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All in the title really. I see these DK guitars for sale occasionally but I do not think they have been mentioned on here.
I cannot find any links anyway. I know he was a UK builder and guitars are still made under his name.
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08-23-2020 05:58 AM
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I posed this same question earlier this year (perhaps with the same inspiration). Not many replies from anyone with experience of Knight guitars. Here are a couple of earlier threads with information about this luthier.
British Jazz Guitar Makers
Acoustic Guitar luthiers in Europe?
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Thanks for that cmajor9. I could not find any links on here either.
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I have had 2 occasions to see "in person" a Dick Knight . The first was a L5 style in the early 90s, the other was a rather strange F5 mandolin shaped guitar, some years ago . As I remember the craftsmanship was top notch, the sound was fine, but I had only the possibility to try them for a few minutes . They were reputedly built by Dick Knight himself.
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I know Guitars N Jazz had 1 or 2 of his guitars a little while back. Lou spoke very highly of them.
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My first Dick Knight was a flat top jumbo acoustic, built for me by Dick in 1973. I've always played guitar in my spare time. When I retired I played in several blues bands for six years and formed my own band, Blue Dog.
Dick was a lovely modest guy and I still own and play that first DK guitar, it rings like a bell and, when the chance comes along, I love to play it live. I own or have owned several of his guitars, all wonderful. I had a 1958 arched top jazz guitar which was an amazing piece of work. Incredibly powerful with brilliant acoustic tone due to the fact that Dick used to carve out the strutting when he made the top and back. After a few years I sold it because I'm not a jazz guitarist and couldn't do it justice. I don't believe in hanging guitars on the wall so I passed it on to a young, bright jazzer who loves it and plays it live.
I now own a DK '335' built in 1973, apparently for Bowie's original lead guitarist. It's a beautiful instrument with a brilliant range of tones from its (I think) Schaller pups. I got Dick's grandson, Gordon Wells, to change the worn out pots and to add coil splitting and it is now a dream guitar.
I may also be swapping an underused Guild 12 string for a friend's DK Les Paul, which I'm really excited about.
Because Dick's guitars were all bespoke, small scale production he is not that well known compared to the American behemoths like Gibson but his work far outclasses them. An american jazz guitar mag favourably compared his guitars to D'Agellicos. If you see one second hand, snap it up!
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Dick's guitars are excellent, and a fine tribute to his memory. His workshop also did lots of work for many of the British megastars, carried out often by Dick and Gordon.
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Originally Posted by bobhwoodward
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In response to a post dated 2020...I have recently bought it. It is fantastic. Better than the Gibson L5 Premier I tried a while back.
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Originally Posted by davidcellist
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Hammer is right charming when he doesn’t take his meds…
Originally Posted by Hammertone
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Originally Posted by Crm114
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Here is a pic of the Knight Jazz Guitar. It has a Bartolini pu which sounds amazing. It has a new set of TI George Benson strings and it is making me create lines in quite a different way. I had a Gibson L4 CES but this is far better. I rang Knight Guitars in Surrey, UK, and the guy said oh yeah my dad built this...Dick Knight...or it might be his son in law Gordon. Anyways it plays great - better than the Gibson Premier - which the body is modelled on - that I tried which was valued at about $7000...
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Nice guitar
thanks for the brief bio
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Originally Posted by Crm114
Yes the guitar is a bit of a revealation. I play a lot of jazz on my Martin 000 - 28 which I love and also my Gibson CS Les Paul but this Knight geetar man it different. It resonates unlike any other archtop I have ever played. All I know of its provenance is that it was owned by a female classical guitarist who fell into a jazz coma after hearing Coltrane being played in a bar in London. The instrument is quite worn with a few dings but otherwise in good condition. I prefer ebony fingerboards which I have on all of my guitars and this one is good quality ebony as far as I can tell anyways. I am playing a solo gig with it in two weeks time - just playing standards - and I will use my Mesa Boogie Lonestar. I am so looking forward to using it with a full brass section with the band I usually play for. It may well not cut through though. I know my LP will. Do any of you folks have any advice to offer? Peace. Oh btw - Hammertone - your posts were on point and really hilarious!
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For one of my college girlfriends, every night was Dick Knight.
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Try to get that joke on 9gag...
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Originally Posted by Donplaysguitar
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The shape of the f holes and their placement really remind me of a gibson Johnny Smith very nice
if you have time and can take some extra pictures we would sure like to see them
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Nice guitar!
The headstock looks more Koontz/Standel style than Knight usual one . A special order ?
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Standel! Yes I saw a dude playing one at a jazz gig in Brighton, UK, a while back. Damn fine guitar. Idk if this was a special order. It has that D'Angellico headstock look which Sam Koonntz used - yes. It seems to have been built in the 1980s - I am the third owner. It plays great and sounds very lively.
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Update - I bought a Gibson L5 CES recently to compliment the more pre-war sound of the Knight archtop. The latter is a copy of an acoustic L5 anyways. I love the L5CES - nothing like the real thing...the Gibson sits in the mix with the double bass and drums perfectly and comping chords is so fluid on it. For solo parts it sings like...a Gibson L5CES. The Knight I still use for Django stuff.
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Mine that was recently restored and rebound. 18-1/4” wide. I am still looking for that fitting case…
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One pic went missing. I was told it is 1951 or 1952
Replacement rosewood bridge base for 1977 Gibson...
Today, 02:39 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos