Dick Knight

Dick Knight

Also known as: Knight Guitars, Dick Knight Guitars, Knight

Unclaimed

Knight Guitars is a British custom guitar workshop founded by Stanley "Dick" Charles Knight (1907–1996), based in New Haw, Surrey. After losing the tips of fingers on his left hand in a workplace accident during his years at Lagonda, Knight shifted from playing to building. He briefly ran Stratten Guitars with Joe Van Stratten in the late 1940s before establishing his own operation, going full-...

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Knight Guitars is a British custom guitar workshop founded by Stanley "Dick" Charles Knight (1907–1996), based in New Haw, Surrey. After losing the tips of fingers on his left hand in a workplace accident during his years at Lagonda, Knight shifted from playing to building. He briefly ran Stratten Guitars with Joe Van Stratten in the late 1940s before establishing his own operation, going full-time in the 1960s and later taking on Gordon Wells as a long-term partner and repair specialist.

The shop is best known for hand-carved archtop jazz guitars, most notably the Imperial model, but Knight also produced flat-top acoustics, semi-acoustics, solidbody electrics, and mandolins, along with professional-grade repair and restoration work. A distinctive construction trait is leaving additional thickness in the hand-carved top to act as integral bracing, which builders and owners cite as the source of the guitars' warm, clear tone.

Knight's custom work attracted high-profile British players over the years, with commissions linked to David Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Mike Rutherford, and Allan Holdsworth, including experimental solidbody builds such as a four-pickup guitar made for Hawkwind's Dave Brock. The workshop continues to build bespoke instruments and carry out repairs under the Knight Guitars name.

Dick Knight has 1 product cataloged on Equipboard, including Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Electronic, Rock, and Pop. Notable users include Martin L. Gore.

Artists Who Use Dick Knight

Martin L. Gore uses 1 Dick Knight product

Martin L. Gore

Singer, Guitarist · Depeche Mode

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