Klos ukulele anyone? Feedback?

cyber3d said:
Ok, so just received my Deluxe Acoustic Electric with Low G and stiffeners. OH BABY, It is beautiful!!!! It feels so good in my hands. It is a fabulous instrument. It weighs just a bit more than my Tiny Tenor. I just plugged it in and I am thoroughly impressed with the Fishman Kula. The setup is on the money. Action and intonation is great across the neck from top to bottom. So, they got the messages from you all.
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That's great to hear. Enjoy!
 
Having had my KLOS uke for a few days now. I really love it. It certainly is becoming my daily player. What I really like about the uke is I don't have to mess about with humidifiers and can toss it in the back of my car without heat worries. Plus it is electric (the only electric/acoustic I have) and that is a world of fun.

It is a different animal from my solid mahogany tiny tenor. So, it's not like I'll be selling the TT. It sounds and plays differently. At this point if I were to characterize it's personality I would say it is a great all around uke. Finger picking classical to strumming to shredding it can play soft and it can play loud. I doubt it will ever display the subtleness of my TT. I think that is just the character of Carbon Fibre. CF is categorized as an advanced plastic. I'm actually quite happily surprised it plays and sounds as good as it does. As the strings settle in and I adapt my playing style to get more out of it the fun will ensue. BTW, I did switch out the C string (D'addario fluorocarbon) with a Living Water fluorocarbon and it has helped.
 
Hello everyone. I just received my Klos Deluxe Acoustic Electric ukulele with Low G. Beautiful looking, feels great, plays well up and down the neck. I would call the tone full but mellow. Sounds especially nice when plugged in to my Fishman Loudbox Mini amplifier. I'll be playing on some holiday gigs in Houston with the electric setup.

Question: Does anyone know what size batteries the Fishman Kula pickup system takes? The aftermarket version of the Kula sold by Fishman has a door/tray for a "button" battery that is accessible on a plate by the input jack. The version that Klos is installing has no plate with battery access by the jack. It looks to be custom developed based on the placement of the pre-amp controls and what appears to be the battery housing inside the body. No clue on what's inside there though.

I haven't messed with it yet, but since the instrument did not come with any instructions, I wonder what the recommended procedure to change out the battery might be? Maybe shove the strings aside... or loosen or take them off completely in order to gain access? It also would be nice to know how long the batteries are expected to last, seeing as the process does not appear to be very friendly.

Thanks to anyone who can help shed some light on this mystery.
 
Thanks for that link... but the pictures seem to illustrate the after market version with the battery door and jack in one housing (the third and fourth pictures show the jack and door clearly seen together.) I don't think that's the Klos setup. The "bag" inside the Klos ukulele may have something similar that holds two CR2032 batteries or even a different configuration... could it be that there is an unused jack also parked in there? I'm still not ready to start messing around and shove my big mitts inside the body to pull thinks apart not knowing what to expect. Still looking for a more definitive answer... I wrote an email to Klos hoping they can provide the facts... but of course if anyone here has already dug in please share...
 
I'm sure KLOS will get back to you. While you are waiting you could pick up a cheap inspection mirror from Harbor Freight and take a flashlight and have a look. It should be pretty to find the battery box.

John
 
The reply came from Adam at Klos:

Sorry for the late response. We actually have it in our pipeline to make a video for that. You have to reach in to grab the velcro bag, open the velcro cover, take out battery, replace it (normal 9V) and then velcro the bag shut again. The battery should last 100 hours of continuous use and is located just above the soundhole.
 
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I wanted to post this because there is probably a perception that the KLOS is not a good instrument. After everything I have posted about my KLOS ukulele, I will say that it is one of my favorites and gets a lot of playing time. It is really fun to play. I am really amazed at how well it responds to fingerstyle attack and volume. It seems hard to imagine that for around $500 I can get a ukulele that is nearly impervious to the elements and still sounds really good. I never worry about leaving it in the car.

It may not rival a high end solid wood ukulele, but the sound is clear, balanced, and has a nice ring and sustain. I have mine tuned to B.

John
 
I was excited about the Klos ukulele because it represented four things I love: Ukuleles, carbon fiber, small business and American manufacturing.

Wife and I were on a road trip from Idaho to California and stopped by the factory in Provo. The team was very nice and laid back. Their attention to detail was admirable. I ended up walking out with a deluxe acoustic.

This is my first baritone. It has very quickly become my favorite ukulele to play. It's beautiful, sounds great, handles wonderfully and has good sound and tone.

My one complaint was the action. The first fret was especially difficult to bar. I took it to a local luthier (entirely different story, worthy of a separate thread) who worked the nut and bridge to lower the action... she plays like a dream now!

Now, if only I could get my skill up to the same level as the ukulele.
 
CYNICALifornia said:
I was excited about the Klos ukulele because it represented four things I love: Ukuleles, carbon fiber, small business and American manufacturing.

Wife and I were on a road trip from Idaho to California and stopped by the factory in Provo. The team was very nice and laid back. Their attention to detail was admirable. I ended up walking out with a deluxe acoustic.

This is my first baritone. It has very quickly become my favorite ukulele to play. It's beautiful, sounds great, handles wonderfully and has good sound and tone.

My one complaint was the action. The first fret was especially difficult to bar. I took it to a local luthier (entirely different story, worthy of a separate thread) who worked the nut and bridge to lower the action... she plays like a dream now!

Now, if only I could get my skill up to the same level as the ukulele.
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Congratulations! Those four things also made me want to get one. I love my KLOS. Who did you go to for your setup? The guy I usually go to Downtown LA is impossible to connect with and the guy I went to a few days ago. . . the first thing he says is "oh, a plastic uke . . . I can't help you." So, I'm looking again.
 
Is everyone still pretty satisfied? I think it would be cool if they came out with an 8 string. For some reason I am fascinated by 8 strings and an indestructible one sounds awesome
 
RedStickUkulele said:
Is everyone still pretty satisfied? I think it would be cool if they came out with an 8 string. For some reason I am fascinated by 8 strings and an indestructible one sounds awesome
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You should go to their Indiegogo page and put your suggestion in the comments! Maybe they'll name it after you! One never knows. BTW, I still love my KLOS. I'm really impressed with the neck configuration the longer I play it. The shape and feel are super.
 
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I will be reviewing one on Got A Ukulele in about 3 weeks time. I think they are about to close the Indigogo and launch their own website to launch the uke proper (as it were).

My review model arrived a week or two ago - it looks promising!
 
The early ones had issues. Bad neck angle that reduces string break, and volume, when action is lowered can’t be fixed. My understanding is the later ones are much better. Based on how things went, this is my last funding of a Kickstarter type project. Whatever slight savings gained will never be worth the risk.

John
 
Yea I never like to buy the newest stuff. Technology or whatever else. It is always glitchy and unrefined
 
You can't say "never" in all cases. I was the 26th person in line for the Indiegogo campaign for the deluxe electric acoustic version and it is a great uke. The only caveat is the setup. I had to lower the 2nd fret and mirror polish all the frets. The intonation is spot on, the neck has no warpage, no frets had sharp ends, the strings were Fluorocarbon with the exception of the low G which was wound. I did change out the C string to balance the string set. The Fishman Kula gives me accurate readings for all the strings when tuning. The uke is relatively heavy. Especially compared to my solid mahogany Tiny Tenor. But, the fit and finish of the KLOS is outstanding. I play it more than any of the others. And it is incredible that I can shred on it as well as fingerpick classical. Not a rattle, not a mistune.
 
70sSanO said:
The early ones had issues. Bad neck angle that reduces string break, and volume, when action is lowered can’t be fixed. My understanding is the later ones are much better. Based on how things went, this is my last funding of a Kickstarter type project. Whatever slight savings gained will never be worth the risk.

John
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Well I certainly agree that there were a few setup issues, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. And I wouldn't say it was a "bad" neck angle, as much as it was the wrong neck angle for the bridge thickness they were using if you wanted to get low action. After my setup work mine now plays as easily an an electric guitar all the way up the neck, with 2.3 mm string height at the 12th fret, zero neck relief, and with the strings about the same height above the top as on my Farallon. I haven't been humidifying it this Minnesota winter either, and there so far have not been any sharp fret ends sprouting.

As for negatives, I would have to say that it is not the loudest uke around. Louder than an Outdoor Ukulele, but not as loud as say a Farallon or an instrument with a solid wood top.
 
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