My Koll Tornado pics

[zeppo]

Hey there, finally got a good shot of my Koll Tornado. Thought I'd share.

body & neck: korina
fingerboard: brazilian
pickups: harmonic design
bridge: jazzmaster trem
neck shape: chunky 50's style

http://www.kingsleymusic.com/Tornado.jpg

[big mike]

damn that's cool looking!

[Ogre]

Very cool!

[decay-o-caster]

Love that!

[trisonic]

Pure!


Best, Pete.

[cocheese]

Harris,

Thanks for posting those pics! Looks fabulous! Mine should be here this week sometime. I am simply on the edge of my seat here!!! Words do no justice to the level of tingling excitement I'm feeling here!!!!!!!

The pics only make it that much better. :D

[zeppo]

Yeah cocheese, Saul told me about your guitar, sounds really cool.

I haven't decided if the harmonic design pickups are the right ones for this guitar yet, as splatt has pointed out the harmonic designs are awesome for higher gain but I kind of miss some of the vintage vibe of more gibson style p-90s. That being said the harmonics don't exhibit any of the "nasally" characteristics I don't like in other p-90s. Believe it or not my favorite p-90s right now are the duncan phat cats but of course those fit in a humbucker sized route so won't be going in this guitar.

harris

[Unburst]

Hot!

[cocheese]

I'm getting a set of Lollar P-90's in my Tornado. I'm more of a vintage guy too. I play more with non-master amps at just a hint of overdrive. The Lollars should be great as the other pickups I've tried of Jason's have sounded wonderful.

[MJR]

That is utterly beautiful! :dude

The more of Saul's guitars I see, the more I think I could be content with just a few of his creations.

[zeppo]

Yeah, now that I look at it the pics make it looker a little darker than it is in person too. Not as dark around the edges, smoother fade to the center. Very purdy.

h.

[dirk nixon]

Yep, that's a classy looking guitar.

[Unburst]

I'm counting the days until I can get out to PDX and talk to Saul about a Koll.

I'm intrigued about the Jazzmaster trem, how is the break angle over the bridge?
Have you compared it to a Hipshot equipped Koll?

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Zeppo,

Much health and happiness with your new Koll. It looks beautiful
and I'm sure it sounds incredible. I'm waiting on 2 guitars
from Saul and will post as soon as they are in my hands. Saul is
simply one of the best designer/builders out there today. It
doesn't get any better. Enjoy it and play the hell out of it....

[lhallam]

Originally posted by splatt
congrats on the fiddiddle!

unless, of course, we were talking about 'vintage vibe' as being restricted to whiny bridge p90's w/mismatched, pokey neck p90's, both of 'em exhibiting nasty noise- factors.
dt / spltrcl

:)

Nice ax Zeppo.

There's a P-90 in my future and these babies look like they fit the bill.

[zeppo]

Originally posted by splatt
congrats on the fiddiddle!


i certainly didn't mean to imply that the HD's *lack* 'vintage vibe' --- i'm pretty sure that i didn't, in fact, 'cuz i wouldn't..... since i think these pickups have improved (in an organic, evolutionary way) upon the p90 character.
unless, of course, we were talking about 'vintage vibe' as being restricted to whiny bridge p90's w/mismatched, pokey neck p90's, both of 'em exhibiting nasty noise- factors.


Nope, it was not suposed to be my implication that you suggested that they lack the vibe factor, just that they are superior high gain pickups, sorry if it came across wrong. As much as anything I just hear at clean or edge of break up tones a little less, errr, openess or maybe it's just a little less high end than my '65 sg special or the phat cats in my historic sg. I have dinked with the pickup height a bit but i would agree it's worth more investigation. And I know exactly what you mean about the whiney, nasally bridge versus the mismatched bridge, it's something I've heard in a lot of vintage gibsons.

thanks,
h.

[Greg]

Zeppo-

I have a set of Lollars if you're interested in a trade for your HDs. I almost bought the orange Koll from you a few months back. Luckily, I was able to pick up a Super Glide recently. I'm interested in checking out the HD VP.

Greg

[JingleJungle]

Dammnity, that IS a purdy guittie!!... Does Saul give any sort of rebate for multiple orders?

I WILL buy a Tornado just like yours, plus a Superior with the Electroflux and a Duo Glide too.

Will "tentative" orders still qualify for rebates? Hmmm...

;)

JJ

[zeppo]

Originally posted by splatt
*definitely* worth some time, i'd say;
my vp90's are quite a bit more open --- w/more high-end detail and breadth of dynamics --- than any other p90 i've played, and most other pickups i've tried, as well.
of course, my mileage may vary.....
dt / spltrcl

Yup, I'll give it a try, my experimentation before was pretty cursory and I've read they're sensitive to height.

And Greg, thanks for the trade offer but I'll keep these around.

Also, someone asked above about the jazzmaster trem. I had a two tornados here at my house at the same time, the one in the pic and a black one with a hipshot. I found the jazzmaster trem guitar to sound a little bigger acoustically, that may be the bridge and it may just be the wood and neck size on the two guitars (the black one was a thinner neck). I initially went with the jazzmaster trem for a few reasons, I like the sense of a fixed bridge under my palm, I don't do a ton of wham-bulations and I like it on my vintage jazzmaster. All that being said, the hipshot is a very fine piece of machinery and were I to order another one I might get that bridge. Very silky smooth in travel and feels great.

harris

[Straleno]

I'm fixing to get a Koll quite a bit like that one soon.

I love the Jazzmaster trem, but does it stay in tune well? I'd be worried that the strings would catch on the fixed tune-o-matic bridge, especially the wound strings...

Thanks.

[zeppo]

Stays in tune great, I have kluson locking tuners that Saul got from Japan on that guitar (I think he's out of those but any locking tuner will work), I'm sure they help in addition to his straight string pull headstock. But no tuning issues.

h.

[joek86]

Zeppo,
Great geetar, love the burst!

Question for you all....... What is the diff between Madagascar RW and Brazilian RW, sonically, etc?

Joe

[zeppo]

I think the brazilian has a hint of chocolate with overtones of hibiscus......nah, just kidding, far as I can tell they sound the same. I just went with it cause it was available and sounded like a good idea. I'm sure others here could tell you what the benefit is.

h.

[big mike]

Usually the Braz will feel smoother. As for tone difference, none I can hear.

[iainmc]

having played many of harrys geetars, i think this one is defnitely a fine noisemaking machine. i really liked the way the jazzmaster trem & the straight stringpull headsock work together.

i got my tornado at the same time (on sauls site - the 3xp90 sparkly one with a hipshot. originally i had a mix of picks & have gone all hds which i really like. that & the hipsot takes more abuse than any other non locking trem i have used.

i would really strongly suggest to anyone getting a guitar form Saul to get a Korina guitar - it just seems they are alive.

Harry - is this you 6th or 7th guitar from saul? do you get the frequent saul points (oddly enough which come in PBR cans...)

/i

[Straleno]

I've got one more question, too -- how much does it weigh??
Thanks.

[zeppo]

Yes, for ordering so many guitars from Saul over our ten year aquaintance I get the honor of attending Mariners games with him and drinking PBR. Which we need to do again sometime soon.

Weight on the guitar is 7lb 13oz.

Here's a clip of it in action, it's the right hand channel throughout but you can really hear it on the bit leading into the solo and the solo itself.

Sharpshooter mp3 (http://www.kingsleymusic.com/08_Sharpshooter.mp3)

One more song from this session, it has the black tornado with the fralin in the bridge and hipshot trem on two solos (well, one noise bit and one solo). Not really apples to apples comparison as I think the amp was different and the gain certainly is.

One of the Good Ones mp3 (http://www.kingsleymusic.com/kingsley_One_of_the_Good_Ones.mp3)

I would have used the tornado more on the record but I got them late in the process.

h.

[iainmc]

hey i heard Sharpshooter driving in my car today - it got a killer noisy bit.

what amp? komet or /13?

/i

[cocheese]

Zeppo,

GREAT stuff! Where can I get the record? Now I see what Saul was talking about. Seriously stellar tones and tunes.

What amps/effects? Please do tell... :)

[dirk nixon]

I really like those tunes and the one on the My Space page too.

A #1

[Unburst]

Great sounding tracks zeppo!

Is that a fuzz factory I can hear on the second track?

[zeppo]

gosh, thanks. Track one is /13 ert33 left channel with a '69 tele, right channel is the sunburst tornado through a komet 60. both amps went through my 70's marshall cab with black backs. I think the solo on track one is the ert, can't quite remember.

track two is '69 tele through ert and marshall again, right channel an sg I think. solos are definitely komet 60. That is a fuzz factory used for freaky noises throughout.

I had just gotten the komet off someone here on tgp, hadn't really learned how to use it yet. I now really like it set to more mid gain, gradual mode with my klon for boost.

h.

[tiltrite]

I feel the GAS a-buildin' for a koll.

[Reeek]

That's a beautiful guitar to be sure ;)

[Saul Koll]

Spam alert!
There is a cool tornado available now. Take a look in the Dealer's Emporium.
Thanks,

saul

[KRosser]

Wow...what a beauty...

[JZWest]

Indeed-way super cool guitar! Dig the tracks too.

[RPFSingleCoil]

Zeppo,

congrats on a beautiful guitar! My Koll T is almost ready!