Reviewed By: Jac Harrison
Purchased from: Manufacturer
Street Price: $4,190.00 USD with case + shipping
About:
Knaggs Guitars is a manufacturer of handcrafted, custom boutique electric guitars by master luthier Joe Knaggs based out of Greensboro, MD.
This Knaggs Keya T2 Winter Solstice #38 at 24.75" scale length has a set mahogany neck dressed rosewood fingerboard featuring 24 frets separated by Knaggs signature inlay markers with a bone nut in a mahogany body and a "Winter Solstice" quilted maple top.
Hardware:
Gold tone Knaggs one piece bridge/tailpiece and machine heads, (1) volume (1) tone knob and 3-way selector switch.
Electronics:
Matching set of Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucker with (2) 500k CTS pots.
Sound
Amp used:
Tone King Imperial
Selector position 1: Just Neck
Warm and full with a rock tone on 10 and a jazz tone on 7.
Selector position 2: Middle
An even balance between the neck and bridge.
Selector position 3: Just Bridge
Very hot early PAF -- not vintage but as it would have sounded from the factory when new.
Action, Fit & Finish:
The finish is an amazing translucent copper and powder blue on a quilted maple top they have dubbed "Winter Solstice". The action was low without any fret buzz and the intonation was dead on.
Reliability & Durability:
The guitar seems to be well made. It is solid through and through. There was no hum or crackles from the electronics all knobs and hardware installed snug and proper.
Impression:
My first impression was wow! I have always loved the look of a double cutaway with (2) humbuckers. This is the style that most people associate with the PRS company even though it is offered by many luthiers -- but for some reason they just do not get it right. Not so in this case; this was done right.
To start she is a slim, curvy, copper and blue beauty with an hourglass figure that just fits the players body. I was able to easily fly up and down her neck reaching the 24th without any hesitation. With a set of Seymour Duncan Seth Lover PAF's at her heart, she has the voice of an angel with a serious attitude problem and a lack of respect for the authorities. This is a rock/dirty blues guitar if i have ever played one.
I only had the chance to play her for about a half hour while I was visiting the good people over at the GTR store in Edison NJ -- but I'm sure she would sound amazing through my Bogner on stage in some dive and at just 6.8 lbs she is about half the weight of some of the (2) humbucker LP style guitars out there.
What I would change:
Not a damn thing -- she is perfect just the way she is.
My advice:
If you are a PRS, Gibson LP/SG or any (2) PAF humbucker player -- just put your guitar down and go play a Knaggs.
Buy the guitar in this review gtrstore.com
Contact:
Knaggs Guitars
213 Church Street
213 Church Street
Posted 12/2012
