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Klos Basses-Carbon necks
- Thread starter Clark Westfield
- Start date
Found this one after I posted here, this is pretty much the only video available to hear the bass and…yes…it does not sound good, weird cause the build seems decent.
I don’t understand why they would go with that pickup set up, for a first shot just go with a standard humbucker in the sweet spot, and EMG proven set up for example
"Sweetspot" is a marketing term not a physical reality.
Plus, if this came out with a single pickup it would severely limit market interest. I wouldn't look at one for instance.
Agreed. I've wanted a Cort A5 Ultra Ash for a while, but the Fishman pickups do nothing for me and I'm not paying for one to have to swap the electronics out.
Sweetspot referred to the standard MM placement of a single humbucker, alternatively a simple P or PJ are test and proven set up, here they go with something new and...yes not convincing, ie I listen to it and I don't know if the problem comes from the neck, the build, or the electronics
I know what it refers to, but there is nothing special, or 'sweet' about that particular placement beyond it's where it is in an MM.
Yes, the bass definitely sounded bad in that video but I think it’s more user error than anything else. The demoer seemed to do the classic thing that I’ve seen 1000 guitar players or inexperienced bassists do when they grab an active bass. They always turn all the knobs all the way up. And I didn’t notice which Fishman voicing he had it set for, but it could’ve been the scooped one.
So he’s running a hot active bass, with only one pickup selected, fully boosting the bass and treble, and running it into what looks to be an entry level Ibanez bass amp that probably isn’t able to handle that level of signal. That sounds like a recipe for a terrible bass tone, regardless of the bass. And who knows where the eq is set on the amp and how it was recorded.
I have to assume the bass can sound better than that, but I’m also hoping someone comes along to prove it.
So he’s running a hot active bass, with only one pickup selected, fully boosting the bass and treble, and running it into what looks to be an entry level Ibanez bass amp that probably isn’t able to handle that level of signal. That sounds like a recipe for a terrible bass tone, regardless of the bass. And who knows where the eq is set on the amp and how it was recorded.
I have to assume the bass can sound better than that, but I’m also hoping someone comes along to prove it.
I like the ideas behind it. I'm anxiously awaiting a review by someone other than in house marketing too. If yall find something, share it!
I think its not that cutting edge or inventive really. Why would the strongest neck in the world:
Need a 50's nut and heel width?
Not talk about truss rod type?
Not talk about titanium reinforcement?
Cheapish but Ash, hmm Ash is all over the world not all of musical like chinese "maple" you can bend with your hands.
I think its almost cool but not cutting edge or inventive
With carbon someone should have the stones to make neck that allows 16.5mm spacing at the bridge and a non spring dependent bridge 4 string. This is just another, in the vein your great grampa might have liked, not something special
Need a 50's nut and heel width?
Not talk about truss rod type?
Not talk about titanium reinforcement?
Cheapish but Ash, hmm Ash is all over the world not all of musical like chinese "maple" you can bend with your hands.
I think its almost cool but not cutting edge or inventive
With carbon someone should have the stones to make neck that allows 16.5mm spacing at the bridge and a non spring dependent bridge 4 string. This is just another, in the vein your great grampa might have liked, not something special
What's so "cutting edge" about a 16.5mm spacing and "non spring dependent(?) bridge", in a 4 string, no less? If you really want that in a 4 string you can find a 45yr old Alembic with narrow spacing. Or you can be more cutting edge and get an Ibanez 6 string from 1993! They had narrow spacing and active pickups, and they did it on a wood(!) neck. But there were springs on the bridge, so I guess that's a no-go. But the Alembic didn't have or need springs. Way head of their time. I guess if you must have carbon to be cutting edge, you could just pick up a Status Kingbass headless bass with a carbon neck AND 16.5mm spacing. I don't think there were springs on that headless bridge. It even has space-age LEDs!
Oh boy something isnt made any more. And a misplaced reference, I never said carbon was needed to be cutting edge. Klose inferred it was cutting edge. That was the discussion. So how is the Klose the new great thing. Isnt that what was asked?
Klos is a new product, so that's why we're all looking for better information. Whether it is "great" or "cutting edge" remains to be seen. In fact that's what most of the posts are about. Marketing for musical instruments is often done by someone who doesn't play, and therefore is sub par. I like nordstrand, but I hate their write ups on their website. That is why we are looking for an objective reviewer to take a look and answer all the nit picky stuff we tend to be nit picky about here on TB. Not everyone is nit picky like us though.
I'm personally interested in carbon fiber, as I see that if done correctly, could be a very good viable alternative to lumber that is getting harder to find. I hope innovations continue. Hardwood lumber used in most guitars/basses are from trees that do not grow that fast typically speaking. So if we dont manage the forest, we'll all be out of a new bass. Carbon fiber could help in that management by reducing the need for some lumbers.
And it looks cool
Klos doesn't really claim to be innovative and cutting edge. They claim to be "versatile and durable". They claim to be well designed. Their biggest marketing push is NOT toward electric bass, but acoustic guitar and ukelele. While fully carbon acoustics are not new, they are not common - and especially at a price point that's marketed toward hobbyists who like to travel. That's their spiel.
If you're disappointed that they aren't more cutting edge, it's probably because you have the wrong expectations.
If you're disappointed that they aren't more cutting edge, it's probably because you have the wrong expectations.
Sorry to dredge this old thread up, but I recently had a chance to tour the Klos facility yesterday and they let me borrow a bass to do some videos on. In light of the lack of decent sound samples, I just did a quick recording for you guys because I think it sounds fantastic. This bass is an Apollo Pro with the Klos humbuckers (which I thought sounded much much better than the Fishman setup). The bass is passive so it's just two volume controls and a tone. In my recording you'll hear both pickups, then the neck, then the bridge played with fingers, slap, and a pick. I recorded into Amplitube and used a custom preset of mine based on a Fender Bassman through my Scarlett 2i2.
I'm working on a couple videos, one of which will be a straight review of this bass, and another that will show more about their facility and building process, but hopefully this will paint a slightly better picture of what these basses are actually like.
I'm working on a couple videos, one of which will be a straight review of this bass, and another that will show more about their facility and building process, but hopefully this will paint a slightly better picture of what these basses are actually like.
Quite like the tones from about a minute twenty onwards. Thanks for taking the time to record your demo.
Apart from the use of carbon fiber in the neck, nothing much about their basses appeals to me, but I'm sure plenty of players will like them.
lowfreqgeek was pretty well right in his comments. TB types and general gear nuts aren't, or hadn't been, the companies target market and it sort of surprised me they were producing basses. Travel guitars and ukes seem to be their main market, but I guess there's nothing wrong with trying to increase your market.
Apart from the use of carbon fiber in the neck, nothing much about their basses appeals to me, but I'm sure plenty of players will like them.
lowfreqgeek was pretty well right in his comments. TB types and general gear nuts aren't, or hadn't been, the companies target market and it sort of surprised me they were producing basses. Travel guitars and ukes seem to be their main market, but I guess there's nothing wrong with trying to increase your market.
Expectations? In this century a JoeyDeMaio
like bass for a wroking dogs price is what should be what we are demanding. Not taking any ukulele someone is offering for extra buck for material x or y. If that makes the message to Klos any clearer.
like bass for a wroking dogs price is what should be what we are demanding. Not taking any ukulele someone is offering for extra buck for material x or y. If that makes the message to Klos any clearer.
Finished my review here:
Also got to talk to the owner and tour their facility which was really cool:
Also got to talk to the owner and tour their facility which was really cool:
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
Yeah, that’s a pretty big deal and not just for having the low B. It also shows that they’re listening to the feedback and responding to the asks. With the customizations they offer, it seems pretty easy to get exactly the kind of bass you’re after.
