K-Line S Review

[mikefair]

I have to start by saying I've never been a Strat guy. Teles, Les Pauls, 335s have always felt right to me. I've had a bunch of Strats over the years and they never stick around. I had played a few 50s and 60s Strats and got it. Unfortunately there was just no way for me to budget $40,000 for a guitar right now. When I was in New York recently I played a team built Fender CS and was knocked out. Still 3 large was more cheese than I was willing to justify at the moment.

I started to think about the small custom builders that seem to be everywhere at once or one of the highly regarded domestic market Japanese copies . I mean you can get an S for what you would have paid for a new one in '54 (in real dollars). With a combination of instinct and the excellent advice on TGP, I contacted Chris a K-Line. His shop is in my old home town.

Chris was very patient, very cool with me on the phone and email. I had developed a lot of trepidation about buying a guit that I had not put my hands on. After some nail biting, I committed to the black S-Type with the mint green guard that was on here for a while. He told me that since it was a standard build and not a custom order, if I couldn't love it, I could send it back and eat the freight both ways. Totally fair.

I've had the guitar for about 5 days and I'm telling you, it IS love. This thing couldn't be more right. It looks right, feels right, plays right, sounds so right. The neck pickup is flutey. The middle pickup barks and chirps. The bridge is wirey. Turn up the gain and it never mushes out. Pinch harmonics jump off of it Billy Gibbons style. It fphumps like Stevie Ray's when you slam the low E. The trem is dialed in just right. You can work it pretty hard and it still stays in tune. It has a strong personality, but doesn't impose it on your playing (if that makes any sense).

The relicing looks really authentic. The fret edges are super smooth. The balance is great. It's under 7 1/2 pounds but doesn't feel like it's going to fly out of your hands.

Sorry for the length of this post, but I'm geeked about finding this guitar. To me, it hangs right with the Leo-era and Custom Shop Fenders. Seriously.

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll17/adventuremike/?mediafilter=images

I hope this link to the photos work. I can post more when I find the charger for the camera.

[Vintage]

Nice review mikefair, I am thinking of doing the same thing. The guitar is a beaut!

[mikefair]

I've taken a few more pics. None of them really do it justice, though.

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/ll17/adventuremike/

[fender23]

Welcome aboard, fellow Buckeye, to TGP and glad you've found something you can bond with. Long may you be a strataholic, its a horrific disease.:cool:

[TimH]

great guitar! I've had mine for a month now and dig it a lot. I can't imagine a CS guitar being any better!

[whoofnagle]

I have had my S for over a year now - best feeling S I have ever owned!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v403/whoofnagle/August2007001.jpg

[lazymonday]

One of the best things about the two K-Lines I have are the necks. Both are so superb and knock out most any $#### guitar I've pulled off the wall recently. Playability is excellent and combined with the Lollars I have in both... my goodness.

I'm not surprised that the fretwork is excellent. I'm not surprised that it sounds great, it's a guitar from Chris. Based on the two I own and the reviews around here, I'd say you made a great choice.

[zerolight]

I have had my S for over a year now - best feeling S I have ever owned!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v403/whoofnagle/August2007001.jpg

That's a really great looking str@. I love it.

[cbpickin]

Congrats on a great choice for your strat. I have two KLines and they the only strats I gig with anymore. I have a sonic blue rosewood neck with Lollar Blondes and a blonde ash w/maple neck with Lollar Blondes and a Tweed in the neck. They are great strats. The necks feel perfect. I actually recently sold my EJ because I much prefer my blonde 50's style KLine to it. I ordered the USACG '54 carve neck and it is similar to the EJ, but even a little nicer feel in my hand.

[MBreinin]

Yeah, Chris makes a good guitar for sure. I am going to have to get him to build me an Esquire. My Pink K-Line Strat was a real winner...it would even do Floyd style trem warbles and stay in tune...that was cool.

Mike

[Phil M]

I came very close to buying this and the black Tele custom together. Glad to see they're moving. Chris is a cool guy to chat with.

[Todd Lynch]

What pickups are in the black S, Mike? They look like flatpoles from the pictures. I love the chime of staggered polepieces, but also dig something about flat polepc single coils too and usually go with those.

[gweeterman1]

i've had mine a couple months now and i don't want to play any other guitar!http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii75/gweeterman1/dirty-ernies-marleys-5-31-08-006cou.jpg
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii75/gweeterman1/100_3933.jpg

[lazymonday]

BLONDE SIGHTING!!!!

Wow, I love blondes, that one is no exception...

Though I'm kind of confused, the bottom one has a Fender logo on it...

[Born2Blues67]

I have had my S for over a year now - best feeling S I have ever owned!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v403/whoofnagle/August2007001.jpg

Both are little cuties.

[mikefair]

It's sick! Now I'm thinking...why shouldn't I have a sonic blue? Or a blonde? Or Oly white?

The pickups are Lollar Dirty BF in the neck and middle and a Special in the bridge. They do have flat pole pieces. You probably lose a little chime inherently, but you gain a lot of grunt. To my mind, a very reasonable trade-off. The solution, of course, is more Strats!

[K-Line]

BLONDE SIGHTING!!!!

Wow, I love blondes, that one is no exception...

Though I'm kind of confused, the bottom one has a Fender logo on it...
This was post receipt from customer I assure you! :mad:

[gweeterman1]

hi guys, sticker was put on by the previous owner. i thought it looked cool so i kept it on!

[lazymonday]

Haha didn't want to stir up the pot, but I'm proudly sportin' the K-Line logo... which I think was very well done.

[SgtThump]

I rock me some K-Line too... Lollar Blackface pickups with a neck/bridge blender control in the bottom tone position. Someone else mentioned this above as well, but I'm shocked at how well it stays in tune when using the tremolo. It's amazing, really... Never had a guitar with a vintage style trem stay in tune like this.

I've owned several Strats in my life and have tried to like them, but could never bond. This K-Line is by far the best playing and sounding Strat I've owned OR even heard. I find myself thinking about selling/trading it for a K-Line Tele that I can hotrod with a humbucker, but I can't bring myself to make a post about it in the classifieds. lol...

http://www.chrissnider.net/images/snider_dawg1.jpg

http://www.chrissnider.net/images/guitars_062508.jpg

[Mad Monk]

Great guitars!

[Rumblefish]

I played strats only since 1969.Had a '64 for many years.My K-Line is the best strat I've ever had.Nothing else to say really.http://i33.tinypic.com/2cmn329.jpghttp://i35.tinypic.com/2dw89bd.jpg

[lv]

gorgeous flame neck. love Chris' guitars. need to get another soon.

here's my old one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/gearman/brunorig005.jpg

[slopeshoulder]

gorgeous flame neck. love Chris' guitars. need to get another soon.

here's my old one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/gearman/brunorig005.jpg

bruno and gold top too? You have my taste in gear!

[Pappy]

I own this Strat now. It's really awesome. The neck is one of the best I've ever played. I'm amazed at how well the trem stays in tune. I'm still a Tele guy at heart but this guitar may bring me over to the dark side.



here's my old one:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/gearman/brunorig005.jpg

[K-Line]

That is my favorite neck as well. Great thickness, nice frets, not too big and not too small. I have this profile, hell exact neck on my T's and JM and S. I know that the headstock is not true JM but who cares when it feels this nice!