Reviews and Comments

I own guitars made by two other well-known builders and I can honestly say the Kingslight (K-39 dreadnaught) sounds and plays much better than both of them. The Kingslight is pretty much the only guitar I play - it inspires me to play.

Jason Rawlings - Kansas City

"I am immensely impressed by the superb tone and craftsmanship, and it (K27 - Malaysian blackwood/Adirondack) plays like a dream. There is nothing quite like a guitar meticulously crafted by one skilled pair of hands, bringing the best out of exquisite tonewoods. It is a joy to look at and effortless to play. I am thoroughly delighted."

Right now, I own just luthier built guitars, as I find the individual voice of a guitar "made one-at-a-time" so much more appealing to my ear. Having had the pleasure of talking with several builders, I have also come to appreciate the passion and search for excellence that goes into building guitars in small numbers. I can comfortably say that after only a few weeks of playing, my K-27 (which I have dubbed "The Thoroughbred", after the handsome headstock inlay) is the finest instrument I've had the opportunity to play.

Jeff Vogelmann - Evanston, IL

    " I've played every day since purchase and am even more
amazed everyday. I demand a lot from a guitar. I play with flatpick and
fingertips so my guitars have to be able to handle me digging in with a
flurry with flatpick and still be responsive when the top notes are
handled by my pinkie fingertip. I play jazz, classical, latin, asian,
celtic, blues, gospel, and anything else that interests me since I do not play professionally.
     I played at a family wedding and used no amplification in a fairly large church and the sound filled the space so beautifully.
     Thank you again for building such a wonderful guitar. Maybe one day I'll be able to get you to build me a jumbo also.
     Thanks again,"
                                                            Ed Green - New Orleans

" I played ABG #14 at the Fox Valley Folk Festival last week. Our sound man is a retired touring string bass player and he loved it. I plugged in for the main stage set and simply miked for the small stage. Got rave reviews on the tone for both sets. The night before the festival we had a backyard jam with a dozen guitars, fiddle and 2 mandolins. It was holding its own just fine, just a shade quieter than the string bass when played with a strong touch (much as I would a string bass)
Last nite my son's rock band had a live acoustic set/interview on a local radio station. We were amazed at how the bass held up to the three guitars on the air. It definitely gave them a more polished, full sound than the other bands we heard. "
Micky Holdsworth - Lyons, Illinois

" I’ve searched for over five years to find the right guitar. When I played the K-13 Jumbo it was as though the guitar was waiting all this time for me to find it. Incredible volume for live performance, beautiful tone for studio work. I would have waited another five years for this guitar. Thank you, John."

Steve Jadwisiak - Toledo, Ohio

"John Kingslight's guitars are spectacular. I particularly love his 12-string (#12). I get chills playing it."

Ernie Hawkins - Pittsburgh, PA

"I enjoyed meeting you (at the NERFA gathering in Monticello, NY 2003) and also appreciated your graciousness to me over the weekend. You made me feel special and your guitars practically play themselves. Your workmanship was impeccable. Maybe you should sell these things to art collectors as works of art? After playing your #10 with my fingers, when I put my Taylor 810 ce back on, I thought to myself, "Hey where's the volume!?" Good stuff."

James Lee Stanley - - Woodland Hills, CA

"The fit and finish of your work is excellent. The beauty of the guitar (#11) is almost breathtaking. The neck is great. I love the wide fingerboard and the back of the neck fills my hand perfectly. The sound and tone are so wonderful. The bass is very full. The mids and highs are not overpowered by it. The sustain is great.

John, as you know I have many guitars by many makers (Collings, Gallagher, Martin, Goodall) and various shapes, sizes and woods--mahogany, koa, rosewood and some other maples. This maple jumbo is the first of any I have purchased that has made me think of selling the others and using the jumbo exclusively. While not the traditional bluegrass shape and wood, it certainly has a traditional sound. I thought it would sound more Everly brothers or Emmy Lou rhythm like. It does not. It sounds more traditional.
You were great to work with discussing the options. The price is very fair for the product. I would not hesitate to recommend you or your work to anyone who wants to inquire. Thank you for such a beautiful looking and sounding instrument, obviously built not in a factory but with love and care. I promise to take good care of it myself. "

Gary L. Schlesinger -- Libertyville, IL

"Guitar Number Nine is a beautiful twelve string with tremendous sound and volume. The guitar itself is a work of art with the contrast of the ebony and the spruce. I have enjoyed playing this guitar and have found a guitar for life. I have owned several guitars and by far, this guitar is of superior quality and workmanship. It was crafted out of love."

Carl Popkey - Paw Paw, MI

     It’s not unusual these days to walk through a NAMM show or a folk festival and see a lot of beautiful hand made guitars -- guitars that are striking in their beauty, seductive in their beauty. But when I stop and play one, I usually find that they are not special sounding or feeling guitars. They’re not guitars a blind man would fall in love with.
          John Kingslight makes beautiful guitars -- guitars as beautiful as any I have ever seen -- but John’s guitars are beautiful all the way through. They’re beautiful in the way a blind man would know their beauty.
        I’ve always suspected that a work of art contains the essence of the artist, the essence of the man. I don’t know John Kingslight well, but his guitars tell me that he has done some living, that he has seen enough of light and dark, and happiness and sorrow, to know what real beauty is. You don’t luck into that kind of beauty in a guitar or in anything else. You are able to create it only because you love something with the kind of love most people will never know.

...I've thought about that #10 quite a few times since NERFA. That guitar sounds like Heaven and it is beautiful, exquisite...

"Even if John wasn't my father I would absolutely say the same thing. His guitars can stand up to any top of the line Gibson, Taylor, or Fender and make them look like kiddie guitars because of his attention to detail, beautiful inlays, remarkable sound and playability. Watching him make guitars in the workshop I'm amazed by the love that he puts into each unique guitar. Every time I perform I always am getting compliments on my guitar because of its stunning sound and looks. "

"The Kingslight quilted-mahogany jumbo cutaway #10 plays like a dream sports car drives. As an artist who desires a full but articulate bass response, this is my guitar of choice. No matter what style I approached this guitar with, it was very accommodating. A Kingslight guitar has a "presence" that reaches full dynamic range and easily plays the softest ballads and well as the beefiest blues. These guitars SING. "

"I've been lucky enough to have played several of John's guitars and to play with him frequently. In every instance, the instruments are a joy to play. Their tone is well balanced. They have exceptionally powerful voices. The selection of woods, the finishes, and the inlays are masterful. These guitars are truly works of art that will stand-out wherever they are seen or heard!"