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  #1  
Old 06-01-2016, 08:49 AM
jkwrpc jkwrpc is offline
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Default Klose Travel Guitar

Has anyone played or seen the Klos Travel Guitar?

At $499 its a good price for a CF travel guitar.

http://www.klosguitars.com/
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  #2  
Old 06-01-2016, 09:10 AM
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JK;

Never heard of it. It looks good and the price point is very reasonable. The wooden neck does not appeal to me and there appears to be no nylon version.

The promo says that the guitar is designed and assembled in the U.S. I wonder where the pieces/parts are made?

I hope someone on this forum gives one a try, and reports back: maybe Ted?
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Old 06-01-2016, 09:48 AM
Captain Jim Captain Jim is offline
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According to their videos, you can use it as a tennis racket or a golf club - what's not to like about that?

A thread here from last year...

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=391784
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Old 06-01-2016, 11:05 AM
sirwhale sirwhale is offline
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I love how Evan says he's never heard of it, but when I follow the link from a year ago he was the first to reply
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Old 06-01-2016, 11:49 AM
jkwrpc jkwrpc is offline
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The price includes a strap, a cover(travel bag), a special neck cover, and a rain cover for the bag. Again at $499 it seem like a decent entry for the CF travel guitar market. Granted the wood neck and spruce bracing make it a bit of a hybrid. I seem to recall the early RainSong's used a wood neck or fretboard. There were some others that come to mind like Brunner, etc.

The big issue is how does it sound, for me its hard to tell from the samples on the website. Since there are a few out there I remain curious if anyone has experience with them and can comment.
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Old 06-01-2016, 11:50 AM
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Sir;

Thank you for watching my back. A year ago was a passing footnote. When I look back at the evidence you bring forward, it doesn't ring a bell. There have been a number of false starts in the CF guitar business and about the only one that really sticks in my mind is the French company, Voyage Instruments. VI went through all the anguish that goes with R&D, had a great website, were set up to show their wares at the first CarbonFest at Mystic Springs Utah, had a really visual product--and then dropped off the map.

I understand that learning is a series of trials and maybe, with the second mention of the Kols, I'll keep better track of where I've been. But keep an eye on me--I can be pretty sloppy.
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Old 06-01-2016, 12:22 PM
Ted @ LA Guitar Sales Ted @ LA Guitar Sales is offline
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Don't sweat it, Evan, I also commented in the last thread and forgot about the guitar as well. My experience with super small, and shallow travel guitars is that they sound small and shallow, but you can't beat the price.

Speaking of small, shallow and cheap travel guitars , I actually got a chance to try an Alpaca, and I have to say that it sounds even worse than it looks. Sounds like it's made of plastic. I collect travel guitars, so I would buy one if the price was right, simply to add it to my collection, but I can't see me ever taking it anywhere.
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Old 06-01-2016, 12:53 PM
tommyld tommyld is offline
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The neck, bridge, and bracing are wood...in my opinion, it's not carbon fiber where it really counts.

Video demos sound kind of plunky, but that's to be expected. I think considering the price-point and construction, I'd go with a Little Martin or Baby Taylor or similar. Why go half carbon fiber?
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Old 06-01-2016, 01:08 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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I think you are missing the point Tom. The body is CF, and that is the part most likely to crack or suffer with extremes of humidity and temperature. The bracing, bridge and neck are not so sensitive.

I used to own a Rainsong PMJ-1000, which was a CF top with a laminated body and neck. Zero issues in the ten years that I owned it, and now it lives in super dry Tucson.
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Old 06-01-2016, 06:37 PM
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Earl;

But you may have noticed that Rainsong is no longer doing that mix and match. I am one of those folks who want to see a pure CF instrument. That doesn't mean that the mix and match doesn't work; it just doesn't work for me.
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Old 06-01-2016, 11:11 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Yes Evan, I am aware. I too like all-CF guitars.

The PMJ series was an attempt to have a guitar at a lower price point, made in Korea. The tops were CF for durability. The body and neck was laminated wood to keep the price down! And the fretboard was dyed rosewood. Apparently the experiment did not pan out. But it was a good guitar, and my friend in Tucson does not have to fuss constantly about humidity to protect the top. I got a really good price on mine when they were being cleared out, and wish I had bought an extra or two for challenging storage conditions. Mine handled Alaska winters (10% RH indoors) and Idaho summers (15% outdoors) without any special care.

The current Rainsong hybrids use a similar concept, but with fiberglass cloth instead of laminated wood. CF is expensive material, and any time you can use something else helps keep prices reasonable.
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Old 06-02-2016, 07:53 AM
Fixedgear60 Fixedgear60 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
Yes Evan, I am aware. I too like all-CF guitars.


The current Rainsong hybrids use a similar concept, but with fiberglass cloth instead of laminated wood. CF is expensive material, and any time you can use something else helps keep prices reasonable.
I agree on the cost perspective but open to all the glories of "composite" materials in the search of an appealing sound. ...
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Old 06-02-2016, 09:10 AM
Steve Christens Steve Christens is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvanB View Post
Earl;

But you may have noticed that Rainsong is no longer doing that mix and match. I am one of those folks who want to see a pure CF instrument. That doesn't mean that the mix and match doesn't work; it just doesn't work for me.
I too would prefer no wood in my CF instruments, and stainless frets too for that matter. But I wouldn't be bothered by blending in fiberglass the way Rainsong did, as the figerglass is just as durable as CF.
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Old 06-02-2016, 09:33 AM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Fortunately for all of us, Rainsong does both -- pure CF in standard (weave top) and concert versions (unidirectional top) and their hybrid material too. You can get whatever you want. It's only money....

On clearance several years ago, I bought the PMJ for about $600 with a decent gig bag. At that price I could give up "all CF" and still have a durable top that required little or no maintenance. Given the cost, it traveled to Hawaii with me a few times, since I did not have to worry as much about airline abuse or going from dry to wet and back again. I would not risk my WS-1000 on the airlines, even though it could take it, since you can't replace the N1 neck anymore.
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Old 06-02-2016, 10:05 AM
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Acousticado Acousticado is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jkwrpc View Post
The price includes a strap, a cover(travel bag), a special neck cover, and a rain cover for the bag. Again at $499 it seem like a decent entry for the CF travel guitar market. Granted the wood neck and spruce bracing make it a bit of a hybrid. I seem to recall the early RainSong's used a wood neck or fretboard. There were some others that come to mind like Brunner, etc.

The big issue is how does it sound, for me its hard to tell from the samples on the website. Since there are a few out there I remain curious if anyone has experience with them and can comment.
I could be wrong, but I think Alistair started out Emerald's using Parker necks.
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