Ron Kirn Custom Vintage Stratocaster

One Piece Alder body - Strat Style finished in nitro cellulose.
Body shaped by hand in the 'vintage' style. Maple neck and fretboard, amber nitro tint, vintage style tuners, sterling silver nut, Wilkinson vintage trem, SSS Cutis Novaks. Copper shielding, vintage cloth wiring. 3 ply. Neck is a 'soft-V'.

I play Blues mainly - through an Orange AD30TC (2 x 12, master volume). Outboard is a HolyGrail Reverb. This guitar has a lovely sizzle under a bit of warm o/d from the amp, it's a pleasure to hold it and hear those tones that I've never come close to achieving on other strats. The combination of the vintage wound Novaks with the hand crafted and finished guitar is better than I could have imagined. All 5 positions are useable, brittle 'country' on the bridge, lovely warm neck, intense with depth on the middle position and the 2 and 4 positions just bring a smile to my face - especially the 2. Yes it's a strat but it's so far in advance tonally of any strat I have owned or played (Am Std, 57 RI)

Beautiful work by a master craftsman. Not enough adjectives to describe this guitar. The personal attention to detail is what counts for me, in my mind the 'soul' put into the making of the guitar will translate into being a part of the voice of the guitar. Thus the guitar was finished as a master craftsman would want it finished - flawless. Action is set-up fast, intonation is perfect, recessed trem cover, jack switch plate, neck plate are a unique touch. The nitro colour is to die for and the closest I will probably come to a 'real 1950's'

It is solid, reliable, durable and being true nitro it's going to age from my playing and that is going to be a buzz to see that happen.

I bought this guitar based on the look of the many different guitars tha Ron has made off his website - as well as the information that he has provided there as well. I'm 13,000kms away from Ron so i guess this was a risk? or was it? Check out his gallery at ronkirn.com and make up your mind, there are some beautiful guitars on there.
Ron sent me updates and questions via email as well as some in progress photos. Communication is very easy. In fact this whole process has been easier than going up the road to my local music store.

I've been playing for just over 20 years. I have a LesPaul and a Rick 620 12 string. Orange AD30TC 2 x 12 helps to give me the tones that I love. I was a bit nervous about going the way of the Strat again but now I am in tone heaven with it. I feel very sorry for my other gats as they are missing the attention now. If it was lost or stolen I would be compelled to get the same again from Ron. My favourite feature of the guitar is that as a 'whole' it combines to replicate the vibe/mojo/voice/tone of those vintage gats that I've been striving for.

First, I not an unbiased reviewer. I love this guitar, and I love Ron Kirn. He is a great guy who went way out of his way to make sure I was happy with my guitar. Second, this is my second review, although I have no idea where the first one went. So here goes again....

My guitar is an alder strat-style in vintage sunburst with nitrocellulose finish. I have two Novak single coils and a Bareknuckles Crawler humbucker in the bridge position. Standard strat wiring but with solid copper lining all the cavities so it is noiseless! Wilkinson tremelo and sperzel locking tuners. 5 position selector. Made this year, in 2007.

This guitar sounds sublime. I never liked strats before, not because of the sound but because of the usual build quality, so I never played one before. I was a PRS guy for years (Custom 24, Tremonti Custom signature, Singlecut with birds), have had LPs (not vintage), a 335, a Taylor T5, among others. For various reasons, I have sold them all. This is now my only guitar, and I love it. This has the sound of a vintage strat (SRV, hendrix, Lincoln Brewster, John Mayer) and build quality of a Custom Shop.

With my other guitars, I used to use an entire pedal board full of fulltone and keeley stuff. Now I literally plug my RK either directly into my Two Rock Jet or (at most!) put a fulldrive 2 or (soon!) Marshall bluesbreaker 1 in the path. That's it! So simple and it sounds so good! With the Crawler HB, I can switch from classic strat to some pretty heavy sounds, too. Very versatile!

Ron came to my house at least FIVE TIMES over the first three weeks to tweak my set-up as I broke it in. Very fast, low action with NO buzzing anywhere. I can do one and a half step bends on the 20th fret and it sounds great! Clear and high, with no bottoming out. Could never do that before. Very cool!

The finish truly is Custom Shop quality. Lovely to hold and behold!

I have only had it for about two months now, but it is rock solid. Only time will tell, but with his workmanship and the nitro finish, I look forward to it only improving with age.

Can I give an 11? Did I mention that Ron has been over to work on my guitar at least FIVE TIMES since I got it? Probably responded to a hundred emails. I love PRS guitars, but how many times has Paul Reed Smith been to your house? Anyone from Fender? This level of personal service is truly the jewel in the crown of these beautiful guitars.

Like many, I have been playing far too long! Going on ... hmmm ... 23 years I guess. Yikes. Long enough to know what I want, though. Long enough to realize that music should be about the Truth of what you're playing, not about being Cool. I bought too many guitars in my life because I thought they were cool, or because I thought they would look good on me (!), or because someone else played them. I am too old for that nonsense now. I bought this guitar because of the music I wanted to play, because I thought it would help me get out there what I heard inside. And it has done that in aces. What else could you possibly ask from a guitar?

2007 Custom Strat built after Jimmy Herring's guitar. The body is alder with a custom Crimson Burst, mother of pearl pickguard and matching tone knobs, Fender Tremelo, standard vintage tuners....Gotoh I think. The neck is a standard C shape with medium jumbo frets and 6000 fretwire, rosewood fingerboard, clay dots, bone nut, figured maple back, and 22 frets. Comes with a pair of Seymour Duncan 59' humbuckers and a three way selector switch. All dead on specs of Jimmy Herring's custom strat.

It sounds perfect. I was surprised how warm the 59' neck was. Only had raise the action a bit and lower the pickups a bit to suit my taste but it sounded great out of the package. I play this along with my Gibson 335 and SG through a Clark Belmont(super reverb modded to Derek Trucks' specs, then changed the speakers to Tone Tubbys). My effects are: Boss Tuner->>Teese Picture Wah->>Keeley Compressor->>Keeley TS-9->>Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor->>Ernie Ball VP Jr.->>Ibanez AD-9(stock)->>amp. Its a pretty basic setup.
The guitar is not noisy at all, it just sings and sustains forever. I get great cleans and lead tones.
The only thing now is getting reacquainted with the Fender scale length and the smaller neck. Just a great guitar........I'm sure it is on par with Suhr and the Custom Fender Line.

Action was flawless out of the box but a bit low for my tastes. No biggie.....just raised it a bit and now its perfect. The finish has the worn in look and feel.

The neck seems a bit fragile but everything seems pretty damn solid.

Outstanding. Ron Kirn returned back all my bothersome emails throughout the building process. This is second to none in my opinion. He really wants you to be happy with a great custom built guitar and he justs needs you to be very specific or not in my case to help build you a great guitar.
When I contacted him about this Jimmy Herring guitar all I knew were a few things about it that I'd read over the internet. Ron was great about this and took it further by contacting fellow luthiers about Jimmy's guitar so as to get it right. Ron is a very knowledgeable person and knows his craft well. His website really sold me on choosing him ultimately. I liked his philosophy about building and playing guitars.

Just read his website and check out his close ups of his guitars and you'll feel safe in working with Ron any kind of guitar that YOU want.

Can't say a bad thing about him other than to get your guitar built now before he gets real huge and has to raise his prices.

Custom Strat: 2007
Super light swamp-ash
Maple neck/finger board, 22 medium Stainless Steel frets: USAG
LR Baggs X-Bridge with trem / X-Control
Joe Barden bridge hum / single coil neck / no middle
Sperzel locking tuners
Nitrocellulose finish (transparent)
Comes with case

Tube Rig: Rivera Sedona head w/ Rivera and Raezers Edge Stealth 12 cab
Effects: Fulltone TTE, OCD, FD-2, Choralflange, Fat Boost, Clyde Wah Deluxe, MXR Phase 90
Acoustic Rig: AER Compact 60, Acoustic Image Clarus-2R, Taylor K4 EQ, Raezers Edge Stealth 10-ER
A $50 Wal-Mart guitar would probably sound good through this gear that I am extremely grateful to own (I aint rich.) Where to begin? Sonic bliss? Heavenly tones? Rocks? The highs blah, blah, blah, the mids blah, blah, blah? It???s futile to comprehend with the intellect through words something that can only be ???known??? with the ears??? but I???ll try. The first word that comes to mind (thanks Ron) is ???articulate.??? I???m a typical jazz/fusion/rock/bluegrass (why not?) player who struggles with that leap between wound and unwound strings, the Bardens (dead quiet) have almost completely eliminated this dilemma. I can finally get the mids to articulate and brake through the mix without my ears bleeding from those ice-pick highs. With assistance from the Fulltone line (especially the TTE??? Wow!), as Ron said, ???This guitar has more sounds than a high school choir with the flu.??? Being able to blend the Piezo with the Bardens is a huge canvas with infinite colors. Even though the Piezo provides convincing acoustic tones (aint my Taylor), I use it mostly combined with the magnetics to bring in a little midrange bite. I???ll sum up my description of the sound with this: On 2 or 3 occasions I was jamming with a jazz CD (through studio monitors) and had to stop playing to make sure that the sound I was hearing was coming from my cabs. Another time I just had to stop, catch my breath and say to myself, ???Damn! I???m one lucky SOB.???)

It???s a transparent amber/butterscotch, black pick guard with gold X-Bridge, and black knobs, tuners, and connector??? very sexy. As with my other RK Strat, his 40 or so years of experience as a luthier aren???t lost here. I didn???t think this kind of action could be accomplished without buzz. Perfect meticulous detail. I looked under the hood of my other RK Strat and it???s like a copper operating room in there??? he clearly loves what he does.

I???m pretty sure I could use it as a framing hammer??? but I prefer to relic this baby with age, not impatience.

Not sure I can be completely objective here because I???ve spoken (phone, e-mail) with Mr. Kirn so much he feels more like a friend than ???my luthier.??? But that kind of says it all, doesn???t it? I don???t think he treats me any different than any other customer. When I first asked him about a warrantee he said, ???We???ll do it until we get it right.??? He???s been true to his word??? of course it???s not that difficult when your product arrives ???right.???

Okay I have to admit that I usually take with a grain of salt reviews that are straight 10???s because so often they don???t go much beyond, ???It rocks!??? But in this case I???m just not willing to give a gratuitous 9 somewhere. I???ve been playing for 40 years (I think I'll start lying about this number)??? about 17 seriously. I???ve owned many high-end guitars and own several great guitars now: Parker Fly Mojo (yowzer), Parker Artist Fly (double yowzer), Taylor T5 (ahhhh, my sweetheart), Gibson 336 (She yearns to leave the case), a couple of nice Taylor acoustics and a Godin Freeway SA??? and a Daphne Blue custom Ron Kirn Signature ???surf guitar??? (I call her Daphne, she???s in my will??? well you get the picture.) This is without question, my desert island ax??? assuming I could plug into the nearest palm tree. Looks, supreme comfort and off-the-charts tone??? desire beyond this is the work of an ego that needs to burn in hell. (Sorry, fire and brimstone have no place at Harmony Central.) If it were lost or stolen? After getting out of the hot bath and throwing away the razor-blades, I would go to my bedroom and meditate on the law of karma knowing that I had done something very, very bad??? then I???d call Allstate. I believe most of Ron???s guitars are in the low and middle 2K range, but because of the expensive Bardens, X-Bridge, X-Control and custom USAG neck, this guitar cost me about $3200??? my great grandchildren will probably be able to sell it for 150K (assuming it???s got that ???relic look??? by then). If money weren???t an issue, I would have paid 5K for this guitar??? it???s that special.

This is a response to Heather's entry.... I have never sold a guitar to anyone named Heather. If she did, under an assumed name, and played it with 30 minutes, she completely ignored the enclosed instructions about allowing a guitar with a precision setup to stabilize to the ambient temperature first.

I really don't have a clue who this person is.

Squire? Cheep pickups?? Check my site....please ronkirn.com

all my guitars are hand made, I don't use a Squire . .. period...

Customer support... please see the other reviews..

have a good read at ronkirn.com... I trust it will say what needs to be said..

Thanks, Ron

Its bascially a "Start up" Fender squire that cost well over 1k, there aren't any real "features" for this guitar, very basic.

Horrible pickups, again very "start up kit" "Squire" like.

basic nitro finish, but very sticky makes it a pain in the ass to play, and finish doesn't last that long on it. poor quality spray job, cracks within a month of purchase obviously didn't let the coats dry long enough before applying others.

cracks within a month, had to change the pick ups, I will never play this guitar live, hardware is very "build it yourself" like, finish is crap again, and as far as "would I use this on a gig without a back up?" this guitar wouldn't even be sonsidered for being a back up the only way this guitar will see a stage is if I want to break a guitar at a show.

This guy is very full of himself, will not admit mistakes, I let him know within 30 mins of reciving the guitar that I wasn't happy with it and wanted to return it (Like he offers 100% satisfaction) He flat out told me no, then went on to tell me that "I didn't know what I was talking about"

I would have been better off with a squire, same quality a few grand less.

Wild Maple on one piece Mahogany body, and genuine Nitrocellulose finish. Vintage wiring, with isolated ground, silver solder, and Curtis Novak Pickups, neck is Flame maple, Ebony Fingerboard, Medium Jumbo Frets, Abalone dots, Genuine Nitrocellulose finish hand lapped back, Soft "V" or Clapton profile, Sperzel locking tuners, Sterling Silver nut.

I play through a Rivera Sedona head w/ a Rivera and a Raezer???s Edge cab. I use Fulltone echoplex, Full Drive 2, Fat Boost, Chloralflange, Clyde Wah and MXR phaser. The first thing I noticed when plugging in a Ron Kirn Strat is the lack of noise; I think it has to do with the copper shielding. I???ve played and owned many Strats and I basically found two positions usable for my needs, with this one I find myself using all 5 positions because the sound is so rich and warm???and strat-like. I???m sure the new Rivera gets some of the credit, but it???s such a thrill not having to imagine what the mids sound like; I can hear them. I???m a jazz player who lately has been developing a high-gain jones; when this baby screams, you listen.

This is where a Ron Kirn custom really shines. This is quite simply the most beautiful guitar I???ve ever seen or owned. The perfectly book matched maple top gives new meaning to sunburst???it is an exquisite piece of art. I actually raised the action slightly because I could barely feel the strings. I???ve owned dozens of guitars and never was fortunate enough to have one that was properly set-up except for a Parker I recently purchased. I don???t know all the technical lingo of what makes a guitar set up properly, I only know what feels right and what plays right???all I can say is that the bar has been raised. The attention to detail is way beyond what I???ve ever seen come out of a factory, looking down the compound radius neck you see perfect symmetry that makes me think he has a magic wand in his shop. It feels a bit heavy after playing Parkers for awhile (they're almost too light), but I was surprised after playing for two hours standing up without back pain. Sitting in my lap, it feels like a puppy taking a nap.

It???s brand new so I can???t comment on reliability, but in terms of durability I was at a tank factory the other day and heard a guy say, ???This thing is built like a Kirn.???

My impression based on several e-mails and conversations with Ron is that he simply won???t rest until you are completely satisfied with your guitar. It???s almost like I can???t be objective because he treats you more like a friend than a customer. In this day and age, this is pretty much unheard of; I have had good service over the years from a few companies, but when you buy a Kirn Custom, it???s like you're adopting a baby. You don???t have to be a celebrity like you do if you want a Howard Dumble amp, but he seems genuinely concerned that you take good care of his ???babies.???

I've been playing guitar for 40 years; this is my second review of a Ron Kirn custom Strat. My first purchase was a Daphne Blue with a maple neck. As beautiful as that Strat is, when I saw a picture of this sunburst with gold hardware and ebony fingerboard, I just had to have it. He allowed me to trade with none of the attitude you get from most dealers when you want to send something back. Right now I???m talking to him about the specs for another Strat, and may sell my Gibson 336 just to get the Daphne back. I don???t collect guitars, if I don???t play them regularly they???re out the door. I???ve never had three of anything (except wives???but that???s another story), but I can easily imagine myself looking at three Killer Kirns in my guitar rack and spending five minutes trying to figure out which one I wanted to play. You might get something close to this quality from the Fender Master Shop, but be prepared to pay close to triple for a guitar that most likely will have less Mastery than an RK Custom. Like I said in the first review, ???Get one, you???ll smile.??? If you don???t like it, contact me...I???ll probably buy it from you.

From Ron Kirn's web page: http://www.ronkirn.com/
Body: Select Alder body
Color: Daphne Blue, with Clearcoat, Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish.
Neck: Maple, Flame pattern, Maple Fingerboard, 7 ????? Radius, 1 5/8 at the nut, Soft ???V??? profile. .900 inch at the nut and 1.00 inch at the 12 fret. Genuine Nitrocellulose finish with hand lapped satin back. Amber tint.
Machine Heads: Fender Vintage
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: White/B/W 3ply
Neck Plate, Back Plate and Jack Plate all recessed for flush surface.
Scale Length: 25.5

I play this guitar through a Rivera Sedona 55 head w/ a 112 Rivera and a 112 Raezers Edge cab. Fulltone's TTE, Full Drive II, Fat Boost, Chloralflange, Deluxe Clyde Wah and an MXR Phaser. The sound is what you'd expect from quality gear and a custom Strat...to my ear, it doesn't get any better. Although I love to hear this Daphne Blue scream with the FD2 goosing her, I'm discovering after owning many high-end guitars that the tell-tale sign of a really great guitar is when I let the pedals sleep???and a Mike Fuller Fulltone pedal begs to be stomped... ZZZZZZZZZZZ...they nap allot, however, when I'm playing this Strat.

I've owned a number of American Strats and had no idea that the action could be this smooth. I'm a jazz player and really appreciate not being hindered by having to actually think while I'm playing. My particular style requires me to simply "allow" the music which isn't possible if I'm distracted with having to fret a note perfectly or having to stay below the "speed limit" that the neck dictates. Playing this guitar is like driving a Porsche equipped with state-of-the-art radar detection down Route 66 through the high desert...yeah, I get my kicks. The finish and hardware are immaculate; Ron Kirn is a master luthier.

Haven't had it long enough to know how durable and reliable it is, but I will say that it seems to be built as well as the track (armored personnel carrier) I rode on in Vietnam. I was just thinking how cool it would have been if this beautiful Daphne Blue Strat took a bullet for me, and then it occurred to me that I may have taken one for her...yeah, she's that fine.

There should be a "20" for guys like Ron Kirn; his love of his work is apparent in his elegant guitars. His accessibility for geeks like me with a million questions is something unheard of at any major manufacturer and most smaller shops I would imagine. When I asked for locking tuners and a different nut, I was amazed that he didn't charge me extra...just when I think Service in this country is dead and buried, along comes a guy like Ron who digs up the lifeless corpse and begins CPR??? IT'S ALIVE!

I've been playing guitar over 40 years, I would say seriously for close to 20. I thought my quest for the Holy Grail was over when I recently purchased a Parker Fly Artist and a Fly Mojo. I bought this Strat because after selling off my others awhile back I began to miss one in particular. I thought my desire to have one was more nostalgic than a real need for one in my arsenal. After playing this guitar that I found through the Google Gods, I realized that I had never really played a Strat that was finished...as in properly set up. You might be able to get a Master Strat that is almost as good as one of Ron's from the Fender Custom shop, but expect to pay close to triple. I'm thinkin' "no-brainer." If lost or stolen, after weeping uncontrollably, I would mortgage my house if necessary to get Ron back into his shop. I'll be getting another RK Signature in a week or two...review to follow. Usually paying top-dollar will get you a good guitar, but in the case of a Ron Kirn custom, you will pay a fair price for a great guitar. Thank God there are still a few luthiers in this world who are willing to produce great instruments for guys like me who really appreciate excellent craftsmanship. Get one???you???ll smile.

Stock-appearing Strat configuration, 3 SRV single coils, shielded & grounded cavities, alder body, tremolo bridge, Warmoth compound radius neck, sunburst lacquer. Nothing fancy, just the basics. Manufactured perhaps 4-5 years ago. I can't recall precisely how much money I put into this guitar, as I kept changing my mind during the build, which naturally affected the cost. HOWEVER, I do recall that I could have bought two or three of Ron's guitars for the price of one Fender Custom Shop unit.

The Ron Kirn Strat I have, coupled with a vintage JMP Marshall stack or Fender Dual Showman Reverb (with the usual, non-modelling pedals), gets me into the tone realm of Trower/Hendrix/SRV. With the Dual Showman, it's incredibly full and clear, with a huge, high-presence bottom. With the Marshall, it's Trower all the way.

Ron's guitar setups are perhaps the icing on the cake. I like a low action that doesn't fret out on deep bends, and Ron got me there. Fit and finish are what you'd get from a good custom shop.

Built like it's supposed to be. 100% reliable. 'Nuff said.

Ron will bend over backwards to get you precisely what you want. I've not had to have anything repaired, but he's always been available and enthusiastically willing to talk me through any minor adjustments and tweaks that invariably come with using a musical instrument over a period of time. His behind-the-scenes support is invaluable and personal. Try getting that from Gibson or Fender.

I bought my first Strat used in 1967, and have been a Strat guy ever since. My amps are all vintage Fenders and Marshalls, and I use only a couple of basic pedals to get the Trower/Hendrix/SRV tone. Ron Kirn is essentially a one-man luthier shop located in Florida, (I'm in Ohio, so I've never met the man in person) and if you know something about Strats that he doesn't, it probably isn't worth remembering. His custom Strats, lovingly assembled from the best commercially-available components, and a few specially-manufactured pieces, are true musicians' instruments. His guitars are not eye candy, although his workmanship is superb, but precision tools with a caliber of tone and playability that rivals the very best.

Made in 2002 by Ron Kirn - a luthier - in Jacksonville, Florida. 22 frets, solid 1 piece hand carved Mahogany. SSS Pickup arrangment w/ vintage fender wiring made to the original 1960 specification; 2 tone 1 vol. Vintage Fender Single Coil pickups pulled from a half dead 60's strat. Passive electronics. Body Mahogany single piece hand carved. Neck Flame maple, ebony w/ abalone inlays. Finish on Body Nitrocellulose Sunburst, Neck Satin Nitrocellulose. Stratocaster style w/ Wilkinson Tremolo, Schaller locking tuners, 6150 frets. Neck standard 25 3/4 w/ compound radius 9 1/2" - 16". Includes hardshell case. I gave it a 10 because I was considering buying vintage strat to the tune of 7000 bucks, but Mr. Kirn was able to reproduce a beautiful copy that actually exceeds the original in a lot of ways for a fraction of the price. I'm very pleased, and will defintely have Ron make another someday.

I play the blues - strictly, and this guitar is a dream come true for me. I play through 2 trace elliot tube amps stereo setup, and get the full range of sounds I'm looking for. The guitar has been fully shielded so there is no hum or anything like that. It has a monster of a sounds the low E sounds like a wave crashing down, full sounding, w/ the ability to really make the higher notes scream if needed. As far as the blues goes - all the sounds are in this one. Since I won't let anyone touch it it's never been used to play any other style.

Ron does a professional setup on the guitar before it ships, and believe me it's tight! No problems at all in this category, the guitar takes 2 - 3 months to finish, and Ron treats each on like his own personal baby. He wouldn't let it leave his shop in anything but perfect condition.

This guitar is great for playing a live blues show. All quality hardware installed, very sturdy. Dozens of coats of Nitro are going to take a lifetime to work though. Original vintage strap buttons work great. Very dependable, never had a problem in the last 4 years. I, and others shouldn't, never gig w/out a backup. Strings break, stuff happens - wouldn't want something minor to be the end of a show.

Since I haven't had any problems w/ it, I've never had to get a repair. Ron is very accessible and friendly, and will work hand-in-hand w/ you to make sure you get exactly what it is you are looking for. He doesn't do just strats, he does all kinds of vintage remakes. So during the decision making process, he will work hard w/ you to suss out what your needs are, budget limitations, all options available for you and some recommendations on what he thinks would suit your needs best. A very friendly guy, and very courteous, patient, and helpful.

Since I've started playing guitars about 13 years ago I've been through a smorgasboard of instruments: gibson, fender, prs, ibanez - vintage and new. And never, until I got this guitar, was I able to recreate the exact sounds I had been looking for. All of my other guitars (except for a handmade acoustic by DAL Luthier Co.) have been sitting since I got this badboy made. My only gripe - and it's petty - is that this is a fairly heavy guitar, it's tiring after gigging for a couple of hours, and it's such a pristine instrument that I have to be very careful and baby it during shows ie no bouncing off walls ala stevie ray vaughn. I've never seen another like this guitar, espescially not at a retail store. I would highly recommend that if you are considering taking a plung into the realm of Vintage Remakes that you do yourself a favor and look up Mr. Kirn via his website. Googling Ron Kirn should get your there. Good luck, one love, and thanks for reading.