Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: not darth on May 08, 2012, 05:36:09 PM
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Hey all,
I've been talking off and on here and elsewhere about getting a small body 12-fret as my second guitar.
My first is a Taylor GSLJ, similar to a 610, it's a sitka/maple dreadnought.
Back in February I was at The Podium as they did have a Taylor 12-fret. It was nice, but just didn't fall in love with it.
I'd considered a BTO, quite seriously, but just kept chickening out on committing to something I hadn't heard in person.
On one of my stops in to drool at the lovelies, Jeff at The Podium handed me a nice little OM from a maker I'd never heard of before: Terry Kennedy, Kennedy Guitars, Alexandria, MN. He's a retired orthopedic surgeon that has kept his hands busy into retirement. Builds, from scratch, about a half dozen per year. Available exclusively through himself or The Podium.
Well, with one strum I pretty much was sold. Didn't pull the trigger that day, but couldn't stop thinking about it. (I also tried another Kennedy, a Lutz/double-Mahogany, but that sold so my decision became easier.)
So in early March I decided to get it, as a gift to myself for completing my Bachelor's degree, and yesterday I paid it off completely and got to take 'er home!
Here's a little slideshow with a clip recorded by Kevin at The Podium.
http://youtu.be/3U2bV0SjYgk (http://youtu.be/3U2bV0SjYgk)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2696.jpg)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2727.jpg)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2747.jpg)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2725.jpg)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2733.jpg)
(http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k549/47Ag/Stuff%20Goes%20Here/My%2042/IMG_2728.jpg)
I've got some pretty good callouses, but today I've been putting them to the test. With the exception of taking the photos and posting up the report, I've basically been playing to my heart's content!
The resonance that flows through this guitar and into my body makes it feel absolutely alive!
:)
-Kris
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Beautiful sounding guitar!! Looks great too! :D
Steve
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Congrats! Beautiful.
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Congrats on the new guitar and finishing your degree.
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I replied to your post on the dark side "not darth".
Beautiful guit and that clip sounds schweeet!
Sounds like the surgeon really breathed some life into that one!
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Very nice indeed! Congrats on your degree as well.
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Sweet lookin and soundin.
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Congrats!! Nice reward for some very hard work. Enjoy...you certainly earned it! 8)
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Congratulations! That looks like a beautiful guitar. I'm sure you'll enjoy it for a long time.
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Sounds great, Kris.
Congrats on the degree and on a fine guitar.
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Good grief that guitar sounds great! Looks great, too! No wonder you've played it all day :)
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Thank you for the kind words, and the congratulations for my BSN.
I feel like I am one huge step closer to my ultimate goal: Master's degree in Anesthesia, Nursing. Then I will be qualified to sit for the certification exam to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. (The guy that knocks you out and makes sure you wake back up - it's kind of a big detail.)
Next step is a year of experience in an ICU. I have to do that before I can go to anesthesia school, which will then be another 27-29 months.
Whew, it sure sounds like a long road when I spell it out like that, but time passes whether you're sitting still or moving forward, so might as well keep moving.
I'll be nearly 40 when I'm done, but it will grant a better life for my family and personally I will be putting my talents to a greater use.
Back to guitars. With a young baby at home, and my plans for school, I don't see myself getting out much in the next few years. That is my rationalization for making a considerable investment in my two guitars. They will be my respite, solace, relaxation, expression, etc when I can steal a few moments between diapers, naps, studies, dishes, laundry and all the other things that fill the day and night.
Okay, really, back to guitars.
This Kennedy is outstanding. Nothing against Taylor, but when I sat in the store, playing the little OM, and FEELING the sound pulsing through my stomach/chest and forearm as it reverberated like a piano, I KNEW it was MY guitar.
And it wasn't a fleeting crush. I visited three times before I jumped, and each time I became more convinced, no second guessing.
It still has the Elixir's on it that it has had for awhile. Not sure for how long, it's possible they are the ones it was built with (11/2011), but I can also imagine The Podium restringing it during that interval.
Jeff threw in a new set of EXP16's (lights), which are the ones specified by the builder on his home-typed word processor instructions. I'm looking forward to hearing those, I'll probably give in to curiosity sooner than later. I'm also thinking of dressing the fingerboard with some boiled linseed oil - looks a bit dry to me.
Oh, an interesting feature, if you're looking at the headstock, is that it looks like there is no truss rod.
But, there is! It is accessed through the soundhole.
Very slick!
The neck also has twin rectangular carbon fiber rods running the length of the fingerboard for added strength.
I'm just at the start of a long friendship with this instrument, and I think it's going to be fantastic!
:D
-K
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Congrats Not Darth! She's a beauty! 8)
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Very nice.
There are a lot of wonderful luthiers out there whose beautiful creations seldom get the
recognition they deserve.
The OM body size is absolutely my favourite.
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Very nice.
There are a lot of wonderful luthiers out there whose beautiful creations seldom get the
recognition they deserve.
You've got that right!
The OM body size is absolutely my favourite.
It's really nice, isn't it? I've been curled up on the sofa most of the day! I really love my dreadnought as well, but I find that one is best played while sitting upright on the edge of the coffee table. Totally different experience.
Been playing around in drop-D for the past couple hours, noodling around with Norwegian Wood, Blossom (Candlebox) and Canon in D. Right now the dread is in taro patch, been trying a bit of slack key.
Play on!
-K