Am I the only one that thinks the klos (and other) carbon guitars are gimmicky?

[jdinco]

I bought one of those Nova Go $200. guitars off Amazon, yeah (to answer your question) it was gimmicky, BUT....my McPherson, Emerald and Rainsongs that I have owned were anything but "gimmicky". They are pricey, but they are labor intensive and some look like a piece of art. Which I love ! And they sound great. Try one and get back to us on that gimmicky thing. I don't think there is a thing wrong with your, buy cheap and replace when needed plan either though. I just prefer a better tone than what it provides.

[mountainmaster]

I have two ruined wood guitars to prove that extensive humidity fluctuations can indeed be a problem. This is not a gimmick. If you still have doubts, ask any repair shop.

[acousticchiq]

Originally Posted by DDW

You are right about one thing: they do not market them to people who are happy with a $60 Yamaha they picked up on Craigslist. Nor do many other luthiers.

Your proficient artist friends are allowed an opinion on the sound that they like. They are not allowed an opinion on the sound that I like. All carbon guitars are not heavier than a comparable wood one, in fact they tend the opposite. Of course just as you can spend a wide range on a wood guitar, you can do so on a carbon one.

They're marketing it to people who live in vans.

https://klosguitars.com/blogs/klos-i...ar-for-vanlife

They targeted me because I live in a van. In the marketing piece by klos I link. They say it's the perfect guitar to toss in the van. I'm just saying that the Yamaha that's in my van, the one that's been in there for 3 years now... Sounds great, it's been doing just fine. It's literally sandwiched between my skis and the wall.

Still not understanding what the point of the guitar is if a Yamaha can also withstand the stress of living in a van.

I've got nicer guitars... Gibson l00, and custom shop banner lg2. I don't think I'd leave THESE guitars in the van.

Is klos supposed to be a guitar that is Gibson shop level Caliber that you can leave in a van?

[raysachs]

I have two nice wooden acoustics I really love. They’re not $60 Yamahas, and when temps and/or humidity get really out of hand, I’d much rather keep them in their cases. in the place we’re renting this winter, the humidity in my guitar room has been in single digits for the past several days. I might not mind leaving a $60 Yamaha out in those conditions, but I’d rather leave my nice wooden acoustics (I bought them used for a good deal less, but current retail for these guitars is $7000 and $3000) cased with humidipaks when it gets crazy low like like this or when it gets crazy high for that matter, which it will in the coming weeks. So I also have a carbon fiber McPherson Sable (current retail is about $3500) that I leave out in ALL conditions and is always ready to play. It’s an amazing guitar - it’s not just an amazing carbon fiber guitar, it’s an amazing guitar period. It sounds wonderful and plays perfectly regardless of the conditions. Our primary residence is in western Oregon, where conditions are very friendly to wooden guitars and that’s all I play there. But conditions where we spend winters are MUCH less predictable with much wider swings in humidity, particularly in the poorly insulated place we’re staying this winter. I play my wood guitars when conditions are favorable, but I’ve come to rely on my Sable when it’s very dry or very damp where we’re staying.

And my proficiency as a player has eff all to do with anything. I’m an OK, but limited player but my ears have been listening to me play guitars for 47 years or so, and they know what they like and what they don’t like. I’ve played a number of carbon fiber guitars, I’ve liked some and not liked others - I love my Sable. Feel free not to buy one if you feel about them the way you do..

-Ray

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by acousticchiq

I'm not bashing anyone who buys them.

I just don't understand where all these people are getting the idea that a regular guitar touches air that's not 70 degrees and implodes.

In another post on this forum, on the front page, someone posted a photo and said this: "This was earlier tonight in 30 degree temps, handled it easy. Stayed in tune, no shrinking wood , sharp frets etc"

As if a wood guitar can't also do literally the exact same thing.

What the hell, I also played a festival this past weekend in the desert, in Arizona, it was 26 degrees, and it also "handled it easy", it stayed in tune, no shrinking wood, no sharp frets. It was a Gibson l-00

Theres something not right here... There's literally a disconnect from reality that's happening.

I get it if carbon fiber is your thing. And that's cool. But what's up with all the misinformation. And people using said misinformation to brag about something that's just not real.

I get the less fragile part. It probably is more durable in regards to not getting crushed like wood would. But people don't ever talk about that.

Yikes! Really? Oh, My! 'Nuff Said ...

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I started stringing them with Martin Monels shortly after they came on the market (FYI a tonal secret that has since been discovered by a number of fellow AGF'ers here on the Carbon Fiber subforum) which reins in the edginess of PB strings without sacrificing the characteristic CF response, clarity, or volume - I like to think of it as the sound Bob T. hears in his head but can't quite achieve with traditional wooden construction...

Sounds like you ought to do some demoing!

[hubcapsc]

I just don't understand where all these people are getting the idea that a regular guitar touches air that's not 70 degrees and implodes.

Since you exaggerate so much, it is hard to figure out your exact point.

The temperature has dipped way down here and I'm having a hard time
even keeping the humidity in my house even to 30%. My old plywood
college guitars are hanging on the wall in a nearby unheated building with
their bridges popped off.

-Mike "rock on..."

[RP]

Originally Posted by acousticchiq

First sentence I wrote was that I thought the guitar I played sounded pretty good. It was a klos and I expected it to sound like plastic but I truly thought it sounded pretty good.

Right. And the last sentences you wrote in the OP were:

Originally Posted by acousticchiq

It seems like these carbon fiber guitars are marketed to people who dont play guitar at a high level. I've had proficient artist friends buy them and they all told me that the guitar sounded terrible and it was super heavy compared to a comparable wood guitar

I'm glad you've found a guitar buying equation that works for your lifestyle and pocketbook, but coming onto the Carbon Fiber forum and throwing out these claims is tantamount to trolling.

[fpuhan]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

People who have never owned (or even played) a nice carbon fiber guitar frequently get things about carbon fiber wrong. First of all, that whole "indestructible" thing... carbon fiber is tougher than wood, but it can certain suffer damage if badly handled.

It would take some really bad handling, but no, nothing is 100% indestructible. KLŌS however, does have videos on their site in a section called "Durability Tests." For example, dropping a cinder block on a CF ukulele.

[Methos1979]

Haven't you guys learned to NOT feed the trolls?!? If you don't feed them, they go back under bridge. Or, at the very least, drive away in their vans.

[Todd S]

Agreed. Just another chiq-stirrer.

-T

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Haven't you guys learned to NOT feed the trolls?!? If you don't feed them, they go back under bridge. Or, at the very least, drive away in their vans.

A better (and less wordy) response than what I wrote. Thanks for the morning chuckle.

[acousticchiq]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Haven't you guys learned to NOT feed the trolls?!? If you don't feed them, they go back under bridge. Or, at the very least, drive away in their vans.

It's just an opinion and a different perspective. You don't have to agree with it

[DDW]

Originally Posted by acousticchiq

They're marketing it to people who live in vans.

https://klosguitars.com/blogs/klos-i...ar-for-vanlife

They targeted me because I live in a van. In the marketing piece by klos I link. They say it's the perfect guitar to toss in the van. I'm just saying that the Yamaha that's in my van, the one that's been in there for 3 years now... Sounds great, it's been doing just fine. It's literally sandwiched between my skis and the wall.

Still not understanding what the point of the guitar is if a Yamaha can also withstand the stress of living in a van.

I've got nicer guitars... Gibson l00, and custom shop banner lg2. I don't think I'd leave THESE guitars in the van.

Is klos supposed to be a guitar that is Gibson shop level Caliber that you can leave in a van?

They aren't marketing to someone in a van who is happy with a $60 Craigslist special. You do realize some people in vans aren't? You say yourself you would not leave your better guitars in your van. With the Klos you can.

But there were really two assertions in your OP: first, that a $60 guitar (replacing as often as necessary) is a better monetary value than a $2000 Klos as a beater guitar. That may very well be true, leaving the question for any individual if $1940 is worth playing the lower quality instrument and replacing it all the time. Maybe for you but not others. You are not everybody.

Second, that based on some friends' experience with some unnamed carbon fiber guitar they are all crap, and marketed to people who don't know the difference. This assertion is simply false.

[mbroz]

At the risk of "feeding", I'll assume benign intent from the OP and say:

It sounds like the OP is very happy with the Yamaha "van guitar" and I think that is great. But I believe many folks here are like me, and end up looking at CF after real world experiences with their wood guitars that did not go well...not because we blindly followed a bunch of marketing claims from CF manufacturers or praise from CF fans.

I'm not saying I couldn't have found a wood guitar on CL for a lot less money that would have made me happy...maybe I could have. I just chose not to go that route after my experience with a Martin D15M.