| Klira violin bass
The Klira Twen Star violin bass was made in Bubenreuth Germany 1966-67. Body construction was nearly identical to the Hofners of the period with a laminated spruce top and laminated maple back and sides. The laminates are 5-ply, and the arch is pressed into forms when the glue is wet. The body is hollow with mahogany corner, neck, and end blocks. There are two mahogany structural braces which run from the inside of the neck block to the inside of the end block. These are positioned free of the front and back and are glued only at each end. Some of the necks were bolt on, and some were set. I have restored a Twen Star with a set neck, the neck joint and heel were very similar to Hofner 500/1 with a celluloid plastic cap. As a Hofner restoration specialist and long time Hofner player with six Hofners in my personal collection, I find the Klira bass very interesting. It has a distinctive hollow body tone, very similar to Hofner. The Klira Twen Star bass has a shorter neck with 19 frets, while the Hofners have 22. Both have a 30" scale, a wooden archtop style bridge, and a trapeze tailpiece. I don't know how many Twen Star basses were made, but in thirty years of lutherie I have only come in contact with four of them. One more detail, the Hofner necks vary in thickness some "fat" but most "thin". The Klira basses I've seen are a bit fuller profile and feel a little chunkier than the Hofners of the same period. Anyone who needs a replacement neck for a Klira Twen Star should feel free to contact me. I can help. I can match the materials, colors, profile, head angle and outline, position markers and frets, and I will guarantee a perfect fit, set, and superior playability. I would suggest retrofitting any Klira bass with a higher quality 22 fret neck to improve the playability and range, and to better replicate a Hofner sound if that is what you are after.
Last edited by bbrains : 01-06-2013 at 07:24 PM.
Reason: Clarification and additional information
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