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When I first met Dave McNaught he told me he wanted to be just like Paul Reed Smith !!!  So one of the first things he did when he started his business was he started calling himself "David Thomas McNaught" . He has coined the phrase DTM guitars just as Paul is PRS guitars.

Of course he has never enjoyed the amazing success that Paul Reed Smith does, But that doesn't stop him from copying everything Paul does even Paul's biggest mistakes.
There may never be another Paul Reed Smith, Paul is the exception to the rule. A true legend in his own time and a true innovator. Paul has design talents that many other guitar builders can only dream about. I think Paul made some mistakes by allowing other people to design some of his later model guitars. They are not even close to his original stuff.

Just like Paul his first guitars were his best ! Just like Paul he adopted the bigger heel and the thicker paint finishes to aid him in the cosmetic look of his paint work.
When business slowed down after 9 11 he panicked & tried to come out with a cheaper model guitar. It failed!! He wanted to build Stratocaster styled guitars. And attempted to copy Paul's Singlecut model which personally I think was a horrible design to start with. Looking at the McNaught Guitars today even a novice can see the paint is incredibly thick.

MCNAUGHT  BLUNDERS & GOOFY MISTAKES

McNaught's early guitars were his best, I speculated they would really go up in value. I advised my customers that they would probably go up in value. But when the newer model guitars plummeted in price in an attempt to try and buy the market the smart investors started dumping even their early ones.
I myself put away 12 pieces all with really low serial numbers. Today 12 years later, I am dumping them for less than I paid for them !!!
Ed Roman 2009

2005

It has recently come to my attention that someone is trying to perpetrate a rumor that all of the early McNaught guitars had tuning issues & dead spots on the neck.  This is an absolute falsehood & possibly an attempt from someone to hurt value on the original guitars.  I personally own serial # 1, # 2,  #4, & #9. I have several new ones and I invite anyone to come by and compare an early one to a new one.  You will be amazed at the difference.  Just Like A PRS !!!

I can attest to the fact that the early guitars were the very best guitars ever made by McNaught. I was personally involved with Dave at the time. In fact I contributed many of the early designs & innovations. Left to his own devices Dave would have copied  Jackson Guitars.

Many companies have to compete with their own original guitars !!! For example a wise PRS or McNaught buyer should try to procure an early hand built low serial # guitar.

When a buyer goes out of his way to buy an early guitar it can serve to drive the manufacturer crazy. He is in business to sell new guitars, he has no desire to see his earlier guitars selling instead of one that is available today. For this and other reason companies will fabricate all kinds of BS reasons why their newer guitars are better than their older ones. Paul Reed Smith told me!  "his biggest competition were his own early guitars."
 

Today PRS Guitars is probably the biggest offender, Their later designs were horrible so were the McNaughts.  Both companies went to very large heels, super thick paint jobs to get the finish to look better without paying for the expensive woods. McNaught even went to less expensive pickups.

I never was much of a Gibson man, I think their designs are antiquated or ancient. I think they are too heavy and I can prove the pickups are incorrectly situated on the guitars. But they do stick to their guns. They don't change anything for the better or for the worse.

Today there are hundreds of guitar companies building PRS Style guitars most of them are not as good some of them are actually quite a bit better.   (See Quicksilver Guitars)   (See JET Guitars) 
Ed Roman

2005

These Letters Are Examples Of Why I Am No Longer Carrying McNaught Guitars

Ed:

Did you have a chance to look at the DTM guitar that I sent to you? Recall I purchased it from you in 1999 and had since sent it back to DTM but to no avail – they were either unwilling or unable to repair it.  Please let me know the status as I would very much like to get it back in fine working condition.  They won't even accept it from me if I ship it to them.

Thank you again.
Thomas DiNanno

Hey Ed
This letter is in response to your request to put my grievance in writing!!!

I bought a McNaught from you in 2001, It is a very pretty guitar, but it was heavy and the neck was sticky (too much paint).  I am upset because the electronics didn't work and I cannot replace them effectively because of the way they are mounted in the guitar. It has that weird transitional McInturff style headstock.

I called them up and after 5 or 6 calls someone finally answered the phone. He sounded like he was drunk, He was slurring his voice and I could swear he was sitting on the toilet when I talked to him.  There was a woman screaming at someone in the background and finally,  I just hung up.

I have bought many fine guitars from you, 2 McNaught's, 2 JETS, 2 Quicksilver's, A Pearlcaster and four 80's Hamer's
This  G%$&#mn McNaught is the only dog you ever sold me!!!  Please don't think for one minute that I am upset with you.  You have always been good to me and treated me well.  I never understood why you get slagged on the internet !

My first McNaught is a Tempest model it's lighter and it sounds good and plays good,  I guess I bought it around Christmas of 1998.  These two guitars are as different as night and day.

Oh well at least it looks nice, Maybe I'll just hang it on the wall LOL.

Your Friend & Loyal Customer
Danny Vingo
Bristol Ct.

PS

My Quicksilver with the macassar neck is my go to guitar and that guitar alone is worth every thing you ever sold me put together.
DV
 

These Letters Are Examples Of Why I Am No Longer Carrying McNaught Guitars

The Original McNaught Guitars Were Numbered
1 through  30 for the Tempest 
01 through 030 for the Gemini
001 through 217 for the Phoenix
The way to tell an original real McNaught is the headstock and serial #

The Tempest & Gemini were sued out of existence because some small time guitar builder thought they looked too much like his guitar. In fact they weren't even close, but McNaught didn't have the money to fight this little rich boy an therefore two very cool models disappeared.
If you are curious and want to see what one looks like give Ed Roman a call ask for Ed Personally. He will give you a website in the UK to look at where these guitars have been posted for more than 12 years. 

There were several other short lived models,  The custom which was horrible, it resembled a Jackson Soloist that was pregnant and had a bulky neck on it. These guitars were extremely well built and very nice looking but they weren't players. Collectors bought them rapidly because there were several new innovative ideas incorporated into the first ones.
The later ones were bulky heeled & had what seemed like several pounds of paint on them. Dave McNaught stopped doing the paintwork and the new guy tends to be heavy handed with the finishes.
The secret to a good sounding guitar is how thick the finish is ( The Thinner The Better).
Ed