Klos

I'm not sure whether the KLOS CF travel guitar has been discussed here. Does anyone have one? The price is stunningly low and the guitar looks cool.

[Strumalot]

Just checked the web site. Interesting.

I would have some concerns about combining wood and carbon fiber. I recall an expensive (5K) Leviora that was mostly carbon fiber, but it had an ebony fretboard that cracked on a MacNichol road trip.

Anyone remember this, or share the concern?

I do remember, I was on the road trip. Wooden necks are problematic, subject to warping and weaving. It seems odd to do a CF instrument and then use wood as a critical part of the work.

I have yet to see an independent review of the KLOS. At the price of a KLOS, I am surprised that someone hasn't given it a go just out of curiosity.

[Earl49]

I had a Rainsong PMJ-1000 for many years. It used a laminated wood body and a laminated neck, with a rosewood finger board. Only the top was CF, which addresses the most vulnerable part of the guitar. I never treated it special in Alaska or in Idaho, and it did fine for a long time. It now lives with a friend in ultra dry Tucson, so she doesn't have to worry much about lack of humidity.

Earl;

Point well made. I've had a number of wooden guitars in my life that managed to survive without any special care. I suspect that some of the plywood guitars being made might outlive their players.

Part of what led me to CF was finding that the finer the wooden guitar, the more care that was needed. When I was younger I didn't have to worry about caring for a fine guitar since I couldn't afford one.

Now that I can afford what I want, I find I don't want to mess around with needless maintenance chores for my guitars. I also like the novelty, the exploration, the variety, the playability and the sound of our contemporary CF instruments.

I think I may have become a martin-level elitist--all CF or nada.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by EvanB

.....the finer the wooden guitar, the more care that was needed........I think I may have become a martin-level elitist--all CF or nada.

Concur on both points Evan. Nothing wrong with that position.

My well used 20 year old Seagull gets little care, but my high end koa Taylor gets considerable regular oversight. I'm leaning strongly toward all CF myself, with a WS-1000, and a CA Cargo in hand, plus a Blackbird Lucky 13 looming on the horizon. At that point, the expensive and delicate wood guitars will have to justify their existence in my house - I'm tired of humidity maintenance too. Four guitars have been sold this year, and the others are nervous.

Earl;

Keep those others on their toes. And then take a look at your inventory of wooden instruments and imagine the CF you could have. It's better than tulips.

[mkatz]

It looks very interesting. Would like to see a review from somebody who has one in hand.

Mitch

I think a member of this forum may have brought the KLOS to our attention when it was the focus of a KickStart effort that resulted in $65,000. The guitar started at a class project and there is at least one YouTube illustration. It is a much cheaper instrument than anything sold by any of the current CF makers and, to my ear, sounds cheaper. But who knows where these young folks will go with their kick start?

Can established businesses use Kick Start? If Klos received $65,000 for its first CF product, it seems like Emerald or Rainsong, or Blackbird should be able to use Kick Start for a new product. For example, I could see Blackbird going for the money for a new mold, or a new material, and seeking help for the R&D.

[Fixedgear60]

Originally Posted by EvanB

Can established businesses use Kick Start? If Klos received $65,000 for its first CF product, it seems like Emerald or Rainsong, or Blackbird should be able to use Kick Start for a new product. For example, I could see Blackbird going for the money for a new mold, or a new material, and seeking help for the R&D.

Absolutely... Pebble has made Kickstarter a way to launch new products...

Great idea!!!

Fixed;

I know you are well-versed on Kick Start so let me ask another question. If a guitar maker like Blackbird came out with a new material, and wanted to generate interest and facilitate early sales, could that maker use KS money to sell the first instruments at a significantly reduced price? For example, KLOS received $65,000; if Blackbird received that kind of promotional funding it could drop $1000 off the first sixty-five instruments and get some mojo going.

[Kray Van Kirk]

Kickstarter is structured around rewards for project backers, so Blackbird might launch a KS project and for each tier of support, backers would get a reduced price on a new instrument or, for sufficiently high support levels, an entire guitar in return for supporting the project.

So if I gave them $100 dollars, the backer reward might be five sets of strings designed for the new guitar.

If I donated $10,000, I might get a new guitar in addition to a lifetime of strings or tech support or whatever.