of described my life as of late. Busy beyond busy.

It has certainly been good... but busy!

But here is a post mostly from the luthier's side of life...

Over the past couple of weeks we purty much finished up 19 (which is many) mini-banjos. We'd a had them all finished yesterday but I miscounted string sets and I ran out before they all were strung.

Eddie and I will be working both the Queen of the Mississippi (formerly known as the American Eagle) and the new ACL boat America. Carrying banjos back and forth was such a difficulty last season that this year we figured it was worth the making of a brand new batch. 

Here I'm sawing out a neck...

I thought this photo looked kind'a old fashioned so...

I just realized that I have a little speaker on the end of the bench that the necks are on and I'm wearing a set of muffs... makes you wonder doesn't it!

Neck carving...

And rasping...

My faithful friends and helpers, (Henry county's finest painter) John Monroe (no relation to Bill) and Luthier friend Hollis Mayo helping stick frets in the little ones....

Hollis cutting and presetting frets...

John driving them home with the fret press...

John and I also made a couple of large canvases for future paintings. Here we are building mine. It's almost 9 feet tall!

Last Saturday our day started out very early with a trip to Franklin, Tennessee to watch our granddaughter Natalie play in a big volleyball tournament. We were lucky enough to watch her team play 9 games back to back! That is true stamina!

Oh yes, that is our daughter-in-law Nancy and our son John in the photo too! 

After volleyball we hurried home to host a concert with the Shepherd Family at the Lee Academy for the Arts. It was a sold out house and they were just Great! Iris & Jordan are  students of mine (Iris won 4th. in the state of Tennessee fiddle in her division a week before this) although I am really more of a coach than a teacher. 

Here I'm introducing them...

Iris shows out!

And Jordan plays a Bach cello concerto...

The newest member Grace has her fiddle debut. That's older brother Gideon back there on the cello...

They even let me come up and play St. Ann's Reel with them!

Back n the mini-banjos drilling rims for dowel sticks...

My guitar building student Thomas Baily even took a hand in neck carving!

Today the white oak 000 had its back, sides and the lacquered parts of the neck wet sanded...

One more photo of my pal John sanding necks....

More Soon!!!

rubicon - Posted - 03/25/2016:  19:01:53

Nice to see you back Dan how's the old Ying and Yang beast coming along ?

jbalch - Posted - 03/25/2016:  19:28:09

Hey Dan:  Is this the right stuff?  How dark do you roast it?

dbrooks - Posted - 03/26/2016:  05:24:24

Thanks for the update, Dan. Lots of adventures in the past couple of weeks, and you summarized them very well.

David

Nels - Posted - 03/26/2016:  06:07:10

Glad to see the new post... that is a lot of nice work!

DEmery - Posted - 03/26/2016:  07:15:02

Dan I lost track of the times you have sanded, leveled, and polished the 000. Is the final process wet sanding leaving it low gloss or does it hit a buffing wheel last putting a high sheen? We left the idea of an aged, cracked finish some time ago since the 000 got a French polished top and lacquer sides/back, etc..  With all you have been up to of late; are we looking at April or May getting er' strung up, final set up, boxed and headed south? David E.

Dave1climber - Posted - 03/26/2016:  07:56:55

Dan

how many banjos did did you and your friends make?  And how long did it take from the time the supples came in the door and the banjos were finished?

Steven M - Posted - 03/26/2016:  14:31:21

iPads replacing sheet music. Times they are a changin'.

Bufo Bill - Posted - 03/26/2016:  15:17:50

Hollis Mayo wins the award for best name I have heard this week. Glad to have you back Mr Dan. 9 games? Your granddaughter sure has some get up and go . . . But then she has Knowles blood in her veins, and get up and go seems to be a family specialty going from your posts in the past!

All the best from Bill. :D

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/26/2016:  17:56:12

Rubicon,

Glad to be back. It's just about ready for its wet sanding buffing and finishing.

John,

Roast that stuff until the oil begins to show, the grab a metal strainer and cool it down. Let it sit at least over night before you use it and the flavor will develop better.

Dave, Nels & Bill,

Thanks glad to be here!

David,

If all goes well I hope to have her ready to go middle of April.

Dave,

19. I think that I ordered the drums last November or December. Most of the other stuff was already in the shop, some of it for years.

Steven,

That is one thing that I don't need to get into... I could sure pontificate long and loud about not having any charts on stage!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/26/2016:  18:13:18

SATURDAY

Instrument building with a full class! And we were certainly full of class!

Everybody came on in for a lecture on edge routing using my Apprentice (stand) to hold Thomas' guitar body.

Case you kan't remember they are (from L to R) Jeff Fletcher, Chris Graves, Zeb Young, (the Bailey Bros. Circus) Kevin Bailey, Thomas Bailey & Me...

Thomas routing, Jeff and me watch... Jeff will have to do this next week....

All a workin'..

Chris hand routing for purfling...

Zeb spirit varnishing...

This photo looked so old fashioned that I couldn't help but post another...

Jeff signing the inside of his guitar before closing it up & Kevin gluing in neck & end blocks....

Thomas figuring binding...

Jeff, Chris & I gluing in purfling into a too deep channel. Those paper shims certainly were the cats meow!

MORE SOON!!!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 03/27/2016:  06:00:24

Some fine looking instruments made by some fine talented people with a great teacher..Cheers!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/28/2016:  18:13:25

Doug,

Thanks!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/28/2016:  18:53:08

MONDAY

ARTIN' & ENGRAVIN"

We just returned home from a meeting of the Lee Historic Neighborhood Association. I've been elected the president this is an exciting time for our neighborhood and a very exciting time to be involved.

It is hard to believe that this neighborhood just 15 years ago was one that our taxi drivers wouldn't enter at night. The house next to the antebellum mansion was a crack house. Most of the houses here were rental units some with rooms that rented weekly.

Now we are a active fairly stable neighborhood full of turn of the 20th. century homes. This is not to say that we don't have problems... we do. The two major ones are 4 abandoned homes and a few rental properties that are in bad need of care.

We are working hard on especially the abandoned problems with several ideas in play and a great deal of help from the city. 

On to Luthin'

Today I was able to dig into some real banjo building with a return to Aeroplane. Here's what happened...

This banjo's peghead is covered with a brass plate and it got aged in preperation for more fun...

Yes, I use Jax...

   

BThis one will get a row of round head wood screws spaced around the peghead perimeter, so here I'm laying out the drilling spacing...

A punch marks the spot...

And keeps the drill bit in place...

In go the screws....

In. Before I move on I will age any little scars on the screw heads...

This is my logo that I will engrave into the peghead...

Engraving...

Logo done... John Hartford awaits!

Now to Artin'

Another project that I just finished was this new painting. It is painted completely with white. Angled light casts shadows on the surface exposing the images. This does make it a bit tricky to photograph. The painting is nine feet tall and 50 inches at its widest point.

It is titled ANGLES.

Details...

More Soon!!!

Dave1climber - Posted - 03/28/2016:  21:48:21

President Dan Knowles, an exciting time indeed!!  Rental rooms by the week, much higher class than by the hour.  

The screws, are they insurance against the possibility of a failure of the glue, or steam punk decoration, or both?  Looking good in any case.

Great art!! 

It's good to have you back.

Paul R - Posted - 03/28/2016:  22:57:18

Wow. Amazing painting, Dan.

What medium did you use?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/29/2016:  05:45:41

Dave,

I have heard tales of hourly room but I don't repeat them! The screws are both.

Paul,

Thanks. It is acrylic...thick acrylic.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/29/2016:  19:54:49

TUESDAY

Further engraving on the Aero*Plain...

The photos tell most...

Well,

most everything...

Today was a teaching day too!

The great Artist John Monroe brought in his new painting Paradise Found today. I love it. It's for sale... still I'd almost like it to always stay here!

More Soon!

 

Dave1climber - Posted - 03/29/2016:  21:15:51

That Aeroplane banjo is going to be a head turner, and if past history is any indication of how it will sound it's going to be world class!    

Teaching and chilling in front of a lushes painting, what a life.  

Steven M - Posted - 03/30/2016:  13:24:16

That is one of my favorite portraits of all time, great choice!

kwl - Posted - 03/30/2016:  15:13:33

Congratulations Mr. President! Sorry for the delay in acknowledging this, but I've been without Internet service since Monday.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/30/2016:  19:22:28

Dave, Steven ampersand Kenneth,

Thanks so much!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 03/30/2016:  19:49:17

ENGRAVING 

DAY 2

Back to the John Hartford Aereo*Plain portrait engraving. This thing is a real challenge and because of that it's a lot of fun! The photo that this is being taken from is from the cover of my personal favorite Hartford recording. 

After the dark ares were engraved (yesterday) I re-aged (today) those parts could again be in the shadow...

And using a lining graver I brightened the light colored bits...

...Drew in the eyes...

And began engraving them...

And laid out the lettering and took up the graver...

Here 'tiz after the first pass at the lettering...

And after more coloring and engraving. It's almost done!

Sombody asked about the Yin & Yang guitar. Well today it got wet sanded...

MORE SOON!!!

maynardje - Posted - 03/31/2016:  09:02:34

Wow Dan

That engraving is amazing! Thanks for the pics! Cant wait

Jamie

Steven M - Posted - 03/31/2016:  13:26:11

Great engraving!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 04/01/2016:  14:46:34

Jamie,

I'm glad that you like it. I'm thinking about doing a inlay of the Julia Belle Swain on the fingerboard. What do you think?

Steven,

Thanks!

guitarman8491 - Posted - 04/01/2016:  17:41:02

Dan..that Aereo Plain engraving is wild..really like it! You are quite the artist and engraver!

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 04/01/2016:  21:42:51

You are a talented man Dan! That peghead is pretty awesome.

maynardje - Posted - 04/02/2016:  06:46:50

Wow Dan

That engraving is amazing! Thanks for the pics! Cant wait

Jamie

maynardje - Posted - 04/02/2016:  06:47:40

Dan,

That sounds great--- Truly a work of art

Dan Knowles - Posted - 04/03/2016:  19:32:32

Doug, Blake & Jamie,

Thanks! Glad you like it!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 04/03/2016:  21:22:53

FRIDAY * SATURDAY * SUNDAY

Hay everyone, it's time for a quick catchup before I head off to bed. 

I bet you get tired of reading the word busy, but that is just the exact word to describe the past few days...

Friday I did this banjo dowel stick reset . Like they so often do this ones dowel became loose and wallowed out its mortise. I drilled & filled and the re-drilled the puppy now it's time to glue it back in.

This is the simple jig for this job. I found a dead straight piece of walnut and centered it on the fingerboard. First at the 5th. fret and then down at the end.

Here I'm checking everything out before gluing. This also got a block (not shown) to hold the stick squair. I'll try to shoot a photo tomorrow...

Friday night at Lee Academy for the Arts I was a waiter for a French dinner. We fed around 50 guests and had a great time!!!

Saturday in the guitar building class Zeb buffs his guitar...

And I try to keep him calm!

Jeff installs a end strip as Chris and I work on wood binding...

My good friend and great artist John Monroe watches as Jeff stets the strip...

And Zeb cleans his guitar top after gluing on his bridge...

Saturday night Debbie and I went up to Paducah, Kentucky to help one of our favorite folks, Josh Coffey celebrate the grand opening of his new teaching studio Time on a String. It's located in the old Coca Cola building and are these wonderful digs. In addition to having a beautiful second story windowed studio the building is home to the Dry Ground Brewery where Josh with the Wheelhouse Rousters performed later in the evening...

 A little out of order here (but oh well), earlier in the day they had a jam session in the lobby. This was taken just a few minutes before I got there...

Today was the opening of the Paris Henry County Arts Council's 2016 Artist Showcase show. Sam too 2ed. in oil and acrylics for his painting Moon Sailing!!!!

And I lucked into 1st. with Memories of Tomorrow....

Here I'm with my new "managers" , my grandsons Keaton & Bradan...

MORE SOON!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 04/04/2016:  17:03:58

MONDAY

The clock is tickin' down till Wednesday when Eddie and I head out to begin this year's river season. I'm excited about the traveling and the performing  but I wish that I had a couple more weeks to get stuff done before I head out. Still much is accomplished when a clock is held to my head!

Yesterday I said that I'd post some photos of my quick and dirty neck gluing jig. With the neck & dowel together they were put into the rim which allowed me to measure and figure the size of block to hold the neck in place.

Some side of the neck finish repair with French polish...

It was missing a little crown shaped inlay. So I made one lie this:

First I put a piece of tape over the cavity and then made a tracing...

   

Cut the inlay out of a piece of piano key ivory. & stuck it in...

MORE SOON!!!