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The Knaggs Doug Rappoport is a magnificent instrument with outstanding playability, tone, and vibe.
As a rather careless and physical “gig player” who is very hard on guitars, I have a healthy fear of handling expensive, exquisitely crafted instruments. Normally, the gorgeous Knaggs Doug Rappoport Signature would scare the crap out of me—just as the company’s Steve Stevens model did when I tested it in 2014. However, like the Stevens, the DR is such an inviting and comfortable guitar to play, and it sounds so ferociously glorious, that I couldn’t resist putting it into the clunky blasphemies that are my hands. And I’m happy to report that it was not harmed during the review process. Whew.
Well, maybe I didn’t need to worry so much. Despite the lovely Indian Red finish over a stunning curly maple top and the classy gold hardware (see inset photo), the DR is actually quite the bruiser. It’s lighter than my beloved and tank-like 1976 Les Paul Heritage, but it’s just as tough. Knaggs battens down all the hardware as if the DR were going to cruise through a few meteor showers in outer space, and everything about the guitar feels robust, durable, and resilient. I didn’t dive into the drums or bounce off the speaker towers while playing, but I think that I could have, and, except for a few unavoidable nicks, the DR would probably stay in tune and keep rocking.
As you’d demand from an instrument at this price point, the workmanship is perfect, with smooth and rounded frets, spotless inlays, beautiful binding, and a flawless finish. A handwritten Build Sheet even informed me what number DR I was playing (#16), and when its construction was finalized (September 9, 2017)—a nice touch.
Now, all of this sophisticated glitz is fabulous if you