"Almost" NBD -- Kraken Champ 3.9 5 string - One Bizarre burled beast.

[/\/\3phist0]

Never heard of these before, saw this bizarre beauty, My Fiance says ooooh purty.
OK: so I do some research, find that these guys are a Korean company that had been making clones in the past (IN THE PAST)


Snagged this one for a fair bit less than the asking price from Kraken http://stores.ebay.com/Kraken-Guitar?_trksid=p2047675.l2563
linking their ebay store because the real site is beyond bad.
Link Removed

OK so it's risky, but at the price i got it for if it is at all decent,
I figure probably entry level Schecter equivalent, I'm good with that... it has a strange kind of beauty! My first singlecut! sorta, maybe a 1 1/2 cut -(unless you count the 6 string telecaster baritone that i had for a minute)

Should arrive by next weekend.. Will report back.

Kraken Champ 3.9 - 5 strings Bass
Maple Burl Black w/ HNCM option(head, neck color matching w/body)!!

Information for Kraken Guitars:
Kraken guitars is founded in 1980 in Korea and has built electric guitars & Basses for 30 years.
Kraken has attended at Namm show, Frankfurt Musikmesse and Shanghai Music fair.

On Kraken FACEBOOK, there are video clips and pictures at Music fair!!

Specification of Champ 3.9- 5 strings
Body wood: Basswood+ Maple burl Veneer
Head top : Maple Burl
Neck wood : Hard Maple
Neck shape : U type
Fingerboard : Rosewood
Construction : Bolt on Neck
Inlay : Hologram Bullet inlay
Nut : Graphite 45mm
Fret/ Scale : 24F/ 34"
Hardware color : Black Chrome
Tuner : Kraken Diecasting
Bridge : Kraken BB-105
Electronics : 1V 1 Balance 3band EQ
Pickups : Kraken ASB-5N/ ASB-5B
Finish option : Satin(Neck)/ Gloss(body)

 

[/\/\3phist0]

ok now i'm getting excited..this thing sounds damn good in these demo's


kraken champ bass - YouTube



Come on UPS bring it home to daddy so's I can play!!!


another member taking it for the team : Kraken Champ 3.9, 5 string | TalkBass.com

 

[wednesdayagain]

Looking forward to the review!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Mine will arrive Monday. these guys have theirs
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/kraken-champ-3-9-5-string-1006989/#post14833302

 

[johnnybass01]

I saw the one you pictured , it was on ebay for 500.00 I emailed the seller and told him what they sell for next thing I saw it was sold for the right price around 300 glad he set the price right

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Haha same thing... Except I made a 200.00 offer. He relisted. I hit buy now. Sorry. Kraken has a nother set up this week with a 269 start bud.. I'm just saying. The last 3 sold for bet 199 and 375.....
This one I got is from the " high end" line the one new are from the standard.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I have it in hand, the way it was packed I'm surprised! (the seller was NOT Kraken it was a pawn shop it was supposed to arrive in a hard case ---) this thing is super light and just as pictured above, plugged in my headset amp and played a bit. it seems ok.... more when i get home and put it on my rig.

 

[Major Softie]

Your girl-friend was absolutely right. Here's hoping it sounds at least 1/2 as good as it looks.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I have it in hand, the way it was packed I'm surprised! (the seller was NOT Kraken it was a pawn shop it was supposed to arrive in a hard case ---) this thing is super light and just as pictured above, plugged in my headset amp and played a bit. it seems ok.... more when i get home and put it on my rig.

OK Cleveland pawn is awesome to deal with. Rather than send me a case I will receive a 75.00 refund and I'll source a case locally.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Report:
Got home spent some time with it.

1st impressions:

Wow Gorgeous!
Nicely contoured body, "belly cut" extends the whole top edge.
SUPER lightweight!
well balanced on a strap / lap
Cool body shape semi single cut

Neck:

Profile is OK (thick-wide) Satin finish
Scarf joint for the 13 degree tilt back headstock looks solid
Fretboard looks nice, dark rosewood
Odd fret markers kind of a prismatic material- (think prism tape -- meh) oval "pill" shapes
Frets polished and well dressed
Binding on neck is well done as is the headstock veneer (matches body)
masking on borders of all paint could have been done better but from 3ft away, who cares?

Body:

High Gloss THICK hard poly
Fully carved top
KILLER Burl (not sure: it looks real but suspect may be photo, who cares though it looks KILLER)
THICK body NICE shape and contours.
When i removed neck, I examined the body wood.
Through the translucent finish the body wood shows ash-like grain pattern,
It is soft, yellowish white wood, (my guess is Paulownia grain is similar see http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/nbd-gfs-paulownia-content-961838/)

Hardware:

Same stuff that comes with most "Budget" basses serviceable but chintzy (think Schecter Raiden)
Nice Hipshot - ish bridge string through body OR bridge

Electronics:
Pickups:

"clone" Kraken branded Active, EMG 40dc sized soap bars (meh :/)

Onboard PreAmp:

Unknown preamp (looks suspiciously like an Artec)
5 Knob config [Vol, blend, 3 band boost cut EQ]
Volume Knob is push/pull - (active/passive)
NO tone control when in passive mode.
Serviceable, but will most likely upgrade
sounds good overall but a little "muted and boxy" (consider my main bass is a Warwick F.N.A.)
But! with a little tweaking sounds pretty good!
Quiet-
Cavity well shielded
wiring looks nice and tidy.
Odd mistake on the wiring of mine is the blend pot is reversed (turning to left/forward selects bridge, right neck?)

OBVIOUSLY in need of a setup but very playable out of the box.
Truss rod functions as expected.
BETTER than average fret job (finishing very nice)
Nut needs to be cut WAY down (typical)
Neck will need to be shimmed to get action lower as the bridge pieces are already bottomed out (perhaps a different bridge?)
Cut the nut a little, shimmed the neck, adjusted relief: plays pretty good now. I feel action can go lower.

Reminder- will post weight. (guess 8 pounds or less the Shipping weight was 13 with box(s) and packing)

Conclusion:
Kicks a** on any Squier I've played (and I like Squiers)
Feels very much like a Schecter in both neck profile and appointments.
For the $$-- absolutely worth every penny!!

Rehearsal tomorrow night.

 

[Major Softie]

As we've been discussing on another thread, the Babicz Full Contact bridge goes lower than most bridges, but it's going to cost you a hundred. I'm sure there's other designs that can go low enough if you're not enamored enough with the Babicz to pay the premium, but they are pretty.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Thanks for that... I'd probably go for a fender / music man / lakland style before I drop that kinda coin on a bridge.
They sure are pretty though

 

[phillybass101]

Release the Kraken!!!!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

And here there be monsters...

And with it's stablemates,

 

[/\/\3phist0]

OK the beast is getting new guts Monday.
ReedJames engineering Neo's and 5 knob Bartolini 918 active passive 3 band with push pull midrange selection. I'm going to run it at 18V
It should ROAR -----

 

[/\/\3phist0]

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=3457812859649
Jim Was wonderful to hang with, His dog Taco is exuberant
this was at 8:00 at night in his home, unrehearsed and unprepared after my day started at 4AM.. apologies for the playing and the appearance

I BOUGHT these pickups, so not a compensated endorsement.

Jim wired in my Bartolini Pre, and since this video i have put on new strings, and adjusted pickup height and played it through my own amp.

As a comparison, and to compare apples to apples i installed the same strings that i have on my Warwick F.N.A. with a MEC stingray pup in the bridge (only) and a Seymour Duncan pre.
.
.
.
.
.
Yes these RJ Neo pickups are the bomb!
with both pre's set flat I dare say that the Kraken now has a tight clear focused voice with a hint of Growl. Both bases now sound like they're in the same ballpark.
I have not played them in a band setting as yet, but since i'm so familiar with the Warwick's tone, the RJ Neo's are able to reproduce a tone so close to the F.N.A. that i have no doubt that they will perform admirably.


Zing- Depth - Body - Clarity - Growl - Dynamics (sensitivity) .... what more could one ask????

 

[RED J]

"Champ" seems such an unlikely low end sounding name for a booteeky- instrument

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Champ is the north american ' Nessie' [Invalid or Expired Link Removed])

 

[sadowskyguy]

I am amazed at this bass. I was sure it was a $2,000 to $3,000 bass when I looked at page two of this thread. Can anyone comment on the neck and fret work allowing low action?

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I am amazed at this bass. I was sure it was a $2,000 to $3,000 bass when I looked at page two of this thread. Can anyone comment on the neck and fret work allowing low action?

No fret work necessary, and I'm picky and like low action.
the nut needed some filing, but that is typical even with high-end instruments (Fender USA, ETC) to achieve the feel that I like at the first fret / positions. The bridge saddles required some filing to lower the strings the last little bit that I needed. Now rides as low as my Warwick.
Fret ends smooth, The neck is medium thin, (front to back) nut 1 3/4 ", wide U shape neck back , large radius (flatish 16") ...

Thicker than an Ibanez, Thinner than a Warwick, About the same as a Fender MIM 5 String Jazz Deluxe neck with a flatter fretboard radius.

The angled headstock is achieved via a scarf joint it looks solid and stable. (sandwiched between neck plank and fretboard.

Tuning is completely stable although I will probably replace the tuners with Hipshots as soon as I have the first problem.
The bridge does it's job but is really a hollowed out Hipshot design, and will most likely be replaced with a Schaller Roller bridge when the time comes.

OH and upon closer inspection I believe that this is a real Burl veneer.... Matching headstock looks great, I got a figured paduk truss rod cover made (mine was missing)(3.00 e-bay) looks AWeSOME.

Looks, Feels, and now with the new electronics sounds like a VERY high dollar bass.... that weighs in at LESS than 8 lbs balances wonderfully... My Warwick F.N.A. is gonna get very lonely, sitting in it's case for the next long while...

as a matter of fact, it's getting played in 3,2,1..