@@reducedtoatoms3973 perfectly polished frets still wear out. When the option is available to use SS, take it. Buying a 1k+ instrument, i'd happily pay an extra hundred for SS frets if thats what theyd quote it. The Yamaha Revstar RSS20 has SS frets for 800$-- no excuse anymore.
@@antonchilinski9729 yea, especially since the instrument is marketed as lasting over a lifetime. I’m also sure that if they got ss frets and a prettier headstock, then they’d have a whole lot more customers.
THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS. I was immensely sad when I heard on the live podcast you may not upload it. For some of us, all content is great content 👍🏼
I'll be the voice of dissention. I thought the headstock looked great, and distinctive, but I tend to like variations of smaller 3+3 headstocks. This looks like a shortened Hamer headstock.
I really like how you go through the different amps for the different levels of gain and full range of sounds possible from the pickups. Great video Phil!
Great review, really appreciate you taking a moment to describe neck profile and thickness!! Taper is important too. These are determining factors to me really bonding with a guitar. No other channel is hitting that info with any consistency 🤘
I really appreciate you taking the time to show people how to do these deep-dives, checking everything. I firmly believe that anyone smart enough to play guitar halfway well is also smart enough to do their own set-ups. They're certainly smart enough to understand how and why a guitar is set up properly, even if they don't want to do it themselves.
I'm wondering who this is for? To me the carbon fiber neck + composite fretboard definitely looks like a good start, but bolting it to a wooden body with a clunky neck joint and using nickel frets? If you want a modern composite guitar, check out Aristides. It's more expensive, but you are getting more comprehensive features.
The Aristides also offer much more unique finishes in my opinion, this could be a good option for trying out a composite material guitar without spending over 2 grand
Yep. The main real selling point of CF is that it's stable and strong. Well, screwing it to a lump of wood kind of defeats that advantage, and honestly unless you routinely leave your guitar out in the cold all night and then bring it into a warm humid room, stability is vastly over-blown anyway. Assuming the instrument was made of reasonably good materials and built properly in the first place. People who tour constantly get along just fine without CF necks; the most a good wooden neck ever really needs is a little tweak of the truss rod. It's just not that big of a deal. My personal opinion is that there's really no reason to use CF in a neck or body except that it looks cool and you get to brag to your friends, "I have a weird guitar that's different than yours." For what it typically costs... nah. I'll pass on that trend.
I own their full carbon fiber ukulele, and it is the most reliable instrument I got. They also make Bass, too. I would like you to demo in the near future.
That last riff was very Pantera-esque sounded cool. Guitar was overall cool, and like other viewers I also agree at over 2000 dollars I think it should have stainless steel frets.
@@konradkoeppe2840 I would wonder if refretting would mess up the carbon fiber. Personally, any change in sound a steel fret might make would be indistinguishable in a mix. I could see how jamming alone it would make a greater difference.
@@konradkoeppe2840 People want stainless frets because it's trendy. There is a time for them, and it's up to the individual, but you are correct. There are pros AND cons to them, but it has been assumed by the public that they are better in every way.
I am just as much a fan of 50 year old guitars as the next guy. I love how this thing looks. Even more I would love to try it myself. I dont think enough to just one and see.
That's the trouble with the continuing failure of brick-and-mortar stores and internet sales taking over... you can't just go down and check out a lot of these brands/models and side-by-side them. Of course, with a small shop like this, they likely don't even make enough to get their stuff in stores, so that's something we just have to deal with if we want to support independent makers. Anyway, a couple thousand bucks is a big deal to most people. Especially for a brand that doesn't have a built-in used market. If you order a Gibson or Fender and it's not quite for you, no big deal, you can sell it in a matter of days. With Brand X almost no one ever heard of, you might be stuck with it for months, and your fun money is all tied up in a guitar you don't really want. Even with the budget guitars - which seem to get better every year - tossing three bills out there just to see if you like an instrument is a little dicey. There's a fairly good chance a person just doesn't care for it for some reason, and then it's an extra hassle to either return it or re-sell the thing.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I totally appreciate uour insight. I love hearing from people about this situation as players we find ourselves in. I am part owner of a custom shop where we make new guitars as well. Oh god do I understand all too well the conundrum here. Its my number problem that needs solving. I just took over and never had so many complete guitars in stock to sell. We have 80+ custom guitars in stock and ready to go. We have 100% satisfaction guarantee to start with but have to work on getting the guitars in hands of players and get word mouth going. Thats the long game. I know we need to come up with more ideas to be able to get people to feel and hear them on their own. We are in the baby stage of it. I constanrly am putting myself in a customers postion as I did here. I have to think like a customer to sell like a pro. I always say I am professional shopper not seller. There is nothing more Inlove than when I can someone else to give their feedback too. Thank you for taking your time to comment. Its an uphill battle. Its all good though. I have a dream job and love what I do, right along side of my partner who is in the same boat. If we did this solely for the money, we would have had to have checked out a long rime ago.
@@JoeKyser I understand. I made custom knives for about ten years. Running any kind of small shop with a limited "niche" customer base is a real hard dollar. "If we did it solely for money..." ohhhh boy, I get that for SURE! I'd honestly have been better off just working in a factory or restaurant than running my own shop, if it was only about making money. At least I'd have had days off and a steady paycheck LOL.
Now that I’ve watched the full video, I can say I’m a big fan! It’s one of those guitars we can see you’re really enjoying and it looks like an amazing one to play. They both look fantastic, but without the upgrades that base model is a smoking deal.
Great review. I used to know a guy with a Parker and he let me play it a couple times. It was amazing. Would love to get my hands on one. This Klos guitar sounds pretty good also.
Great review as always but I didn't really grasp what the carbon fiber adds to this guitar other than price. With an acoustic, I know it doesn't suffer the effects of the weather. Also more durable. With an electric what are we gaining? Is there a risk/reward balance with a carbon fiber neck?
It's basically for people who are either just really impressed with how cool CF looks, or they're terrified of ever having to adjust a truss rod a tiny bit. It's a "solution" to a problem that doesn't really exist. People tour all over in all kinds of weather, and they get by just fine with wooden necks. It's just not that big of a deal. Carbon fiber is really light, so I guess if you like guitars like SGs that are known for neck-diving, a CF neck would help that. Otherwise I really just don't see the point.
@@jeffmckinnon5842 making a piece of CF that thick presents some problems with consistency as well, though. It's not an easy process; you have to start with layers of carbon fiber fabric and laminate them all together with the correct adhesives, and cure that correctly, etc etc. Then machine it. Screw it up just a little at any point along the way and you've got a real expensive lump of garbage on your hands. I for SURE agree about people chasing gear constantly when they should probably just practice more or take some lessons. 🙂
Great review! I see where someone else didn’t care for the headstock, otherwise a very nice guitar! Seemed to have great sustain on the clean side. Thx for another great review!
@@allgrainbrewer10 ya, especially in that price range you could get something with fender or gibson on the headstock. Or just a much better guitar from a lot of other companies
Very cool, even though the only thing I can afford in the video is the action gauge. I also see a couple more on the wall that must be in the pipeline, can't wait!
That fretboard looks very inviting. I had an older guitar I got in trade, a Dean eighty eight. It had an Ebanol fretboard. "What the heck is that all about?". Played just wonderfully. Cleaned up well and easy.
At first glance and from a distance, the white one looks like the Mosrite copy that I ordered and recently received from Roman Guitars in Las Vegas. Yes, 'that' Roman Guitars. The guitar is absolutely incredible.
Phil, what did you use to polish the frets? I didn't find any links in the description. Dremel Tool plus polishing compound? Felt polishing wheel? Thanks! Great videos!
I played a Parker Fly at the store back in the day, and it sounded almost as bad as those gawdawful aluminum guitars that were all the rage for about fifteen minutes.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 Thanks, and yeah - eventually sold it on to somebody else on eBay and the cycle continued. Learned the hard way to never order an instrument you haven't played just because it looks cool and seemingly gets good reviews.
@@actuallynotsteve Yeah, I really don't like ordering certain things online. Some items I really, really prefer trying out in person. Like clothes/shoes and guitars. Been burned before on both. With clothes/shoes it's mainly because sizes are just apparently random these days, and with guitars I've just had bad luck - there's been something messed-up on them every time I've taken the chance.
I don't see why they'd do all this whiz bang stuff on a guitar with a base model starting at $1300 and the different wood and paint job and active pickup model being around $2000 and not have stainless steel frets standard. That is something that is beginning to come out on guitars around 500 dollars. Seems like an odd oversight to not even offer it as even an upcharge option.
They did it because CF is trendy and instantly gets people's attention. This thing really has nothing else at all going for it except "the neck is carbon fiber."
@@jeffmckinnon5842 I'm not convinced about stainless frets myself, but I agree with Ragehol. At this price-point, especially from a semi-custom shop, it should be an option.
Great review Phil. I'm a big fan of alternative materials guitars. I own a Journey Overhead acoustic which has zero wood in it...great travel guitar. I also own a Blackbird El Capitan acoustic which is made from a material called ekoa. However, I would urge you to try to get any of the Emerald acoustics on.....these are crazy good and so many options. Also, have you ever had an Aristides on your show? As far as electrics go....that is my go to. Incredibly good guitars with zero wood. I highly recommend those, and would make some really great content as those are both unnique.
@PhillipMcKnight Is that a Nuno Bettencourt Washburn N4 behind you that so did a green and black swirl/hydro dip paint job to? It sure looks it. I see a 5 bolt Stephens Extended Cutaway at the neck joint.
@@PhillipMcKnight Gotcha. You should see my original run 1992 N4 it is beat up and looks like Nuno's original N4 and my 2006 Washburn N6 in pristine condition with the N6 decal. Would love to send you pictures. How could I do it? I think you would like to see them. "D"
I loved the way both guitars sounded - Better than wood, in my opinion. Very balanced, clear, rich tone, and with loads of sustain, and no harshness out of the bridge pickup. I assume the back of the neck could be converted to a Satin finish by doing a light sanding, right? A few things I'd change: I don't like the stumpy headstock design, but it may be that short so if removed, the guitar and neck will fit within Airlines carryon bag length limitations. I mostly play fingerstyle, so wide pickups usually get in the way. I'd prefer stacked humbuckers to avoid that. I don't like having to remove strings and the pickguard to work on electronic components. I'd prefer access to them from the back of the guitar. Preferences aside, those are two really good sounding guitars. 😎👍
I was wondering where the treble went, until he split the coils on the blue one. But even then, not bright enough IMO. At least there's some chuggage available, I guess.
As a cyclist we tend to buy carbon fiber parts or frames to dampen road vibration which helps reduce the numbness feeling in our hands on long bike rides. If you are looking for sustain, id hate to break it to you but id avoid it like the plague. Not that its a terrible material, but adding a seatpost or just carbon fiber handle bars on a bicycle cuts down on alot of road vibration. It can simulate like sitting in a nice car like a bmw, mercedes etc how inside those cars its hard to hear the road as you would in a much cheaper car like honda, toyota kia etc. As far as tone if you like what you hear go for it, but letting everyone out there know what other hobby communities are doing with carbon fiber.
you are talking about carbon vs metal, i wonder how a carbon bike would compare to one made out of wood lol, also carbon fiber is only used in the chassis of a few cars, and if you ride in an actual carbon chassis car like an alfa romeo 4c or bmw i3 its quite rattly when driving around, a very hollow sound
I used to own a kestrel carbon bike and I agree carbon damps vibration compared to metal frames, but don’t you think wood also could dampen vibrations on a bike?
I didnt really care for the headstock either as several have commented. Maybe knowing the neck was CF messed with my mind, but I didnt care much for the sound either. Call me a traditionalist, but for $2k, my money is going to something else. Thanks for the video Phil - love your channel and you are the reason for every Friday!
As an owner of a Rainsong 12 string acoustic, its tuning stability always amazes me. It rarely need tuning, even if kept in its case for 6 months. I am a bit unsure about the removable neck 'feature' and Okoume is a bit soft.
I have a 400$ guitar with a Floyd Rose that never goes out of tune. My guitars that cost 10-15 times that much do fairly well. But a locking nut on Floyd equipped guitars are the best tuning stability by a mile. My Gibson (surprisingly) hold tune really well too. I use Tw25b (military gun grease.lol) on my nut slots and saddles. Amazing stuff. I ran out of my regular guitar lube (nut sauce) one day during a string change. It dawned on my I had the gun lube upstairs. It comes in a syringe applicator. So perfect for nut slots. And it’s a white grease so it’s not obvious. I only use a tiny bit. Stuff is amazing. I never went back to the reg guitar nut lube. I ordered another syringe on Tw25b for my guitar maintenance kit. Expensive. But we’ll worth it!
I wouldn't expect to see fret sprout on a composite (i.e. not wood) neck. And a guitar with a wood neck built with extraordinary care in a humid region, then shipped to an arid region, will almost certainly have fret sprout. The fret ends on my new guitar (made in China) are very well finished, but the fret ends stick out microscopically because the wood neck is made in China, which is a much more humid region than most of North America.
It seems more like a novelty guitar. I guess it has a weight advantage but I don’t think it’s something that would really take off for a touring musician. To each his own though, if thats your gig then more power to ya.
It's definitely a novelty guitar. It offers absolutely no advantage to either a pro or hobbyist except: "Hey, doesn't this carbon fiber look cool?" All this stuff about being more stable is really a moot point. Adjusting a truss rod now and then is just not that big of a deal; I've never understood why so many people are so terrified of it.
i wonder how the frets will wear as I think i can see where the fretboard was played. Or it could be that it shows finger oils easily? No clue but curious
How is the neck stability? Can you bend it easily? I know there are guitars that have carbon composite necks, not true carbon fiber like this one, but the neck bends WAY to easily! Making it almost impossible to play!
I would buy this guitar without hesitation, if it had an option for a more single-cut like body shape (e.g. Tele-style, Les Paul-style) and if the frets were stainless steel. I don't know why but I was never a fan of strat-shapes... Other than the nitpicky stuff I like it very much. As a casual/hobbyist I love electric guitars made out of innovative materials that make the guitars as low maintenance as possible!
Great review Phil, very interesting! As for buying/owning one, I'm afraid I'm an old "woody", I'll probably always own/play wooden guitars. I just love the tone from well crystallized, very old tone woods. 8) JMHO. Peace, --gary
Yeah man. .. very cool guitar! Sounds fantastic! Love how that guitar has some great options and quality standard features... and I love the Snake Head... headstock! Almost went back to GC today to check out the Fender amps some more, but really didn't have the time I needed so I resisted for another day... lol. What I'm really looking for is something different for my studio than what I already have... an AC30 CC2 2x12 combo, a Blackstar HT Studio 20 1x12 combo, a Roland JC90 2x10 combo, a Carvin Vai Legacy 100w head and an EVH Iconic 5150 80w head both going into an Orange 2x12 cab with V-30s ... so... I'm thinking either the Princeton Pro 1X12 combo, Hotrod Deluxe 1x12 or the '65 Deluxe Reverb 1x12... so hard to choose... I have pedals for most of the effects and drive sounds I could want ... the main point is... I'm looking not just for the occasional gig amp, but for pedal demos, etc... and of course, just the very pleasure of playing the amp... I know you know, what I mean... and, I know you hate deciding for someone else, but... I need help! 🤪 Seriously though, I think if I spend the2 time with them back and forth between them at the site, I'll be able to decide eventually... but my concern is I can't turn them up loud enough in the store to really get them to that sweet spot... so ... argh! Option paralysis... I can hear you saying it now! lol Anyway... just venting... if you actually read all of this this... you freakin' ROCK! 🤘😎🎸🐦
Have GB come James for a long while after that and it gets to a. You know how the world wash. I'm a bit more interested if the other one was in your case but you have. This has. It's amazing👍.
A missed opportunity. Thanks to Phil for reviewing this. I was looking at buying this guitar and had just about decided to pull the trigger. You saved me from spending $1200+ and being VERY disappointed. This is mostly "Flash". Some good ideas as well as some apparent quality in some areas but, the areas where it's lacking is huge. DEFINITELY should have S.S. frets. Tuners, pots and the like are easily upgradable by the player. Frets aren't. S.S. frets + a few more minutes in labor to dress and polish. Side note: for me, a little bigger headstock with straight string pull would really make a difference. String pull isn't a big deal on the hardtail but, for those of us who would buy the trem model, it would mean night and day. Especially with a Graphtech nut. All in all, I feel like this is a missed opportunity. A big one.
$1200 seems a good price for a guitar with a carbon fibre neck, but that is for the basic model, by the time you have ticked all the options that you will want it will be a lot more. The fact that it comes in semi kit form also puts me off, how many samples will need shims in the neck pocket to get the relief correct? Until i can see and play one which is unlikely here in the UK, i will give this one a miss.
@@Klosguitarscarbonfiber Thanks for your reply, very few guitar makers fully setup any guitar, i still am uncertain about having to re-fit the neck on arrival. I assume that you also have to fit new stings, any left loose in shipping could cause a lot of damage. I will keep watching for any UK dealers, as long as it's not "Andertons" i fell out with them over a new guitar and won't buy from them again.
Thanks for a top review bud, but jeezus that is some claim. (perfect) now there is a 24/7 argument 😂 your sock test proved that. 😂👍🥃Respect to you mate.
Im not sure about carbon fiber necked guitars but with basses they lose something in regards with playing off the pickups. For example say you play off the neck pickup on a jazz bass then switch to the bridge pickup. The tone changes alot with a normal wood bass. With carbon fiber necks it seems to be way less pronounced. Im not saying their bad basses, their usually great basses. Its just a quirk Ive noticed.
I would have liked to see you do the heat gun test like you did with the aluminum koloss, i thought it was interesting and would like to know how this guitar compares
This is the U.S.A.'s answer to Status instruments over in the U.K.(As of this year, Status no longer manufacturers stringed instruments and have closed their shop for good)
Thanks as always Phil, so cool , I would love to try one. When you do a video Like this I really do believe you when you give your opinion. that is not true with all channels.
Hard pass on the headstock. It could play and sound great, be affordable, and be durable. But none of that matters if it looks like a 4 year old designed it.
I have to agree wholeheartedly about headstocks, if I don't like the headstock I'm not even going to bother with it. Headstocks are subjective and and I'm not sure that I like this one either but the strings appear to be on a straight path between the nut and tuners and for me that's a big thumbs up. And as far as carbon fiber necks, I have a Martin Dreadnought acoustic with a carbon-fiber neck and I really love it because it's so stable. And it feels like a regular neck to me.
My impression is, if you have zero DIY skills this is a good value, but personally I'm better off buying a Squier Bullet and upgrading it for half the cost, even if I straight up replace the neck.
By the way, before I bought my Stratocaster and became a born again musician on guitar--I originally play sax, Berklee, all that--I was absolutely addicted to your videos. My guitar is like none other, exept maybe Jimmy Ray Vaughan's guitar coincidentally, but it started as a thrift shop buy Squier Bullet Strat. Thanks to you, I have the best guitar I've ever played, because I completely rebuilt it with what I learned from you. Top to Bottom: Fender locking tuners Graphtech string tree--moved further up the headstock--and nut which I sized to fit myself. Ernie Ball Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom strings Fender pickguard Fender Tex-Mex pickups ObsidianWire Blender which came with all the best electronic parts Graphtech bridge saddles Fender Vintage Style Big Block tremelo bridge Springs and all that Shielded the cavity with copper tape so it is radio silent Ernie Ball strap locks and ... I'm still modifying it. I'm either going to refret it or replace the neck next. I did this all little by little, up to a hundred dollars per month at a time, and I learned a hell of a lot in the process. Again, thanks to you.
Okoume has been used to make plywood in Asian countries for decades. It is not a wood that Asians have ever used for musical instruments. Literally a guitar manufacturer needed a brownish colored wood to he could tell his clients was mahogany while pocketing the savings. The company went to a wood merchant looking for a darker colored wood and was shown okoume. Apparently it's resonant but soft.
Almost $1,000 difference between the 2? For a paint job and pick-ups seems kinda steep. But, I probably wouldn't buy the cheaper one yet either. Of course that's just opinion, but unless you have money to throw around, it's better to get a established name brand. Love the videos
Nice guitar but for the cost they should've used Stainless Steel fret wire.
Strongly agree. I think it should be expected that modern-designed instruments for 1000$+ have stainless steel frets.
Very much agree, along with CTS pots. Alpha in a guitar solidly over $1,000 is quite disappointing.
Yea, that, or actually polish the frets. Unpolished frets is something you generally something get at $500 and less for beginner guitars.
@@reducedtoatoms3973 perfectly polished frets still wear out. When the option is available to use SS, take it. Buying a 1k+ instrument, i'd happily pay an extra hundred for SS frets if thats what theyd quote it. The Yamaha Revstar RSS20 has SS frets for 800$-- no excuse anymore.
@@antonchilinski9729 yea, especially since the instrument is marketed as lasting over a lifetime. I’m also sure that if they got ss frets and a prettier headstock, then they’d have a whole lot more customers.
THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS. I was immensely sad when I heard on the live podcast you may not upload it.
For some of us, all content is great content 👍🏼
Really neat guitar. I do wish they'd come up with a headstock with a little more character. That one looks a little stumpy.
I was going to make the exact same comment.
Agreed. The headstock is ugly...needs a redesign, other than that Id def buy one!
Headstock is to small
I'll be the voice of dissention. I thought the headstock looked great, and distinctive, but I tend to like variations of smaller 3+3 headstocks. This looks like a shortened Hamer headstock.
Agreed not feeling that headstock
I really like how you go through the different amps for the different levels of gain and full range of sounds possible from the pickups. Great video Phil!
Great review, really appreciate you taking a moment to describe neck profile and thickness!! Taper is important too. These are determining factors to me really bonding with a guitar. No other channel is hitting that info with any consistency 🤘
I really appreciate you taking the time to show people how to do these deep-dives, checking everything. I firmly believe that anyone smart enough to play guitar halfway well is also smart enough to do their own set-ups. They're certainly smart enough to understand how and why a guitar is set up properly, even if they don't want to do it themselves.
I'm wondering who this is for? To me the carbon fiber neck + composite fretboard definitely looks like a good start, but bolting it to a wooden body with a clunky neck joint and using nickel frets? If you want a modern composite guitar, check out Aristides. It's more expensive, but you are getting more comprehensive features.
The Aristides also offer much more unique finishes in my opinion, this could be a good option for trying out a composite material guitar without spending over 2 grand
It does seem kind of odd to have a carbon, bulletproof neck but then put a wood body which is then subject to weather and humidity all over again
@@matthashobbies buy once cry once right, a little bit more and you get the better one thats built better & makes more sense
Yep. The main real selling point of CF is that it's stable and strong. Well, screwing it to a lump of wood kind of defeats that advantage, and honestly unless you routinely leave your guitar out in the cold all night and then bring it into a warm humid room, stability is vastly over-blown anyway. Assuming the instrument was made of reasonably good materials and built properly in the first place. People who tour constantly get along just fine without CF necks; the most a good wooden neck ever really needs is a little tweak of the truss rod. It's just not that big of a deal.
My personal opinion is that there's really no reason to use CF in a neck or body except that it looks cool and you get to brag to your friends, "I have a weird guitar that's different than yours." For what it typically costs... nah. I'll pass on that trend.
I own their full carbon fiber ukulele, and it is the most reliable instrument I got. They also make Bass, too. I would like you to demo in the near future.
Didn't know you gave such detailed reviews on instruments absolutely love it I'm already subscribed but definitely going to be watching more thank you
Even listening on my phone without headphones I can tell it sounds really good.
That last riff was very Pantera-esque sounded cool. Guitar was overall cool, and like other viewers I also agree at over 2000 dollars I think it should have stainless steel frets.
Why? Stainless has a very off putting noise. If you cant hear it your lucky. If you can its like nails on a chalkboard.
@@konradkoeppe2840 I would wonder if refretting would mess up the carbon fiber. Personally, any change in sound a steel fret might make would be indistinguishable in a mix. I could see how jamming alone it would make a greater difference.
@@konradkoeppe2840 People want stainless frets because it's trendy. There is a time for them, and it's up to the individual, but you are correct. There are pros AND cons to them, but it has been assumed by the public that they are better in every way.
@@shelbyavant5081 no I want stainless steel frets because they're higher quality. Any difference you're hearing is psychological I guarantee you.
@@Klosguitarscarbonfiber ayyye thanks for the reply!
I am just as much a fan of 50 year old guitars as the next guy. I love how this thing looks. Even more I would love to try it myself. I dont think enough to just one and see.
That's the trouble with the continuing failure of brick-and-mortar stores and internet sales taking over... you can't just go down and check out a lot of these brands/models and side-by-side them. Of course, with a small shop like this, they likely don't even make enough to get their stuff in stores, so that's something we just have to deal with if we want to support independent makers.
Anyway, a couple thousand bucks is a big deal to most people. Especially for a brand that doesn't have a built-in used market. If you order a Gibson or Fender and it's not quite for you, no big deal, you can sell it in a matter of days. With Brand X almost no one ever heard of, you might be stuck with it for months, and your fun money is all tied up in a guitar you don't really want.
Even with the budget guitars - which seem to get better every year - tossing three bills out there just to see if you like an instrument is a little dicey. There's a fairly good chance a person just doesn't care for it for some reason, and then it's an extra hassle to either return it or re-sell the thing.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I totally appreciate uour insight. I love hearing from people about this situation as players we find ourselves in. I am part owner of a custom shop where we make new guitars as well. Oh god do I understand all too well the conundrum here. Its my number problem that needs solving. I just took over and never had so many complete guitars in stock to sell. We have 80+ custom guitars in stock and ready to go. We have 100% satisfaction guarantee to start with but have to work on getting the guitars in hands of players and get word mouth going. Thats the long game. I know we need to come up with more ideas to be able to get people to feel and hear them on their own. We are in the baby stage of it. I constanrly am putting myself in a customers postion as I did here. I have to think like a customer to sell like a pro. I always say I am professional shopper not seller. There is nothing more Inlove than when I can someone else to give their feedback too. Thank you for taking your time to comment. Its an uphill battle. Its all good though. I have a dream job and love what I do, right along side of my partner who is in the same boat. If we did this solely for the money, we would have had to have checked out a long rime ago.
@@JoeKyser I understand. I made custom knives for about ten years. Running any kind of small shop with a limited "niche" customer base is a real hard dollar.
"If we did it solely for money..." ohhhh boy, I get that for SURE! I'd honestly have been better off just working in a factory or restaurant than running my own shop, if it was only about making money. At least I'd have had days off and a steady paycheck LOL.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 oh god I hear you. Isnt it the truth though lol
You are really getting organized and effective with your reviews and editing. Really good info and personable style. Bravo!
Now that I’ve watched the full video, I can say I’m a big fan! It’s one of those guitars we can see you’re really enjoying and it looks like an amazing one to play.
They both look fantastic, but without the upgrades that base model is a smoking deal.
Great review. I used to know a guy with a Parker and he let me play it a couple times. It was amazing. Would love to get my hands on one. This Klos guitar sounds pretty good also.
I'd like to see Phil's bass collection, and more vids on bass, since Phil is really an outstanding bassist.
Great review as always but I didn't really grasp what the carbon fiber adds to this guitar other than price. With an acoustic, I know it doesn't suffer the effects of the weather. Also more durable. With an electric what are we gaining? Is there a risk/reward balance with a carbon fiber neck?
It's basically for people who are either just really impressed with how cool CF looks, or they're terrified of ever having to adjust a truss rod a tiny bit.
It's a "solution" to a problem that doesn't really exist. People tour all over in all kinds of weather, and they get by just fine with wooden necks. It's just not that big of a deal.
Carbon fiber is really light, so I guess if you like guitars like SGs that are known for neck-diving, a CF neck would help that. Otherwise I really just don't see the point.
@@jeffmckinnon5842 making a piece of CF that thick presents some problems with consistency as well, though.
It's not an easy process; you have to start with layers of carbon fiber fabric and laminate them all together with the correct adhesives, and cure that correctly, etc etc. Then machine it.
Screw it up just a little at any point along the way and you've got a real expensive lump of garbage on your hands.
I for SURE agree about people chasing gear constantly when they should probably just practice more or take some lessons. 🙂
Great video as usual! How do you measure the EQ of the pickups?
We might need to do a deep dive video on how we are doing deep dives. I will work on it.
Great review! I see where someone else didn’t care for the headstock, otherwise a very nice guitar! Seemed to have great sustain on the clean side.
Thx for another great review!
ENGL amp sounded awesome! Good guitar review would like to try one!
Damn,they sound great!! Are there lefthanded versions too?
For the price there are a lot of other options out there, even considering the carbon fiber. And personally I'm not a fan of that headstock.
That's what I was feeling. Just Meh.
@@allgrainbrewer10 ya, especially in that price range you could get something with fender or gibson on the headstock. Or just a much better guitar from a lot of other companies
Yeah the headstock is butt ugly lol
@@anthonyb5279 well then this thing is a hunk a'junk
Agreed on the pricing
I remember there was a parker guitar that was carbon, I wanted it but never found one to try out.
They are the best guitars you can try
It’s funny people are saying 1000 isn’t affordable but it actually is for a musical instrument.
An unimaginative guitar.
Gotta have Stainless-steel frets to really compete today. My Suhr-Strat, is light-years Better vs. most of the competition.
Very cool, even though the only thing I can afford in the video is the action gauge. I also see a couple more on the wall that must be in the pipeline, can't wait!
I’m ready for bigger brands to embrace non-wood guitars.
That fretboard looks very inviting. I had an older guitar I got in trade, a Dean eighty eight. It had an Ebanol fretboard. "What the heck is that all about?".
Played just wonderfully. Cleaned up well and easy.
The sustain seems top notch
At first glance and from a distance, the white one looks like the Mosrite copy that I ordered and recently received from Roman Guitars in Las Vegas. Yes, 'that' Roman Guitars. The guitar is absolutely incredible.
Damn, I would really like a tele like this, would look awesome
Very interesting review… not a guitar I would have considered but it sounds, plays, and looks great.
@@Klosguitarscarbonfiber job well done, very impressive.
Phil, what did you use to polish the frets? I didn't find any links in the description. Dremel Tool plus polishing compound? Felt polishing wheel? Thanks! Great videos!
Fantastic thorough review ^_^
I had a Parker Nitefly when I was younger and that carbon fiber neck/fretboard absolutely slapped. Sounded awful though.
I played a Parker Fly at the store back in the day, and it sounded almost as bad as those gawdawful aluminum guitars that were all the rage for about fifteen minutes.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 Yup...I saw them in Guitar Player and saved up for like 2 years to be able to afford a Nitefly. It sounded soooo bad, hah.
@@actuallynotsteve that's really unfortunate. I hope you got most of your money back out of it.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 Thanks, and yeah - eventually sold it on to somebody else on eBay and the cycle continued. Learned the hard way to never order an instrument you haven't played just because it looks cool and seemingly gets good reviews.
@@actuallynotsteve Yeah, I really don't like ordering certain things online. Some items I really, really prefer trying out in person. Like clothes/shoes and guitars. Been burned before on both. With clothes/shoes it's mainly because sizes are just apparently random these days, and with guitars I've just had bad luck - there's been something messed-up on them every time I've taken the chance.
I don't see why they'd do all this whiz bang stuff on a guitar with a base model starting at $1300 and the different wood and paint job and active pickup model being around $2000 and not have stainless steel frets standard. That is something that is beginning to come out on guitars around 500 dollars. Seems like an odd oversight to not even offer it as even an upcharge option.
They did it because CF is trendy and instantly gets people's attention. This thing really has nothing else at all going for it except "the neck is carbon fiber."
@@jeffmckinnon5842 I'm not convinced about stainless frets myself, but I agree with Ragehol. At this price-point, especially from a semi-custom shop, it should be an option.
Great review Phil. I'm a big fan of alternative materials guitars. I own a Journey Overhead acoustic which has zero wood in it...great travel guitar. I also own a Blackbird El Capitan acoustic which is made from a material called ekoa. However, I would urge you to try to get any of the Emerald acoustics on.....these are crazy good and so many options. Also, have you ever had an Aristides on your show? As far as electrics go....that is my go to. Incredibly good guitars with zero wood. I highly recommend those, and would make some really great content as those are both unnique.
@PhillipMcKnight Is that a Nuno Bettencourt Washburn N4 behind you that so did a green and black swirl/hydro dip paint job to? It sure looks it. I see a 5 bolt Stephens Extended Cutaway at the neck joint.
Yes, it is a N4 hydro dipped. I've had it for 10 years or so
@@PhillipMcKnight Gotcha. You should see my original run 1992 N4 it is beat up and looks like Nuno's original N4 and my 2006 Washburn N6 in pristine condition with the N6 decal. Would love to send you pictures. How could I do it? I think you would like to see them. "D"
Thanks another great in-depth review
Good, except for the LOG neck thickness and lack of 12" to 16" contour radius neck.
I loved the way both guitars sounded - Better than wood, in my opinion. Very balanced, clear, rich tone, and with loads of sustain, and no harshness out of the bridge pickup. I assume the back of the neck could be converted to a Satin finish by doing a light sanding, right?
A few things I'd change: I don't like the stumpy headstock design, but it may be that short so if removed, the guitar and neck will fit within Airlines carryon bag length limitations. I mostly play fingerstyle, so wide pickups usually get in the way. I'd prefer stacked humbuckers to avoid that. I don't like having to remove strings and the pickguard to work on electronic components. I'd prefer access to them from the back of the guitar. Preferences aside, those are two really good sounding guitars. 😎👍
I'm curious to see what your take on Aristides Guitars is. They make guitars with carbon fiber and a proprietary material called arium.
I was wondering where the treble went, until he split the coils on the blue one. But even then, not bright enough IMO. At least there's some chuggage available, I guess.
As a cyclist we tend to buy carbon fiber parts or frames to dampen road vibration which helps reduce the numbness feeling in our hands on long bike rides.
If you are looking for sustain, id hate to break it to you but id avoid it like the plague.
Not that its a terrible material, but adding a seatpost or just carbon fiber handle bars on a bicycle cuts down on alot of road vibration.
It can simulate like sitting in a nice car like a bmw, mercedes etc how inside those cars its hard to hear the road as you would in a much cheaper car like honda, toyota kia etc.
As far as tone if you like what you hear go for it, but letting everyone out there know what other hobby communities are doing with carbon fiber.
you are talking about carbon vs metal, i wonder how a carbon bike would compare to one made out of wood lol, also carbon fiber is only used in the chassis of a few cars, and if you ride in an actual carbon chassis car like an alfa romeo 4c or bmw i3 its quite rattly when driving around, a very hollow sound
I used to own a kestrel carbon bike and I agree carbon damps vibration compared to metal frames, but don’t you think wood also could dampen vibrations on a bike?
Not all carbon is the same. Just like not all steels and aluminums are the same. Sustain is a myth.
Could have sworn my carbon road bike was stiffer than my
Aluminium bike.
I am looking for one with trem and single coil pickups for that Hank Marvin sound
they said (a few times) they were going to send me a bass, but nothing ever happened. Nice to see a real run down
I didnt really care for the headstock either as several have commented. Maybe knowing the neck was CF messed with my mind, but I didnt care much for the sound either. Call me a traditionalist, but for $2k, my money is going to something else. Thanks for the video Phil - love your channel and you are the reason for every Friday!
Is there any data showing that carbon-fiber necks need less-frequent truss rod adjustment than wood necks?
As an owner of a Rainsong 12 string acoustic, its tuning stability always amazes me. It rarely need tuning, even if kept in its case for 6 months. I am a bit unsure about the removable neck 'feature' and Okoume is a bit soft.
I have a 400$ guitar with a Floyd Rose that never goes out of tune. My guitars that cost 10-15 times that much do fairly well. But a locking nut on Floyd equipped guitars are the best tuning stability by a mile. My Gibson (surprisingly) hold tune really well too. I use Tw25b (military gun grease.lol) on my nut slots and saddles. Amazing stuff. I ran out of my regular guitar lube (nut sauce) one day during a string change. It dawned on my I had the gun lube upstairs. It comes in a syringe applicator. So perfect for nut slots. And it’s a white grease so it’s not obvious. I only use a tiny bit. Stuff is amazing. I never went back to the reg guitar nut lube. I ordered another syringe on Tw25b for my guitar maintenance kit. Expensive. But we’ll worth it!
That's pretty damn cool. I want one! 😃
I like these guitars and would not mind having one.
Good Stuff.
I like the headstock
I wouldn't expect to see fret sprout on a composite (i.e. not wood) neck. And a guitar with a wood neck built with extraordinary care in a humid region, then shipped to an arid region, will almost certainly have fret sprout. The fret ends on my new guitar (made in China) are very well finished, but the fret ends stick out microscopically because the wood neck is made in China, which is a much more humid region than most of North America.
What do you think of the stew Mac fret kisser is it worth getting
It seems more like a novelty guitar. I guess it has a weight advantage but I don’t think it’s something that would really take off for a touring musician. To each his own though, if thats your gig then more power to ya.
It's definitely a novelty guitar. It offers absolutely no advantage to either a pro or hobbyist except: "Hey, doesn't this carbon fiber look cool?"
All this stuff about being more stable is really a moot point. Adjusting a truss rod now and then is just not that big of a deal; I've never understood why so many people are so terrified of it.
i wonder how the frets will wear as I think i can see where the fretboard was played. Or it could be that it shows finger oils easily? No clue but curious
This neck is an actual bolt-on verses most wood necks that actually screw together.
How is the neck stability? Can you bend it easily? I know there are guitars that have carbon composite necks, not true carbon fiber like this one, but the neck bends WAY to easily! Making it almost impossible to play!
I would buy this guitar without hesitation, if it had an option for a more single-cut like body shape (e.g. Tele-style, Les Paul-style) and if the frets were stainless steel. I don't know why but I was never a fan of strat-shapes...
Other than the nitpicky stuff I like it very much. As a casual/hobbyist I love electric guitars made out of innovative materials that make the guitars as low maintenance as possible!
Great review Phil, very interesting! As for buying/owning one, I'm afraid I'm an old "woody", I'll probably always own/play wooden guitars. I just love the tone from well crystallized, very old tone woods. 8) JMHO. Peace, --gary
Yeah man. .. very cool guitar! Sounds fantastic! Love how that guitar has some great options and quality standard features... and I love the Snake Head... headstock! Almost went back to GC today to check out the Fender amps some more, but really didn't have the time I needed so I resisted for another day... lol. What I'm really looking for is something different for my studio than what I already have... an AC30 CC2 2x12 combo, a Blackstar HT Studio 20 1x12 combo, a Roland JC90 2x10 combo, a Carvin Vai Legacy 100w head and an EVH Iconic 5150 80w head both going into an Orange 2x12 cab with V-30s ... so... I'm thinking either the Princeton Pro 1X12 combo, Hotrod Deluxe 1x12 or the '65 Deluxe Reverb 1x12... so hard to choose... I have pedals for most of the effects and drive sounds I could want ... the main point is... I'm looking not just for the occasional gig amp, but for pedal demos, etc... and of course, just the very pleasure of playing the amp... I know you know, what I mean... and, I know you hate deciding for someone else, but... I need help! 🤪 Seriously though, I think if I spend the2 time with them back and forth between them at the site, I'll be able to decide eventually... but my concern is I can't turn them up loud enough in the store to really get them to that sweet spot... so ... argh! Option paralysis... I can hear you saying it now! lol Anyway... just venting... if you actually read all of this this... you freakin' ROCK! 🤘😎🎸🐦
Have GB come James for a long while after that and it gets to a. You know how the world wash. I'm a bit more interested if the other one was in your case but you have. This has. It's amazing👍.
A missed opportunity. Thanks to Phil for reviewing this. I was looking at buying this guitar and had just about decided to pull the trigger. You saved me from spending $1200+ and being VERY disappointed. This is mostly "Flash". Some good ideas as well as some apparent quality in some areas but, the areas where it's lacking is huge. DEFINITELY should have S.S. frets. Tuners, pots and the like are easily upgradable by the player. Frets aren't. S.S. frets + a few more minutes in labor to dress and polish. Side note: for me, a little bigger headstock with straight string pull would really make a difference. String pull isn't a big deal on the hardtail but, for those of us who would buy the trem model, it would mean night and day. Especially with a Graphtech nut. All in all, I feel like this is a missed opportunity. A big one.
Other than the headstock which badly needs a new design the guitars look abd sound great .
$1200 seems a good price for a guitar with a carbon fibre neck, but that is for the basic model,
by the time you have ticked all the options that you will want it will be a lot more.
The fact that it comes in semi kit form also puts me off, how many samples will need shims
in the neck pocket to get the relief correct?
Until i can see and play one which is unlikely here in the UK, i will give this one a miss.
@@Klosguitarscarbonfiber Thanks for your reply, very few guitar makers fully setup any guitar, i still am uncertain about having to re-fit the neck on arrival.
I assume that you also have to fit new stings, any left loose in shipping could cause a lot of damage.
I will keep watching for any UK dealers, as long as it's not "Andertons" i fell out with them over a new guitar and won't buy from them again.
It be cool if they did a carbon Fibre titanium mixture like pagani does with their cars
Beautiful sounding guitar 🎸❤️
Thanks for a top review bud, but jeezus that is some claim. (perfect) now there is a 24/7 argument 😂 your sock test proved that. 😂👍🥃Respect to you mate.
Nickel frets????
That's a lot of money for what seems like a $300-$400 guitar (the white model) aside from the neck.
Im not sure about carbon fiber necked guitars but with basses they lose something in regards with playing off the pickups. For example say you play off the neck pickup on a jazz bass then switch to the bridge pickup. The tone changes alot with a normal wood bass. With carbon fiber necks it seems to be way less pronounced. Im not saying their bad basses, their usually great basses. Its just a quirk Ive noticed.
I would have liked to see you do the heat gun test like you did with the aluminum koloss, i thought it was interesting and would like to know how this guitar compares
I did the heat gun test and it worked out to be fine and dandy.
I don't even like the Fishman's that much, but man do they sound much better than the KLOS humbuckers.
Is the neck hollow? I'm assuming it's hollow
This is the U.S.A.'s answer to Status instruments over in the U.K.(As of this year, Status no longer manufacturers stringed instruments and have closed their shop for good)
Is this a rebranding of Koloss?
Thanks as always Phil, so cool , I would love to try one. When you do a video Like this I really do believe you when you give your opinion. that is not true with all channels.
Thank you
you should try an aristides guitar
Hard pass on the headstock. It could play and sound great, be affordable, and be durable. But none of that matters if it looks like a 4 year old designed it.
I like a nice headstock. This one isn’t crazy stylish but i really don’t think it’s a negative for the guitar- for sure not ugly
Huh?
@@caboosethemoose2070 It’s pretty ugly.
I have to agree wholeheartedly about headstocks, if I don't like the headstock I'm not even going to bother with it. Headstocks are subjective and and I'm not sure that I like this one either but the strings appear to be on a straight path between the nut and tuners and for me that's a big thumbs up. And as far as carbon fiber necks, I have a Martin Dreadnought acoustic with a carbon-fiber neck and I really love it because it's so stable. And it feels like a regular neck to me.
agreed. I mean, this is subjective, but I have a feeling a great number of people will hate it.
That headstock's giving off Moonstone vibes
Moonpie
Nice work 🤘
Do those amps sound different naturally or with different equipment or settings?
95.5 KLOS 🤘
I feel like they forgot to design the headstock.
The only bad thing is shape and color of the pickguard. Tone comes from the pickups and speakers. the only bad thing is really the esthetics.
What a fckn great sound!
Wasn’t the company called Koloss (like the Meshuggah album) when they sent an awful, awful guitar last year?
Sounded good, ESPECIALLY through that Bad Cat....
My impression is, if you have zero DIY skills this is a good value, but personally I'm better off buying a Squier Bullet and upgrading it for half the cost, even if I straight up replace the neck.
By the way, before I bought my Stratocaster and became a born again musician on guitar--I originally play sax, Berklee, all that--I was absolutely addicted to your videos. My guitar is like none other, exept maybe Jimmy Ray Vaughan's guitar coincidentally, but it started as a thrift shop buy Squier Bullet Strat. Thanks to you, I have the best guitar I've ever played, because I completely rebuilt it with what I learned from you.
Top to Bottom:
Fender locking tuners
Graphtech string tree--moved further up the headstock--and nut which I sized to fit myself.
Ernie Ball Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom strings
Fender pickguard
Fender Tex-Mex pickups
ObsidianWire Blender which came with all the best electronic parts
Graphtech bridge saddles
Fender Vintage Style Big Block tremelo bridge
Springs and all that
Shielded the cavity with copper tape so it is radio silent
Ernie Ball strap locks
and ... I'm still modifying it. I'm either going to refret it or replace the neck next. I did this all little by little, up to a hundred dollars per month at a time, and I learned a hell of a lot in the process. Again, thanks to you.
I love a V-neck
Sounded good
medium nickel frets seem a strange choice for such a modern guitar...
Okoume has been used to make plywood in Asian countries for decades. It is not a wood that Asians have ever used for musical instruments. Literally a guitar manufacturer needed a brownish colored wood to he could tell his clients was mahogany while pocketing the savings. The company went to a wood merchant looking for a darker colored wood and was shown okoume. Apparently it's resonant but soft.
Klos to being perfect
that headstock and logo 👀
Almost $1,000 difference between the 2? For a paint job and pick-ups seems kinda steep. But, I probably wouldn't buy the cheaper one yet either. Of course that's just opinion, but unless you have money to throw around, it's better to get a established name brand. Love the videos
all good except for the headstock, need redesigning i think
Does it taste like a Stratocaster?