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This month's guitar review comes from one of the most talented luthiers
that this industry has seen in some time, David Thomas McNaught.
Although McNaught Guitars have been produced for the past five years,
it seems that this past year has brought this brand to the forefront
of the boutique guitar market. Exquisite cosmetic beauty, contemporary
design and precise attention to detail characterizes a DTM guitar.
Proven traditional hand built techniques in craftsmanship, combined
with modern day technology and quality parts and construction, DTM's
guitars are truly artistic endeavors. To see a McNaught guitar is
one thing, to play a McNaught is appreciation. In my appreciation
here's my thoughts on the McNaught Singlecut...
Out Of The Box:
My curiosity is about killing me, just like a kid who can't
get his new hot wheel out of the package quick enough. In cutting
open the box and removing the packaging, McNaught has chosen a TKL
standard black Tolex hardshell case. Good choice, sturdy with tight
hardware, nice foam lining, ensuring adequate protection for such
a worthy investment. Nice tight pack job by the way fellas.
First Look:
Absolutely breathtaking, but ya know what? I expected that
from a McNaught Guitar. Safari is what McNaught labels this finish.
Flamed maple top of course, sporting an absolutely overwhelming
charcoal black and creme flame. The top (like all McNaughts) would
make your momma cry. Topped off nicely of course with matching headstock
and I may add with a classy new DTM headstock design. Mahogany with
a book matched flamed maple top, back and sides, the neck is also
mahogany bound with flamed maple (very nice touch) mother of pearl
reverse crown inlays flawlessly inlaid. Two black Rio Grande humbuckers
complimented well by creme pickup rings which is a great cosmetic
look with the creme in the flame. Chrome Tone Pros stop bar and
Tune-O-Matic bridge, nothing but the best here,
three on a side chrome mini Schaller tuners, four black standard
Gibson type speed knobs with matching three position toggle and
black cavity control covers finish out the McNaught cosmetically.
The Neck:
The neck on this McNaught is truly a work of art and deserves a
separate section to talk about. The neck is not as bulky as say
a Les Paul Custom, and certainly isn't a Strat radius either. It
is just right. Enough neck to grab a hold of but does not feel like
a baseball bat. Les Paul lovers will love this neck. Dave McNaught
has a very clever way of shaving a bit on the high "E"
end side to allow flawless access on that side of the neck to upper
registers. The low "E" side retains enough bulk to wrap
your thumb around. Standard medium jumbo 22 fret neck perfectly
dressed. McNaught utilizes a construction design of a "Set
thru neck", utilizing proven concepts of the stability of a
set neck and the added sustain of a neck thru. Here's the genius.
This neck designs extends a full 12" into the body. By adhering
more of the neck to the resonance of the body, this allows for less
of an angle in the neck. The Tone Pros Tune-O-Matic is mounted directly
into the body, as opposed to any elevation. This is a HUGE benefit
in increasing sustain and retaining more acoustic and electrified
volume from the guitar. Absolutely Brilliant! This neck sports flawless
inlay work and is 100% gap free with 0% tolerance. This is an improvement
from earlier McNaught models, you can certainly appreciate the quality
detail of this neck, it is Awesome!
Let's Play:
Eddie Van Halen once said that a great electric guitar would
sound great even without an amp. I agree and that's why I always
play a guitar acoustically for some time before I plug it in. Acoustically
the McNaught rings loud and clear and very distinctive. I can tell
that a great deal of time has
been allocated to this guitar's set up. It has incredibly low action
with no buzz or fretting anywhere on the neck that I can find. Intonation
is as tight as  Tonto's
headband and stays in tune remarkably well. When I unpacked the
guitar it was pretty much in perfect tune. So here we go with a
six pack and into the vault to...
Plug That Bad Boy In:
First of all I feel like this guitar screams to be rocked.
Based upon this theory, I am choosing only one amp to test through.
My Marshall Silver Anniversary JCM 800 half stack. It's one of my
all time favorite amps in my collection. I've also added a few toys
to the signal path such as a MXR Micro Amp for a bit more gain,
and a BBE 482 Sonic Maximizer to tweek primarily the low end. Upon
plugging in and taking the amp off stand by, I immediately knew
I have to get one of these! Dave McNaught through a process of trial
and error, now offers Rio Grande pickups as his choice, I now "hear"
why. These pickups are sweet. For lack of words to describe, these
pickups sound "ROUND" to me not square. Let me explain.
Some pickups have a certain frequency that tends to stick out to
your ear. Normally in the upper mid range. These frequencies are
necessary to get the "cut" you are looking for but can
also sound harsh if not EQ'd properly. The Rio Grandes do not have
this. They are Fat, Warm and Sparkly. Great balance resulting in
tone to die for! In the clean mode, these humbuckers are surprisingly
clean. Even through a Marshall, I am able to retain great note separation
and a nice high end sparkle that articulates picking techniques
nicely. The bridge pickup retains clarity and warmth, the neck pickup
has a real sweet bluesy tone. Kick this demon into overdrive and
look out. Smooth, creamy overdrive with not to much and not to little.
In the over driven mode utilizing the bridge pickup leads are clear
and distinguishable with a great sustain and harmonic chime. Chords
are full and the bottom end doesn't waffle or break up, but still
provides plenty of punch, and I like a good tight low end in my
guitar, I want it to wooofff! The neck pickup over driven is cream
city, sweet and melodic and sustains until the cows come home. These
pickups are directly mounted into the body. This allows for the
wood and the pickups to resonate together creating undeniable sustain.
This along with the set neck thru design we talked about earlier
makes this guitar a punchy, sustaining beast.
Final Mojo:
I am a very fortunate individual. My job has allowed me
to review and discover the greatest guitars in the history of guitar
luthering. The McNaught Singlecut is no exception. The more I learn
and understand how great guitars are built, I gain an education
and a further understanding of why some guitars just simply look,
sound and play better. Believe me, I am not just trying to pacify
or suck up to an advertiser, the McNaught simply looks, sounds and
plays like a guitar of this caliber should. Completely and totally
handmade, one at a time, and all work is done at the McNaught factory.
Impeccable design and workmanship with absolutely no short cuts.
All hardware is the best available. The DTM Singlecut is an artistic
statement. Undeniably beautiful, incredible to play, and unsurpassed
tone is really what this guitar is all about.  At
a retail price of $4600, the McNaught is a serious investment. For
those who can appreciate the true art of luthering, the McNaught
is a "must have" guitar. I shit you not, I personally
have to get one of my own!
INFORMATION:
David Thomas McNaught Guitars
515 Redah Ave.
Locust, NC 28097
704-888-3363
www.mcnaughtguitars.com
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