Yet Another CF Mandolin?

[Dan in NH]

“Will the sound of such an instrument develop and improve with extended play, like a wood instrument?”

No, it will not. With a carbon fiber instrument the tone you get out of the box is the tone you get 30 years from now.

[ScottDT1]

“Will the sound of such an instrument develop and improve with extended play, like a wood instrument?”

No, it will not. With a carbon fiber instrument the tone you get out of the box is the tone you get 30 years from now.

Guess I won't bother setting it in front of my speaker then.

[rnjl]

Going back to the video that was just posted, with the A/B comparison of regular CF to the carbon timber, to my (highly untrained) ears, the carbon timber sounded brighter and maybe a little more focussed than the regular CF, which had a kind of boomy or echo-like quality that I didn't find as appealing. I don't love bright sounding mandolins but I think the carbon timber sounded a little more like a higher-end mandolin than the regular CF.

This is all purely subjective and I was listening through 16 year old Scion car speakers, so not exactly high-end audio (but better than a cell phone) but I'm kind of tempted to upgrade to the carbon timber.

The difference was certainly subtle, and maybe I'm just fooling myself, who knows?

[NDO]

Going back to the video that was just posted, with the A/B comparison of regular CF to the carbon timber, to my (highly untrained) ears, the carbon timber sounded brighter and maybe a little more focussed than the regular CF, which had a kind of boomy or echo-like quality that I didn't find as appealing. I don't love bright sounding mandolins but I think the carbon timber sounded a little more like a higher-end mandolin than the regular CF.

This is all purely subjective and I was listening through 16 year old Scion car speakers, so not exactly high-end audio (but better than a cell phone) but I'm kind of tempted to upgrade to the carbon timber.

The difference was certainly subtle, and maybe I'm just fooling myself, who knows?

My ear isn’t all that sophisticated but I liked the sound of the carbon timber and went ahead and upgraded. I didn’t want to be sitting here in a year regretting that I didn’t get the one I wanted, and it was a cheap upgrade.

[Tighthead]

It was tough for me to hear much difference, but then again the term "woody" has always stumped me. Both sound natural enough that I doubt a sight-unseen listener would be able to say "that's CF."

The fact that it's still so easy to make changes--they just let me change to the acoustic/electric version--makes me think that delivery dates may be pushed back from May.

I have no issue with that--I'd rather they are built right than rushed.

[musicofanatic]

It was tough for me to hear much difference, but then again the term "woody" has always stumped me. Both sound natural enough that I doubt a sight-unseen listener would be able to say "that's CF."

The fact that it's still so easy to make changes--they just let me change to the acoustic/electric version--makes me think that delivery dates may be pushed back from May.

I have no issue with that--I'd rather they are built right than rushed.

I will admit that I would likely fail at positively identifying a CF constructed instrument if blindfold A/B comparing with a well constructed wooden instrument. I might mistake the CF mandolin for a laminated construction Kentucky or Eastman, which also lack, to my ear "warmth and woodyness". Not entirely slagging on the CF...I have played a few laminated wood top mandolins that didn't sound too bad...they just lacked the depth and velocity of a better instrument

[GarrettC]

I own an f hole Mix mandolin and have listened to just about every f hole carbon fiber mandolin on youtube- Mix, Sorensen, Klos, DIY...it seems to me like the tone of carbon fiber mandolins are kind of in between oval hole and f hole ones- there's the overall darkness of an oval hole with a hint of the brightness of an f hole. I find wooden f hole mandolins have a bit more depth/complexity to their sound than the carbon fiber. Carbon fiber ones definitely lean more towards the oval hole style tonally-speaking.

I do hear a slight difference between the straight CF and the carbon timber Klos mandolins. Sounds to me like the regular CF is right in line with all of the other CF mandolins I've heard.

[CES]

I’m in the midst of a particularly busy stretch at work, but if I can get through Tuesday upright I’ll reach out to them. If it’s too late to change to the timber, that’s fine. I want this for travel and conditions I wouldn’t want to take my wood instruments into, and it’ll grow on me either way as I figure out what picks/strings work best with it, just as my McPherson CF 6 string has. It’s not going to be my main mandolin (unless I’m totally shocked when I get it in my hands, lol), but it will get played a lot, and I think they sound pretty darn good for their intended application. If nothing else, it’ll make my Kelley sound that much better to me.

And, I agree. I want them to dial these in and get them right, not rush them out the door. Fortunately, I get the impression that’s what they’re after as well, and their track record with other instruments is pretty darn good so far.

[Dan in NH]

Frantically watching this thread for people posting that they got a tracking number from Klos

[ScottDT1]

Still have a bit of a wait. From their website:
"Estimated to ship 5 months after placing order with first orders expecting to ship May 2024."

[Dan in NH]

There was a rumor that they might start shipping in April.

What’s the song lyric? “Such a fool to believe….”

[NDO]

My last email from them (last Thursday when they confirmed they could change my order to carbon timber without impacting delivery date) said they were still targeting end of this month/early May for our orders. Fingers crossed!